MISSISSIPPI RIVER STORIES 2022 #10 - AT THE NORTHEASTERN TRI-STATE POINT

Northern Water Snake, Mississippi River, near the Minnesota / Wisconsin / Iowa tri-state point

Many people here in the US use this long Labor Day weekend for spending time in the great outdoors. Summer is still here in the Mississippi Valley but fall knocks at the door with pleasant temperatures. We used this Sunday for a paddle tour with the kayaks and paddled the backwaters and main channel of the Mississippi River at the northeast corner of Iowa, where Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa touch each other. The only way to get to this sign below is by boat. It can be seen in the main channel of the big river on the Iowa / Minnesota side.

I’m always debating with myself if it is worth to take the risk and bring camera and long lens along. Any time I don’t, I later regret the decision because a picture opportunity came up and the shot was missed. This would have been true in particular today. We paddled trough a slough, between islands and sandy banks in the backwaters and just before we reached the mighty Mississippi, we discovered this well-fed Northern Water Snake on a muddy log in the shallow water of the slough. The snake was “busy” digesting something big and didn’t move a bit while I tried to bring the kayak in position. The current in the water was not very strong but I found a spot that would eliminate all the bluish glare on the water. Just holding this position while shooting with the long lens was a bit of a challenge. We expected the snake to escape any moment, but we left it as we had found it. It didn’t move at all. Must have had a great dinner…

NATURE CLICKS #431 - NORTHERN WATER SNAKE

Here is another image from last weekend. I know, snakes are not everybody’s favorite animal but I was very happy to see this Northern Water Snake crossing our way in the Green Island Wetlands. They are nonvenomous and eat fish, frogs, and salamanders. This was not the biggest one I have ever seen and its color was relativ light and so I assume this was a young adult. Unfortunately the snake population here in eastern Iowa has declined, maybe due to snake fungal disease (SFD). I have written about it here in the blog before.

The water snake was moving very fast and only stopped because we stepped in front of it. With hindsight I think I should have gotten still a little lower on the ground for this photo but overall I’m glad we saw this snake, which seems to become a rare occasion…

LOOKING FOR A SHADY PLACE

Young Northern Water Snake, Green Island Wetlands, Iowa ---------

We have seen a steep decline in the number of snakes during recent years, not just here in our woods above the Little Maquoketa River Valley. I have no explanation for that and when I talked to an officer from the DNR a few weeks ago he didn’t know either. We have great habitat for snakes, with wood and rock piles for hiding, and over the years we have recorded five different species here. Unfortunately since about 3 - 4 years we hardly see any. However, at least near the Mississippi River I see occasionally a Northern Water Snake.

This image was made last Friday in the Green Island Wetlands on one of the dykes that I call “snake alley”, just because I have seen snakes there more often than at any other places in the wetlands. This was a very young snake, probably not even two foot long. After a couple clicks from the car I got out and wanted to get low on the ground with the camera. The snake saw obviously its chance to get some shade and squeezed itself behind the left front tire before I was even out of the car. So, what now? I started the engine and moved carefully forward in order not to harm the critter. Well, that worked, when I got out of the car again the young Northern Water Snake was already in the water next to the dyke…

IT’S ABOUT GESTURE

Northern Water Snake, Mississippi River, Deere Dyke, Dubuque, Iowa ---------    

Wildlife photography was not on the priority list during the last two days. Joan and I had Anthony and Teegan, our twin grandsons, at our house this weekend and that was a lot of fun. Today we went on a walk to the Deere dyke at the Mississippi River. The weather doesn’t get any better than today here in the Upper Mississippi Valley. I debated with myself about taking camera and long lens with me, but the only way not making any pictures is leaving the gear at home or in the car… Sure, the bright light of a Sunday afternoon without any clouds is not a favorite, but for the first time I had a Sora and several Lesser Yellowlegs in front of the lens at this location.

I got very excited while watching the Lesser Yellowlegs, a sandpiper that I have photographed at the Green Island Wetlands before during spring migration. When this Northern Water Snake, resting on a sun flooded log in the shallow backwaters of the Mississippi, lifted its head, my attention shifted immediately. It’s mediocre light but it is the gesture of the critter that makes the difference between a documentary shot and a photo that is worth to be shown.

DISTURBING FACTS

Everybody likes to see pictures of new born or young animals and nobody wants to hear really about the death of a critter. This is quite normal. If you are in the great outdoors all the time you will develop a pretty good understanding about the cycles of life. And sometimes you come across a story that makes you more than wonder, shake your head, and leaves a feeling of sadness.

Yesterday in the Green Island Wetlands I saw a large Northern Water Snake lay on the gravel road that goes across the area. I stopped the car and walked up to it with the camera in my hands. These snakes are harmless, non-venomous, and usually flee rapidly when approached. The road has water on both sides and so the presence of a water snake isn’t a surprise. The size and dark color told me that this was a beautiful full grown adult. This one was not moving much, just looked like it would take a sun bath. I made a few clicks from different angles while slowly approaching the snake. Suddenly the snake turned on its side, curled up, opened its mouth, and acted like it was under extreme pain. Four minutes later the snake was dead. Some snakes feign death if attacked but the Northern Water Snake isn’t one of them. I moved the body off the road and checked it two hours later. It was definitely dead.

I understand that some people do not like snakes, for whatever reason, but I really hate the thought that someone drove over it on purpose. I couldn’t see any external injuries but assume that the critter died from internal damage, caused by a car that drove over it...