When I hike I want to be prepared so I carry my smallest pack with first aid, water, hand warmers, flashlight, headlamp, knife, multi tool, matches, rope, space blanket, tree saw, extra socks, gloves, granola bars, etc. I tell Pam where I am going but I still want to be prepared in case something happens to me or I walk up on someone hurt. If I am on a 3 or 4 mile hike and something happens I could be miles from my vehicle and could be on my own for a night.
As the ice on the ponds started to melt I was on a trail and spotted a Hooded Merganser. When I tried to get close it flew away up the pond. I followed in the woods, tried to get close again and the same thing happened. I decided to go further in the woods and loop around from the other side. It worked !! As I approached I spotted 3 males and one female. I got close enough to take a couple pictures. The female was a good decoy as the males lost interest in my movement. 
Ice gone … bugs out … leaves coming out to block the views … critters warming up. Forgot to pack the Deet … Pam hiked with me around one of the new ponds I found. She is afraid of snakes so isn’t real interested in going with me once the weather warms up. We had a great time exploring some new trails.
I spotted this 3 foot Northern Water Snake cruising close to shore looking for fish, frogs, or anything else edible. Pam would never go back to this part of Beaver Brook if I told her where I was. Shhh … I tell her I only take her to “Posted” areas where "Snakes are Prohibited”. I have a picture in one of my previous posts from Beaver Brook of a water snake in the process of swallowing a fish. It spotted me and tried to spit the fish out and run but the fish was too far in. The snake ended up swimming off with half the fish in and half out.
Megan and Kevin hiked in a new section with me. She spotted this male tree swallow off the trail. We continued to some large rock formations with open cracks. I saw porcupine scat below one of the openings. As we were contemplating looking inside Megan spotted what she thought was a big earthworm. It was 4 ½ inches long. As I went to pick it up it rolled and I saw lots-o-legs … BOO … It was a Millipede. I grabbed a stick and lifted it off the leaves. Megan held the stick while I took a picture. Most comments from the picture are along the lines of gross, ewe, sick … what’s with that? I researched and this is an eastern millipede (Narceus Americanus) and is common in the woods of New England. It cannot bite and defends itself by rolling up in a tight spiral and/or uses its orange/brown chemical defenses that must make it taste bad and maybe smell bad. We didn't stress out this millipede so no spiral or chemical defense. I set it back down and watched it disappear in the leaves.
On one of my hikes I walked the Porcupine trail. I often asked myself "What's with the name?" That is until I spotted this little fella off that trail. Go figure!!
Always a work in progress …
Amazing pics of nature and wildlife
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