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.
Just to the left of the main parking lot on the south side is a really small pond that's gets pretty covered in algae in the summer. Last year there was a muskrat who'd built a home there but I haven't seen him this year. Sadly, there's an old tire stuck in there that sometimes acts as a sunning spot for turtles. This one was soaking up all he could even with some ducks right next to him. Not much else seen today except these interesting new mushrooms which I've not seen before.
If you look at the map of deer sightings you'll see most of them on the south western side. That's where I spotted yet again a young fawn still with mom. I'm positive this is one of the 2 fawns I've seen before. This time there was only one so I assume the other is now out on it's own. The doe was still very protective, staying between myself and the fawn who still has it's spots.
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.
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.
I remember being shown Touch-Me-Not plants as a kid where we used to go camping up north. Palmer Lake is INFESTED with them. Since July they've been growing like mad and some of the plants are over 6 feet tall. Only recently have the seed pods come out so I figured I'd try to capture a movie of their infamous "exploding" seeds.
Also, in the same place as always the wild vines are starting to take over the underbrush and even the trees. Every year they create these cool looking sloped walls or "tents" that you could probably camp right under if you could stand the mosquitos.
