With a recent hot tip from a good friend, we decided to move down-river from one of our other spots that hadn't panned out last year. We got to the river a bit before noon after finally finding the parking area. From there on, it was smooth sailing. The river sure looked promising.
No shit... I swear that with my first glimpse at the river, I saw a turtle leave the shallow water at the edge of the far shore and swim into a tangle of sticks. No photo, no proof. It could have been a cluster of underwater leaves that I startled and they let go and swam to the sticks. I don't know.
We explored all along the river, the sandy areas, and the fields. The spot looks great for Hognoses and Garters. I'm told Racers are about as well, but it was very hot and sticky and we didn't expect any snakes on the day. In fact, we didn't see any animals until Andrea started finding small American Toads in the grass down my the water.
I only managed to scare a Pickerel Frog into the drink with no photo.
We explored every bush and every crevice, being very thorough. It was about 3789% humidity and it was hot. That river started to look very welcoming. Out in a hot, sunny spot, this American Toad was under a tire. He was quite surprised to see me.
We went into a more wooded area and the 'skeeters started enjoying us. We walked through thick grasses towards the river. I heard something slide into the water. It was a small Water Snake. I stepped forward to try for a photo, but there was no ground in front of me, just a 4-foot drop in the tall grasses. I didn't break my arm, but I knocked the wind out of myself. I started photographing Grasshoppers instead.
My #3 on the year, a female Two-striped nymph.
We headed back because the "trail" disappeared. There had been an earlier fork in the proper path, so we took the side we hadn't looked at on the way in. I had personally decided to stop with the Wood Turtle search and just enjoy the place and the exploration. It was a gorgeous setting and in better (less hot and sticky) weather, it would be a pleasant hike.
From the path, I saw an opening in the woods about 30 feet in, so I headed in to see if it would take us to the water again. On the way, I saw a really pretty American Toad who was missing his left foot.
I got a look at the open area and it turns out it was a dried up vernal pool. Well, I love vernal pools even when they're dry, so I headed up the thin "path" and into the former pond area. While I was poking around, hoping to see a Pickerel Frog or something, Andrea said "You just stepped right over a fucking Wood Turtle."
She's right. I had.
Our first ever encounter with this species in this state and I stepped right over it. Glad I didn't step on it or kick it in my oblivious state.
He's a big guy for sure and he didn't like my camera too much. Sweat was streaming into my glasses and I could barely see what I was shooting anyway.
We got our pictures and then watched him walk off into the brush and perfectly disappear.
Well, there you go. We finally got our Massachusetts Wood Turtle. Many thanks must go to our friend who suggested we try our luck at this part of the river. I'd like to also get back to the spot we'd decided looked good last year... the river and terrain is very similar. It's good to have one under our belts and a little bit of a search image.
It's funny, our Lifer was 11 years ago in Connecticut. It was up walking along a boardwalk we were on. Wow! Woods are easy!
NOT!
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