We got there at close to 7 PM knowing that our time would be limited. Even if we didn't see anything, it felt great to be outside and the woods smelled wonderful. We didn't, in fact, see anything for about a half hour until, right there on a busy hiking/ biking trail, Andrea saw a turtle nestled in. Not just any turtle... it was our first Spotted of the year and our first ever at this location.
She looked like she was thinking of nesting but what an awful spot, for her right now and her eggs.
She was showing no interest in moving so we put some fairly large rocks on either side of her to deter speeding bicycles should they come blazing through.
Our next herp was a flipped, sleepy, digesting Garter. Before returning the rock to place, we moved her and she pretty much stayed in-coil.
(That is paint splatter in the photo, not copious amounts of musk.)
When we put her down, she effortlessly slid back to the underside of the rock for the night.
I think I annoyed the shit out of Andrea but I had to keep on commenting about how wonderful the air smelled. It was just perfect and just what I needed.
We got to the water and I saw what might have been a turtle noggin poking up. It was dusk and we all know Snappers like to stir things up at about that time. It turns out it wasn't a turtle at all.
Nerodia noggin! This is me standing in the ever-lengthening shadows trying to get that shot.
We headed back (the place is off limits after dusk) and we had at least a 45 minute walk to go. When we passed the stones we had set up, we noticed that the Spotted gal had moved back into the brush, We couldn't tell if she had laid (I don't think so) or if she was just up digging practice holes.
I exclaimed again how wonderful the cooling air smelled. Andrea didn't punch me in the throat.
But oh man, it smelled sooooo gooood.
!Feliz día del padre!!!!(Hoy esla fecha en Argentina) Martha
ReplyDeleteGracias! Hemos tenido un gran día!
DeleteGreat posts!
ReplyDeleteI follow them all the time!
Thank you!
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