Front row seat to Garter feeding attempt!

The last couple days I have spent some time in one of the many computer labs in my building working on setting up new software/hardware for the upcoming school year. Yesterday I noticed a dead bird outside the window (what is it with me finding dead birds lately). Most likely it flew into the window...it happens. So anyway it was still there today at one point I thought it had started moving out of the corner of my eye. I turn and look out the window and here's this Garter snake trying to wolf it down! I ran down to my office, grabbed my camera, and went outside. I got as close as I could without upsetting the snake...and avoiding the stench of the bird (its been 90's all week). I took a couple pics and a video. The pics came out pretty good, the detail is the best if you click on the icon for full size. The video is pretty crappy and over a minute long, it will be the one that says "no image" then you have to "download movie" you can choose to just open it and it will play in your browser if you have flash installed.

Anyway it was nice sized very healthy snake but there was no way it was going to take down this bird it was way to big for it! It tried and tried, got the head and neck down but the body was to much and eventually it gave up. I thought it was cool to see an "opportunistic" feeding in action...and it broke up the monotony of my day for sure!

Pics and the vid: http://warrenreptiles.com/gallery/ma...g2_itemId=2306

That's awsome. Lucky us that you had a camera handy. reminds me of the garter a found a while back. Kept him for a year then let him go. Cute little guy.

bet he wishes he could have taken that bird down........greedy little bugger! nice pix! :D

Wow! I wish I had something that exciting to watch at work. :)

It was very cool to watch indeed. The grounds here are kept up beautifully by our maintenance guy so to see some wildlife near the building was just perfect. I take a walk on my lunch break down a road that borders a wooded area and I have seen at least two snakes that didn't make it across :( so now I keep an eye out and sometimes carry my camera with me.