I have been asked on a number of occasions if I have ever come face to face with a snake while I was going through the bush or when I have been sitting in my hide.
There have been a few times when I have had to freeze and remain perfectly still, hoping a snake would move on in another direction to where I was.
One example of this was when I was photographing the Spectacled Monarch pictured here.
We were on holidays with family on the Sunshine Coast. Their property backed onto the bush which lead down to a creek. There were always birds calling out so I made several trips exploring the bush area.
On this day, I spotted a pair of Monarchs busily constructing their nest in a low fork of a tree.
I took up a position standing behind a thick tree a few meters back from the nest. I was fairly well covered and could rest the camera against the tree. The birds seemed to take no notice of me.
I stayed there for about half an hour during which time I took some lovely shots of the birds at work. Then the birds seemed to have stopped arriving which I thought was strange so I decided I’d go. Some instinct made me check around.
About the same distance as I was from the birds, but out to the side, I saw this large black snake at least two meters long, watching me. I froze on the spot.
I don’t know how long it had been there but for roughly 10 minutes which seemed like an eternity, neither of us moved. Then the snake started off but fortunately, away from me, heading down towards the creek.
