72 photos in one visit!

I got to the park around my usual weekend time this Saturday morning. My last couple of visits have been somewhat boring, resulting in only 15-20 photos per visits. I was expecting more of the same today but could not have been more wrong. In the end I took 72 photos in one visit and saw some great things that won't even make this post; including a Bald Eagle, flowers and lots of other birds. To start off, I spotted a Doe up ahead of me on the south side wood chip trail. She was curious and stood still for lots of great closeups before a fawn came out to join in. The fawn was obviously a bit older with barely a hint of white spots on it's hind quarters. I looked for a second fawn but never saw one. Then on the north side I spotted another Doe busily munching away. She only looked up at me a couple of times but all the while was eating her fill of green leaves. A short while later I came up to the northeast side where I'm now pretty much expecting to see fawns laying in the thin brush just outside the trail. Sure enough all three where there again, two fawns and the mother just lounging in the sun. I was pretty sure before that there are in fact two sets of fawns in the park this year, and now I'm positive of it. These two were obviously smaller in size and with tons of white spots trailing down from behind their ears, across their back and sides. This one was very close to the path and sitting among all these tiny white flowers making for a good photo. Later on the south side I took a different trail to avoid the standing water that's been on the normal trail due to recent rains. I noticed a guy and girl with some pretty fancy camera equipment out near the edge of the ball fields. He was pointing his camera upwards and I was trying to find out what he was taking photos of. I scanned the sky without seeing anything but then noticed something out in the corner of the ball field. I was so far away I thought it was a woodchuck so I zoomed in as far as I could with my camera in order to see. Then I knew it had to be a HUGE Snapping Turtle! I went over and talked to the couple to ask if they were taking pictures of the turtle and he said "What Turtle?" We all headed in that direction and sat down, taking some incredibly close photos of the biggest Snapper I've ever come across. His shell alone was about 2' long. He let us get very close -as close as I'd dare anyway. After a while he poked his head out quite a ways making him look even bigger. I really wanted to see him get up and walk but he never moved anything but his head. I was a bit worried about how obvious of a place he picked to catch some rays. I sure hoped no one would bother him the rest of the day. There was a small pond about 50 feet away so maybe that's where he came from -and might go back to later. Near the end of my walk I spotted a late season Monarch and snapped just this one photo -and a decent one- before it flew off towards Mexico for the winter.

Mid-April

The park right now seems to have a perfectly equal measure of green and brown. New green grass creates such a contrast against the dead, greyish brown vegetation of last year. It makes whatever is green seem even more intense. I only saw one deer tonight versus twelve last week.Now that I look at the photo more closely, the bumps on this one's head seem pretty pronounced and I wonder if they might be antler nubs. On the east side I took this photo across a small slough. I thought it would be tough to tell if it were taken in the fall or the spring -the look was so similar. On the south side water overlook, I noticed a lot of activity in the water. Every so often something large would come up barely to the water's surface and plunge back down again, making the water swirl and spin. I'm thinking it had to be carp although I did see a few turtle heads poking out too. This photo is crummy but is obviously the snout of a Snapping Turtle.

Last day of March

Got in one more weekday walk this Wednesday with a friend of mine. The temps were near 75º I think which is WAY above our normal mid-forties for time. Shortly after turning onto the second woodchip trail we noticed a group of four deer only feet off the right side of the trail. I couldn't believe how close we were. Even as we talked, only two of them really paid attention to us and wandered further into the woods. The most curious one stayed put for a photo or two and I get the feeling it was the younger one. Later on we spotted two more for a total of six deer. Though it had been partly sunny earlier it had clouded over good by the time the sun was setting. At the water overlook on the south side we both heard and say something slowly crawling out of the cattails and slip quietly into the water. I thought it was a muskrat but it turned out to be a large Snapping Turtle who later poked his nose out of the water. It was cool to see one so early in the season. I've only ever seen them in the summer here.

Tiny Turtle

Last week I stopped to talk to a couple whom I see walking around Palmer Lake almost every time I'm there. As they were telling me about how there used to be more deer, another guy they knew came by and started telling a story about how he's seeing baby snapping turtles in the next park system north. I thought wow, would that be cool to see. Well just a week later I almost stepped on one sitting right on the trail. This was by far the smallest turtle I've ever seen. I wonder if it had hatched that same day so I looked around for more but didn't see any. From head to tail this guy was about he size of a silver dollar. It's amazing to think they get so big. After a few photos I realized I should put my finger or hand in the photo for size reference.







In the end I decided on picking him up and moving him closer to the creek as I didn't want a jogger or biker running him over. On the other side of the park I spotted this small toad and then a Great Egret who was roosted in the same dead tree where I often spot them. He was shaking his feathers and was all puffed out which made him look like a totally different bird from their normally skinny, streamlined look.

Trouble with Turtles

Weird story. I decide to walk (run) counter-clockwise for like maybe the first time ever. Upon rounding the north east corner I spotted two police officers off to the left of the trail almost in the weeds. One had an animal snare tool and there was a lot of commotion and walkers going by were stopping to look. As I got closer someone said "it's a big snapping turtle." Sure enough there was fairly large snapping turtle right off the pathway probably at least 24 inches long. I suppose someone called it in seeing him close to the path. The cops were clearly struggling with trying to snare him. I asked them if I could take a quick picture and they said sure. I hung around for a little bit to see what they were planning to do with him but then I heard one of the cops say "let's just push him back into the weeds." I figured he'd be OK then so I headed off. Not too much further I spotted a lone buck standing very still just off the pathway. I could just make out his new velvety antlers as I took a bunch of pictures. He barely moved the whole time.
Only upon viewing the pics at home did I realize he had 2 more forks behind the first set. On the south side I attempted to get a photo of a touch-me-not flower before they disappear for the season. A little further I saw a patch of flowers that I THINK are brown-eyed-susans but I'm not sure.

Wildlife on the water

Red-wing blackbirds are everywhere lately. Been tryin' to get a decent photo of one but they don't stay put for very long. Here's a recent attempt. Didn't think I was gonna see much this walk as I hadn't seen anything until I got half way around to the bridge over Shingle Creek. There I spotted about 20 Carp and a Wood Duck with babies. A little further I noticed a huge Snapping Turtle in a little swampy area. He went under right away so I couldn't get a photo. On the last corner, crossing Shingle Creek again, I spotted another Snapping Turtle right up by the bank. I stopped quickly to avoid spooking him and he just kinda floated there. Eventually he poked his head out and I got some photos of him. They are cool to see as they're so large and their long necks make them look even bigger. I'm guessing this guy's shell alone was about 18" long. Also spotted another female Wood Duck with babies in the same area.