Nerodia, Chelonia and Frogs. 6-3-2018

This post goes out to the Mass Wildlife Officials who are forced to monitor this blog! Welcome to today's entry of Water Snakes and Painted Turtles! 💖

Really, I never stop to wonder why I have so few readers here. Even I am bored to tears by my writing. But I like the pictures so let's cut to the chase. Sunday morning, lows 60s and sunny. Middlesex County...

Water Snakes were the order of the day and we started seeing them right away.


A mating couple...

Fatty.


Ask this Bullfrog how high the pollen count was.


Another Nerodia... they were everywhere and it was wonderful.


Long-time readers of this blog (me and Andrea) know very well how tough it has been to get a decent Marsh Wren shot in the past but between my new camera and a very cooperative bird, I got my #71 on the year and crossed these guys off of my Nemesis List.


It wasn't all beer and skittles... we saw a small Water Snake crawling through the reeds and I noticed that much of its back end was skinned. Some innards were coming out along the bottom as well. Something had struck and would be dining again soon. It was heartbreaking. I got this shot of a possible culprit nearby... a large Snapper.


Right around the Nerodias doin' it part, we'd met an older lady walking with a cane. She was pretty cool, saying Mating Snakes would be a good name for a punk band. In fact, she mentioned Incestuous Mating Snakes. I told her I really was in a punk band and she said she might come to the next show. Man, if she does, I'll keep her in drinks all night!

A wee Muskrat or Water Vole or something, noisily munching some reeds.


This place is usually very turtley but we hadn't seen any Painters until I spied this noggin about 20 feet out. My zoom lens came to the rescue.


This NWR is also a stronghold for Northern Leopard Frogs, a species that can be tough in Massachusetts. My trophy-herpin' ways went into overdrive when we spotted one. This was the best I could do.


We walked a thin, overgrown path between ponds and Water Snakes were speeding away before we could get photos. This periscoping Nerodia sat still long enough for me to get arty.


This Painter did not besmirch the birch.


We headed up to a sunny, open area where we've seen predated turtle nests in the past. We hoped to see some lady shells up laying but none were present. Andrea gasped and almost tripped over this massive and gorgeous Nerodia gal laying in the sun.


Dat were a big Water Snake.

While inspecting some predated nests, a large Snapper started crossing the road about 50 feet away. She got a look at us in the distance and turned back to the brush. We ran up to try to get a photo... and did.

We left her alone quickly, hoping she'd resume her trip to the other pond.

Heading back along a thin trail again, we saw yet another Water Snake.


Now that we were on the other side of the pond, we'd found the Painted Turtle sweet spot... a little, green cul-de-sac that we could see through the trees was filled with Chelonian goodness.


Looks like a Red-ear in the foreground here.


Heading back on to the main trail, we met a birder named Chris who had just moved up from Florida. He was adding lifer Northern birds and having pretty good luck. We walked and talked with him for a while and got him his lifer Northern Leopard Frog, who posed much better than the last one. "Look at my hat!"


This big guy just sat on the edge of the trail as we walked by.


We hadn't seen any Garters which struck me as odd. This place was usually pretty reliable. It was with great delight that I flipped this little guy, probably last year's model.


We parted ways with Chris and took one last path, one that we've seen turtles cross in previous trips. Sure enough, in the distance, we saw a shell moving in the open. I ran up to corral it. It was a Snapper.

Looks big, huh? It wasn't.

He was about Painted Turtle-sized, a size you don't see much in the wild.

Ask this Water Snake about the pollen count. Looks like he's been snorting the stuff.


Another shell on the path in the distance! Andrea did the sprint this time, for a Painter.


She moved it closer to the water and patiently waited for it to come out of its shell. I walked to the edge and saw this little guy about to go in. I said, "No! Not yet!" and he actually waited while I took his picture. Then he slipped into the drink.


A couple more Painters were seen while we waited for shy-boy to emerge.



He finally came out and plopped into the water.


And that was our day. We got out in time to do some family stuff with Andrea's Mom but didn't feel like we were cheated out of a good nature day.

Stay tuned for more Garters, Water Snakes and Painted Turtles. The year has just begun.