Yesterday was dark and overcast, cool, and a dense soaking rain fell in Lanark all day long. We knew that the woods would be full of voracious insect life and that it would be a poor day for taking photos, but we went off into the woods anyway and returned home late in the day, tired, slightly chewed and wet to the skin, but happy with our rambles and the various exercises of the day.While we were out pottering in the rain, I was able to check on our nesting turkey and was delighted to find her curled up comfortably on her eggs in the dry hollow under the cedar tree. She was relaxed and not the slightest bit anxious when I approached the hollow - she lifted her head and gave me a kind of nod and then curled up again and went back to sleep.
The major activity of the day was rescuing three pugnacious mother snapping turtles - they did not wish to be moved out of the road to safety, and they didn't wish to be assisted on their journey either. The third turtle, the smallest of the three terrapins, was the most bellicose - she stomped her feet, hissed and snapped at me several times and chewed great chunks out of the turtle stick as I tried to nudge her gently off the road with it and onto the verges. A female snapping turtle in a combative frame of mind is a force to be reckoned with, and I was careful not to get too close to her. Snappers don't have vocal cords or teeth, but they communicate perfectly and they can inflict a a nasty bite when aggravated.
I am not happy with this snapper photo, but (sigh) it was that kind of day.
4 comments:
Great news aboout your turkey and her eggs - isnt it delightful that she accepts you in her space?
That snapper looks ready to take on the world! Hum - wonder - do you suppose it has a lot of work-place stress?
Thanks for sharing your day!
Listen, any female in a combative state of mind is a force to be reckoned with. I've learned that little fact and passed it along to my boys.
I was thinking the same thing Endment said about the turkey ... that's pretty cool she is so calm around you ... she must know on some level that you are not there to hurt, but to watch over her and her young.
And that photo of the snapping turtle -- while it's not the greatest photo in the world, as you said -- at least you got close enough to shoot a dang good photo! And you were that close because again, you were helping the creatures rather than just shooting a photo with no connection at all to their lives.
I love reading your blog for that very reason (and more) because you take such pleasure and derive great joy from Nature, for being connected to the animals and plants -- and you are so observant when you are walking and just being in Nature. Plus you express yourself well ... I can put myself and my imagination right in the places you write about.
Despite the rain -- or perhaps, because of the rain -- it sounds like you had a wonderful day yesterday!
--Maureen
Your beautiful writing with vivid description and the turtle shot remind me of the bedtime story my mother used to tell me when I was a child.
She lived in a seaside village in her childhood where turtles spawn eggs. She witnessed several times turtles bearing and baby turtles hatching and going back to the sea.
I think you and my mother are naturally given something special to get along with nature so well.
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