My sanity, such as it is, is tethered to this daily walk, so even when life is booked with things to do from 6 am to 10pm I still manage to get that needed walk in, and early enough, usually between 5am and 6am to catch wildlife doing some of its wild things. Here then are the highlights of what I had the privilege to see over the past months.
-A snapping turtle laying her eggs. I think the only other time I saw a turtle laying its eggs was one of those fabulous encounters on a trip to Hawaii with a sea turtle that had hauled out leaving tractor trailer marks in the sand and commenced laying her over 100 eggs, an unforgettable sight. But here, in my own little bog, on a June day, I came across a large female snapping turtle that had climbed out of the containment pond, up its steep sandy cliff, and, of all places, was laying her eggs, not on the flat surface, but on this sheer drop off at the top! One questions her choice. Clearly though, she had dug into the cliff side and was getting the job done.
Because I was with my dog, who had gone right by her, sometimes he misses the most obvious things, I couldn’t stay to watch her complete the task, for they can lay up to 80 eggs and that would take some time.
But now I knew where the nest was and could mark it, which I did. It also meant that now I could fret over her choice for, about a week later, we had some torrential rains that eroded the cliff right where her progeny were. However I saw no sign of washed-out eggs, nor in the ensuing weeks have I seen any sign of predation. I placed large rocks and some blocks of wood like a dam at the top of the cliff hoping to ward off any more washouts. The chance of my actually getting to see a wee snapper hatch out and tumble down to the pond is extremely slim at best.
They probably wouldn’t hatch until September for gestation in the snappers is between 60-90 days depending on the weather, which has been pretty warm. Will I still be here walking the bog is the question. Well, we shall just have to wait and see. By the way, as an aside, no need to play the “Jaws” music if you see a snapper in the pond. They are really docile in the water, but when on land, where they are far more vulnerable, they can be aggressive. In spring and early summer it is common to see one crossing a road, generally en route to her nesting site, and our advice is always, if it is safe, lend her a hand by stopping traffic, but not by picking her up and helping her cross. They weigh more than you would want to lift anyways. If they feel threatened, they can treat you to a display of their famous crushing jaws that can snap a broom handle. Another cool thing about snappers that I have only seen in pictures is that their tongue has a worm like appendage at the end, leading to fatal mistakes by fish that see a tasty dinner than become one themselves.
All right, clearly I don’t have the hang of the abbreviated Cliff Note approach I promised in the beginning. I am in Baltimore tending to my post operative, now non-walking daughter, so free time will be easier to find. Shall we then proceed catching you up day by day with what I saw? Seems a plan. And I did have some fortuitous sightings, so let me clog the blogwaves with my tales once again. Until then, enjoy the summer day spread before you. Pat
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