Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

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AndyO'Connor
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Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:14 pm
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Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

Post by AndyO'Connor »

I'm really enjoying the year I've had so far, and the best is yet to come. I like that we have an online community where we will fly to another state, and someone on here can play host/guide to help someone with lifers, goals, etc. I met Tim Warfel at the NAFHA Annual meeting at Snake Road last year, although I'd known of him online for much longer. Tim told me that he needed to see Northern Pacific rattlesnakes to complete his quest to see every venomous reptile in the U.S. I was astonished, not just that he had seen everything else, but that he asked me to help him out, and I told him to come on out. Fast forward a few months, and I had planned out a way to show him as much as possible in only a couple of days, so that we could also have time for local food joints and just enjoying the scene. I picked him up at the airport at 11PM Thursday night, and with a bit of a drive before we were in range of rattlesnakes, I was a little skeptical if we'd see much before morning. After numerous DORs and a few live gopher snakes, the warm temperatures of the night paid off and at 2:45 am, with air temps of 74 F, Tim got his live NorPac. It was a nice looking one so we bagged it up for a few hours, for photos and then released it.

Tim with his prize
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posed
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After getting the first one out of the way, we both agreed we'd try to get as much in situ as possible for the rest of the trip, except for a few targets of his, we succeeded.

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A hole that usually has several females in it, but it's west facing, so it's better in the afternoon than morning, but the sheds show how often it's used.
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A sideblotch population that lives in a sand dune, most of the males are very orange, this was a good looking one despite the regenerated tail.
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A jet flyby, I wasn't ready for this shot and it was gone before I could get more than 2 shots off.
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A nice looking wandering garter snake.
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And some young ravens from the same location.
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On to our next destination for more diversity, and another bird shot along the way, some ospreys nesting on a crooked telephone pole next to the Columbia River, with Mt. Hood in Oregon in the background.
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The fawn that almost killed me, haha. I decided to see how close I could get with my 100mm, the second shot is the last shot before the rock I stepped on rolled out from the embankment and hit me in the ankle, it tickled a bit... These aren't cropped.
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This nice norpac found on the road at night went into a defensive position similar to an atrox or mojave with her front half elevated, I'd never seen that from these snakes. She also hissed loudly, which I have witnessed before and I believe Tim got some video of it.
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The last crote of the trip almost cost me a trip to the hospital. I was flipping rocks looking for a ring or z, and the leaves right next to a rock started rustling and I couldn't see what was under it, I lightly grabbed a handful of leaves to move them, and also got a handful of snake tail, which I quickly realized was not what I hoped for. Luckily for me the snake's head was in the hole, and I went and got my camera and came back to see she had turned around to face her pesty intruder.
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Tim wanted to see some more Thamnophis species, so I took him to some great spots that are nearly guarantees for them and a few other interesting species. His biggest garter goal was a fitchi, we found a couple.
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One of my favorite spots to visit yielded a couple species of giant sally including several transformed adults that were out in the open, all of these shots are in situ.
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defensive after I pulled the roof (log) from over his head.
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We headed into Oregon to see if we could find a pure pacific gopher and some red-spotted garters and northwestern rings. We succeeded on all 3 but I only photographed the gopher as it was an exceptional looking snake. I am sure Tim took excellent pictures of just about every species we saw (23 in all) so he can make a post of his own or add to this one.
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Back at my house up north, I have some reliable spots for puget sound garters, northwestern garters, and northwestern alligator lizards. Here's a few shots of the snakes we saw, all in situ except the trio of ordinoides.
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Some ordinoides courtship
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gravid female puget sounds were abundant
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And a momma duck with ducklings under her to close.
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I saw a sample of Tim's photos of things I skipped shots of, so he definitely has more to offer. I am glad that I could play a small role in his acheivement of seeing every venomous reptile in the U.S., it's just amazing. Can't wait for Baja Sur and North Carolina in September!
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azatrox
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Re: Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

Post by azatrox »

Great stuff Andy!

Love that oreganus in the defensive pose on the roadway!

-Kris
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Mike VanValen
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Re: Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

Post by Mike VanValen »

Awesome. I also love this forum for things like this. I assume that's a rattler peering out from the leaves?
hellihooks
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Re: Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

Post by hellihooks »

Good stuff! Helping visitors get lifers is bout my favorite thing to do... not only do you get to share in their excitement , but see your local herps with fresh eyes with renewed appreciation... :thumb: Really like that gopher... :D jim
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muskiemagnet
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Re: Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

Post by muskiemagnet »

i'd like to see you again. stop grabbing rustling leaves in a "hot"spot. lol.

-ben
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AndyO'Connor
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Re: Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

Post by AndyO'Connor »

Thanks Ben, it really was a spot I and others have found zonata before, so I was a bit surprised even though it's a short distance away from where I commonly see crotes. It's not going to happen again.

Mike, yes you are correct that is a rattler peering out from the leaves, a few minutes after I grabbed it. It was an adult gravid female too, a mistake I am glad I didn't pay for.
TimCO
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Re: Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

Post by TimCO »

A huge thanks to Andy for an amazing trip, a productive and thoroughly enjoyable mission. After hearing fables about the Pacific NW for years I wanted to see if it lived up to the hype. It did and much more. Andy's skill at locating local libation locales was equally impressive and rewarding.
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MichaelCravens
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Re: Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

Post by MichaelCravens »

Great post Andy! It looks like you guys had a blast.

Michael Cravens
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AndyO'Connor
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Re: Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

Post by AndyO'Connor »

TimCO wrote:Andy's skill at locating local libation locales was equally impressive and rewarding.
LOL, the amazing alliteration Andy awesomely awarded you the ability to use is uqually impressive.

The most enjoyable part of the trip was certainly the company, with herps found and food/drinks consumed a close second place. Can't wait for the next mission! Glad everyone enjoyed my post.
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justinm
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Re: Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

Post by justinm »

Awesome you to are bad ass herpers for sure. Tim, congrats on a huge accomplishment! That's a pretty amazing feat considering you're a young guy.
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Dell Despain
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Re: Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

Post by Dell Despain »

TimCO wrote:Andy's skill at locating local libation locales was equally impressive and rewarding.
:beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: Congratulations Timmay!

Nice post Andy, the Pacific Gopher is sweet looking.

-Dell
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Mike Pingleton
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Re: Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

Post by Mike Pingleton »

Dell used up all the beer clinker icons,

so I'll just say congrats, Tim! That is a BIG deal.

and great post, Andy. It's fun to participate in someone else's quest (I was present for Tim's second-to-last find).

-Mike
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JakeScott
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Re: Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

Post by JakeScott »

Tim is a fairly decent fellow....but only because he likes the Gators. So, I am very happy he completed this goal.

Great post, I hope Tim puts up a post with the first of every single U.S. venomous species he's seen.

-Jake
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M Wolverton
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Re: Helping a visitor complete quite the herping feat

Post by M Wolverton »

That's great. Heck of a goal to complete.
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