[TN-Bird] Re: Do black snakes eat birds?/

Black rat snakes are quite proficient at climbing trees to raid bird nests.
Go to http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/, enter black rat snake in the search
field, and you will get links to several articles in the ornithological
literature that mention this behavior.  Racers are also reported to climb to
bird nests, but there are fewer literature reports of them doing this that
there are for rat snakes.  I once watched a rat snake in a large oak tree
40-50 feet above the ground, slowly working its way higher.  I don't know if
it found a bird nest.

One of the hypotheses for the Red-cockaded Woodpecker's habit of promoting
the flow of fresh pine resin around its nest holes is that the pine resin
supposedly repels snakes.

Chuck Nicholson
Norris, TN
 

-----Original Message-----
From: tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tn-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of likebird
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 1:29 PM
To: TN-BIRD
Subject: [TN-Bird] Do black snakes eat birds?/

Birders,
I just had the fright of my life!  I noticed that my big seed feeder in the
back yard was empty so I ran outside with a load of seed and reached up to
fill the feeder.  Notice I said "looked up".  I realized immediately I had
just steped on a snake and flinging seed one way and the seed feeder the
other, I looked down to see a 5' black snake (Coluber constrictor) at my
feet-coiling.  Oh, did I mention I had on no shoes?  I screamed, the snake
ran, and I guess my heart is in better condition than I thought!     The big
question is--was he waiting on a bird to eat or a chipmunk?   I have tons of
chipmunks that like to feed under these seed feeders.
I never thought that black snakes would eat birds but now I am not sure.
Anybody know?  By the way, I have saved many black snakes in my life.  I
always stop on the highway and move them when I see them in the road.  It
wasn't fear, just having no shoes on and the shock of having him move under
my foot.
Linda V. Kelly
Warner Valley
Nashville, TN
Davidson CO
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=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with
first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation.
You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds
you report were seen.  The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should
appear in the first paragraph.
_____________________________________________________________
      To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
                    tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
_____________________________________________________________ 
                To unsubscribe, send email to:
                 tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
            with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
______________________________________________________________
  TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 
       Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
        endorse the views or opinions expressed
        by the members of this discussion group.
 
         Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
                 wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
                ------------------------------
                Assistant Moderator Andy Jones
                         Cleveland, OH
                -------------------------------
               Assistant Moderator Dave Worley
                          Rosedale, VA
__________________________________________________________
         
          Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
              web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
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                          ARCHIVES
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                       MAP RESOURCES
Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif
Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com

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