Close Encounters with the Circle of Life

The natural world is not something to merely observe. It calls to us for participation, for belonging, for finding ways to interact and engage. This could take the form of hiking, fishing, planting — or perhaps, on some days, snake wrangling.

I often enjoy the birds as they flitter just outside the window of my home office in an upstairs room. One recent afternoon, they went from flitter to atwitter as they flew back and forth, chattering loudly. The leader of this cacophony was a gorgeous male Eastern bluebird. Joining him was the occasional finch or two (purple or house, I couldn’t tell with the rapid flight). Something was wrong, and I had an idea what it was.

I called to Michele as I made my way downstairs and onto the back deck. A mockingbird flew into a nearby tree, an apparent participant in the attack that was underway.

Sure enough, there he was. The long back half of a gray rat snake was hanging out of a bluebird box mounted to a deck post. Not the ideal placement for the birthing spot, I know, but we have successfully raised a number of bluebird families in that box.

That streak was changing before our eyes. I quickly grabbed the snake with both hands and began to pull, but his strong body remained firmly inside the box. While I couldn’t pull him out, he managed to turn his front half around and poke his head out of the hole. From all indications, he was not happy with me for my rescue efforts. He eventually exited the box and dropped to the deck, coming our way in an effort to spook us. I stepped back. Michele threw her phone to the ground and ran (but not before getting a few good photos).

While I managed to knock him off the deck, my actions were sadly too late. Upon opening the box, all we found was an empty nest. Michele had seen the adult bluebirds taking food into the box the previous day, so we know the eggs had hatched. The poor babies never had a chance to learn to fly.

That’s how nature works, I suppose. While it’s not always pretty, it’s certainly fascinating to be a part of the world around us as life (and sometimes death) unfolds.

I hope this story encourages you to observe, engage, and participate in the natural wonders we are so blessed to be surrounded by in this region. A few of you may even be inspired to grab hold of a snake. Let me know how it goes!