Wow. What a great day. I always look for water snakes when I'm kayaking, but rarely see them. Care to offer any advice for how to find them?
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to skip this. I ran out of time at lunch yesterday.
Mid-morning is when I start to look for snakes basking by the river. When the sun is up high enough to shine down on the rocks and logs at the edge of the river and the edges of the treelines facing the sun. These photos are between 1100-1300. It also depends on how early in the year. You can find water snakes in the water and on the rocks earlier in the day as the ambient temp stays higher, they don't depend as much on the sun when it's warmer.
Look for areas with shallow water. It's easier to catch fish in the shallows, and sunfish breed in the shallows. Some parts of the river next to the shorelines in these photos have only a foot or two of water for at least 100'.
Watch the tides. Low tide traps fish in creek outlets and marshy areas and it's a good place to check for buffet-cruisers...
When it's hot summer time I find them hanging out in bushes next to the river, sometimes in the branches and leaves just above the water. Then I usually find them when I hear the splash or see them scoot to the water.
I sometimes walk in the water several feet from shore, in the summer when it's warmer. If you don't splash when you walk you can be really quiet that way. That should be similar to how you would approach in a kayak, and in your kayak you have a fairly low profile.
If you're walking go slow and quiet, keep looking far ahead if the brush allows it. When you see one you move
very slow to get closer. Most of the time if you even just walk by like normal they'll dive when you come near. I move closer by "getting smaller" as I approach, crouch-walking, getting on my hands and knees, whatever.
I'm sometimes surprised at how tolerant they can be, I've even grabbed them without a chase when they knew I was there. Some of the ones in this thread I could have grabbed, but it's not allowed on that refuge. I wouldn't normally bother them to pick them up anyway unless I really wanted a picture for some reason and they didn't cooperate. A lot of herpers tend to get "grabby" and want to handle everything they find. I'd rather stress them less if it's not necessary, but that's another discussion.
If you have a digital camera keep taking pics as you approach, that way you at least recorded it if it does scoot away, and the pics get better as you get closer.
If you only have a cell phone camera you can still get photos. The resolution might not be so good, but if you're careful and slow you can record your finds without moving them. It's also good practice because you have to get closer to the snake for a pic, like almost standing right next to it...
But when I am, I promise to look you up. That should surely make the visit more palatable, anyway! :cheers: