In the Park, Again

It was a very good day to be in the Dykeman Spring Nature Park; Mama Gaia was very busy in there! Lots of activity - birds singing, lots of lush green and flowers, turtles, and my first-of-the-year Northern Water Snake. I actually got a Painted Turtle on the log in the bog pool. And there were two Snapping Turtles really going at it, like two prehistoric beasts in a scene from Jurassic Park, right out in the middle of the north duck pond; I couldn't tell if they were fighting, playing, or mating. It turns out that it was the latter, and the Snapper version of foreplay is an all out battle! All of this made today's visit great.

Ground Ivy flowers; these are actually very small, 1/8 inch (4 mm)

A scene deep in the heart of the wetland

This Catbird was being very noisy

Here it is, this year's first Painted Turtle on a log shot!

Snapping Turtles coming up for air in the midst of their tussle

The two Snappers rolling around and around in the north duck pond

Northern Water Snake in a deadfall hanging over the creek

The first of the Dame's Rocket blooming along the nature trail

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger