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.