TRR photo by Scott Rando A milk snake makes a rare daytime appearance; they usually find shelter during the day and forage at night. On the top of its head is the telltale “Y”. On this specimen however, the “Y” looks more like a mouse head. Mice are among its favorite prey.

Milk Snake: farmer’s friend or foe?

A couple of weekends back, I attended the Sussex County Bird Club annual picnic in New Jersey. The member who was hosting it had a fair sized tract of land near the base of the Kittatinny Ridge, and the fields and wetlands held a diverse range of fauna and flora. A bit of excitement was in the air when someone spotted a snake sunning itself near an old piece of plywood lying in the field. The snake had black-ringed reddish-brown spots, with eyes that matched the brown spots. Smooth scales made this snake shine in the sunlight.

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Audubon holds Birds and Blooms walk

LOOKOUT, PA—The Northeast PA Audubon Society will hold a Birds and Blooms walk in the Browning Beaver Meadow Sanctuary on Saturday, June 20. The hike will be through three different habitats: riparian zone, wetlands and uplands. The guide, Joan Thirion, will point out native wildflowers, local and migrating birds, ducks and much more.

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Henry retires as chief ranger

UPPER DELAWARE RIVER—After 32 years with the National Park Service, Alan Henry, Chief Ranger at Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, has retired.

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Also in this issue:

• Wayne County offers garden helpline