Chelydra Serpentina

The Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra Serpentina) is native to our area. I have seen them many times and larger specimen than this one, but this is the largest I have ever handled. I estimate it weighed around 7-8 pounds.

The first thing you want to watch for is the lightening fast strike that these guys have. It is every bit as fast as a snake, so be wary when you approach one. They can also reach around the side and above their shell, so I handled this one by its tail. Not the prettiest of creatures, but fascinating to see up-close.

Woodland Wildflowers

This trip to Newton County was rewarded with the first woodland wildflowers of the season. It was amazing to see how just a few hundred feet of elevation had such an impact on what was blooming. The mountain tops were still dormant, but the valley's and creek beds are coming to life.

The Bloodroot, Hepatica and Toothwort were three that I had to refer to the wildflower books to identify.

The Bloodroot was only found in one location and if it weren't for the sharp eye of my friend Jack, I wouldn't have seen them. We first found them early before the sun had reached them and their blooms were closed. An hour or so later revealed the sun had finally peaked over the mountain enough to warm them up and they were fully open. An impressive white flower glistening in the sunshine.

The Hepatica has so many different color phases that it can be difficult to ID. This particular species is the Round-Lobed variety which is easy to distinguish because of the rounded tips of the leaf. I think the bright blue color phase is most attractive, however the pale purple growing from the rock runs a close second. It was plentiful in the creek beds and along steep slopes in the valley.

The Toothwort was the most common of the three, easily found with many choices for photographing them.

The Dutchman's Breeches were scattered all along a steep bank with a spring nearby. It seems they like the moist, but well drained conditions. There were just a few plants that had bloomed, but within the next week or so that location should explode with the neat little blooms. I hope to make another trip into that area for more pictures of hopefully a better specimen.

It was an interesting and productive trip although the conditions for photography were difficult with the gusty, high winds and bluebird skies. I'm looking forward to the next trip to the mountains of Newton County and seeing what has sprouted and bloomed.

White Wild Turkey

This is a very odd color phase of the Eastern Wild Turkey. Something I have never seen before. It's obviously not a domestic that has taken up with the flock of wild birds, nor is it an albino, but just a white to light gray color with dark gray markings. I sure wish I had been able to get in a little closer for a more detailed shot, but this is the best image I got. Maybe next trip into Newton County will produce a better image of this striking bird

 
 
 
 
 

The Birds

This flock of Red-winged Blackbirds was truly a sight (and sound) to behold! It's hard to estimate the number of birds in this flock, but a guess would be 3,000 or so, possibly more. The first image shows about 1/4 of the entire flock, so your guess is as good as mine.

The flock was feeding on grass seed heads in a low, damp area of a dormant cultivated field. They would all land on the grass or ground for a few seconds, then take flight again, swirling and gyrating for a few seconds as they gathered and landed once again to feast on the seed. It appeared to be a black cloud at times and when they turned perpendicular to the sun, the red patches on the shoulder of the males would become visible.

It's amazing what you see when you go look!

Adios

Thumper…making a quick exit! Unfortunately, this is how we usually see big bucks. Fortunately, Thumper did give me several seconds of good photo opportunity, although the lighting conditions were less than favorable.

Eight Point Buck

The rut is on and the deer are active. The neck of this buck has just begun to swell and his activity in daylight hours lends to the fact that the rut is starting.

Lip Curling

Typically lip curling is a breeding trait of the whitetail buck trying to locate the estrus doe, but in this photo the buck seems to be trying to catch a whiff of me. Interesting. Once the buck realized what was going on, he quickly disappeared in the timber.