Tag: turtles

The Turtle

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Twice I’ve seen now-a-day creatures that turn the pond into something akin to a scene in Jurassic Park. They are a turtle and a blue heron. Here I share about the turtle. My next post will be about the heron.

On an otherwise nondescript day in early spring, while I was still enjoying seeing the fish nests for what they actually were (see Craters posts), I nonchalantly registered with mild interest that a shadow in one of the larger nests resembled a turtle, a huge turtle. Just as I got that far in my thinking, the shadow moved, like a turtle. Truly, I think my jaw dropped. It was an astounding site. The shell of this particular reptile was the size of my torso. I’m sure I startled him from his rest, and with lumbering motion he rotated his enormous self and plodded away from where I stood in a stupor – wondering if time were playing a trick on me, and if I had been transported to another age, a prehistoric age. After taking ten or so turtle steps he surfaced and stuck his craggy nostrils out of the water and remained still for about twenty seconds, I imagine to get air. Then he went under water and as he swam or walked away (I could no longer see him) he left a trail of small bubbles on the water’s surface for some distance, probably fifteen feet.

I have watched in vain since then to spy him again. I’ve had to settle for smaller turtle sightings, those with fourteen inch shells, or somewhat smaller. And, I have attempted to take their pictures, but, so far, reflections in the water hide them from photo view. But I can see and capture the digital image of their nose and the telltale bubble trail as they sneak away. (There is a turtle in the photo above, but I seem to be the only one able to see it! Please comment below and let me know if you see it in this shot. The turtle had about a twelve inch shell. And, here are photos of the same turtle’s nostrils and then the trail of bubbles.)

No other creature of the pond has enchanted me as much as the large turtle. It’s to the point that my eyes are so trained to the water for any hint of his presence that I have to remind myself the turtle might just decide to meander up shore where I’m likely to trip over him as I eye the water. And, I have had to on occasion, reverse my circular direction around the pond, as my neck stiffens in my intense watchfulness!

A fisherman tells me it’s a snapper and that it’s been seen a long time at the pond. Another fisherman shared that he brought his toddler granddaughter to accompany him one afternoon. She had a child’s pole with a toy lobster at the end of a string, which she dangled in the water. The big turtle came right up and snapped the lobster from her rod. The story teller was most impressed by his granddaughter’s indignation, which she bellowed for all to hear, especially the turtle.

Today, determined to get a quality turtle photo for this post, I walked the perimeter of the pond. As I studied the shallow water at the shoreline, I was startled to see in my peripheral vision, the blue heron make her cumbersome lift off from the far shore and soar over the water to awkwardly alight about sixty feet in front of me. I’ll write about her next.

Craters, Part Two

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With the arrival of spring, the action at the pond took off like a rocket. In time, I’ll be writing about a beaver, a blue heron, jumbo sized goldfish, jumbo sized turtles, jumping fish, big bugs, little bugs, bats and birds. But now, let’s get that crater theory put to rest (see Craters, Part One in the July archives).

Early one evening I was walking the dog around the pond. For the second time in a week, I came upon a fisherman. I suppose if I’m talking about the life around the pond, I should mention the occasional person I meet along the pathway. Although I’m not terribly outgoing, I think it’s impolite to simply walk by someone, if you are the only two people present. So, when I come across a person on the path, I make an effort to say something socially polite. In that vein, when I met the fisherman, I mustered up a brilliant, “How’s the fishing?” And, he politely said, “Fine.” I’m not sure who spoke next, as I could detect he was about as comfortable as I with this chit-chat. In any event, at one point he said, “you should try it,” meaning, fishing. I said, “I would but….it’s…the cootie factor.” He laughed, and said, “I know what you mean. I’m wearing my waders and boots because I hate ticks!” And, sure enough, as I took in his garb, I realized he was in a rubber barrel essentially, a comical over-dressed ensemble for our little pond. For me, the cootie factor is touching the worms, touching the fish, and not washing my hands thoroughly, with anti-bacterial soap, after each contact.

Off I went with the dog, but as I passed the fisherman on the return, I said something about the craters. In mentioning them, I know I was testing my theory about them being the effects of a spring fed pond. He looked puzzled when I said ‘craters,’ so I gestured toward one. He smiled and said, “You mean the nests?” I said, “The what?” as ‘nests’ just didn’t fit anywhere in the word lexicon of my theory. He said, “Yeah, the sunfish nests. The fish makes a nest. If you watch closely, you might see a fish tending to one, clearing the sand and small debris.”

Once over the startling realization my theory was dead wrong, I began to love what these crater/nests were – little fish homes! And, as the earth warmed up, sure enough, fish by the scores could be seen in the pond, and hovering above each nest, I often would see a fish suspended and still. They swim in and around their nests, but just one occupies the water over the nest. When swimming about the banks of the pond, frequently they seem to be in pairs. I don’t dare speculate toward another theory…but, whenever I see a two-some, swimming in sync, I do wonder about their mating habits.

I’m often tempted to go to Wikipedia and research what I see. But, then I think I might just spoil the fun of simply observing. There will be time later, after a four season watch, to do all the studying I want, if I want.