Snapping turtles are out and about, leaving the water to lay eggs in gravel nests. When this female, with about a 12" diameter shell, was finished, she made her way towards the pond. I knew we had a few painted turtles in the pond, but...she better leave the kids alone when they're swimming!
Everything is flowering, mating, reproducing...ths morning just down the road I saw a doe and her fawn at the roadside, running and disappearing into the woods as I drove by. Then on the main road, just where I saw them the day before, was a hen wild turkey with a brood of chicks. They had to have been a week old or more, and they can fly already! Ten years ago that would have been a rare sight in those woods.
And the other evening, as The Hermit and I were sitting on the back steps, we heard a hummingbird chattering in the gray dogwood bushes. Through the leaves we could see the male flying back and forth in a U-shaped pattern, then landed next to where we saw a moment later there was a female hummingbird. What energy, what drive and purpose these tiny creatures have!
4 comments:
Everything is flowering, mating, reproducing...
Careful there, Deb, you might put out a bud! ;-)
How big do snapping turtles get?
I met my first snapper just a couple of days ago. It was crossing a busy road, so I pulled over, picked it up, and put on the side to where it was headed. The size of this one was very close to yours. Now I know what she might have been up to. :)
madcap- perhaps I should have said, "everything BUT me..." ;)
Snapping turtles can get to be pretty big. I imagine they grow bigger in Southern climates, but I've seen them here with shells up to about 18" in diameter.
Lene- good for you! I have seen too many smashed turtles on the road. I guess in some parts of the state they have turtle crossings for Blanding's turtles, which are very rare.
Neat turtle. If you remember my turtle nest post from April 11, we are approaching 60 days later and I am checking the nest box every day now. I'm hoping I didn't screw up.
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