Western Gartersnake: Preying Upon a Newly-Fledged Young Robin, I of II
Summer, Rocky Mountain Front Range, Colorado.
I heard what I've come to recognize as the distress sounds of robin parents guarding their young. But this time their sounds were more urgent and intense. It was not just, "Danger lurks!" Rather, it was more like, "Embodied danger attacks!"
I ran and opened the front door and saw four adult robins and two house finches all perched on mock pear tree branches. They were leaning together, essentially pointing with their beaks to a single area of the lilac bush. It was directly in front of me.
I moved forward and looked down to see this gartersnake with its tail wrapped, knot-like, around a branch. It was hanging down at ground level and it had a newly-fledged baby robin in its tight grip.
The baby looked at me while it was trying to wrestle its wing free from its predator. I quickly took the branch and shook it, enough for the snake to loose its hold.
The baby robin managed to pull away, barely flying above the level of the lawn. It looked like it was flying evenly and that its wing wasn't damaged.
Immediately the adult robins gathered near the baby and guided it to cover, away from the snake. I followed the snake for a few moments and noted that it was opening and closing its mouth with a downy feather stuck to the inside. No baby bird dinner at this time.
Western Gartersnake: Preying Upon a Newly-Fledged Young Robin, I of II
Summer, Rocky Mountain Front Range, Colorado.
I heard what I've come to recognize as the distress sounds of robin parents guarding their young. But this time their sounds were more urgent and intense. It was not just, "Danger lurks!" Rather, it was more like, "Embodied danger attacks!"
I ran and opened the front door and saw four adult robins and two house finches all perched on mock pear tree branches. They were leaning together, essentially pointing with their beaks to a single area of the lilac bush. It was directly in front of me.
I moved forward and looked down to see this gartersnake with its tail wrapped, knot-like, around a branch. It was hanging down at ground level and it had a newly-fledged baby robin in its tight grip.
The baby looked at me while it was trying to wrestle its wing free from its predator. I quickly took the branch and shook it, enough for the snake to loose its hold.
The baby robin managed to pull away, barely flying above the level of the lawn. It looked like it was flying evenly and that its wing wasn't damaged.
Immediately the adult robins gathered near the baby and guided it to cover, away from the snake. I followed the snake for a few moments and noted that it was opening and closing its mouth with a downy feather stuck to the inside. No baby bird dinner at this time.