I Like Turtles. 6-12-2021

 After a 5 day heatwave, temps cooled off and it was pretty nice in time for the weekend. We headed out to a Norfolk County spot after the morning rain cleared up, in hopes of a Musk Turtle (we failed the previous weekend) and perhaps a Fowler's Toad. Both were species we were yet to photograph on the year.

We got there and it was still overcast but we thought our timing was probably pretty good. Our first sight was a Bullfrog that was ignoring us.

This gorgeous Garter was poking her head out, testing the warmth of the sun (which had also poked out a little).

We saw a Water Snake hunting on the water's edge. Twisting and turning and diving, we didn't know what it was after. Eventually, he came up for a breath and relaxed for a moment.

A short stack of Painted Turtles looking like they were thinking about a yoga class.

This stunning and huge female Nerodia was either baking babies or her breakfast. What a good lookin' snake!

We were walking along next to a spillway and I saw the hugest Water Snake I'd ever seen slither through the water and disappear under some brush. It made the one we'd just seen look small! While I was lamenting the missed photo-op, Andrea noticed that we weren't alone up there.

Finally, our First of Year Musk Turtle! Stinkpots forever! We left her alone to do Musk Turtle things.

Keeping with our lucky streak, our next sight was our First of Year Fowler's Toad! Took damn long enough, didn't it?!

After that, the temps were climbing. We saw a few Garters that sped off. This is the best I could do with one of them.

We were enjoying watching birds and turtles and even a beaver. This bird is a new one for us, the Northern Rough-winged Swallow, # 70 on the year and Lifer #195.

These Painters applauded our efforts.

We headed back and went in to the Musk spot, hoping she was gone. She was. But I saw that massive Water Snake again. Andrea got to see her this time, too. But where did she disappear to again? Eventually, we saw her huge noggin poking out from under a clump of brush. She had a nice hiding place down there somewhere!

Not far from her, we saw another Nerodia noggin poking up through the current! So cute!

In the same area, this dark Water Snake was rubbing her face and realigning her jaws, obviously just having had lunch.

On the way back, I spent a lot of time watching and photographing a Northern Mockingbird doing a display; fluffing out his wings and hopping. He did it over and over, keeping his distance from us as we proceeded down the path, but never flying off.

Defending a nest? I don't know. I looked it up when I got home and it seems that ornithologists don't agree on what this behavior means. It was cool to watch at any rate.

Andrea was stopped on the path by a striped speed-bump.

Not only were there dozens of chipmunks flitting about and the beaver, but there were bunnies, too!

Back to the pond before our departure. This Painter was floating in the cool water.

About a foot away from that Painter, there was another turtle head poking out. I didn't realize it until I got home and uploaded the pictures that this was another Musk!

Just to add some variety, there was a Red-ear doing the turtle-float out there, too!

Hey... that's a Bullfrog, not a turtle!

Fittingly, we ended up with a cute, small Painter giving us the side-eye.

So, we got our two targets and saw lots of great animals and we were done by early afternoon. Can't argue with that. I call it a success.