The other day found the weather so nice and the sun shining brightly that I decided to go to one of my fave turtle watching spots to see if any shelled warriors were out enjoying the wonderful weather we were having for a few days. It wasn't quite springtime yet but a seventy-three degree day with lots of sunshine almost guaranteed that I would probably catch a few chelonians out and about.
It was about 9:30 A.M. as I made my way out to "Eat Park" (my grandson Gavyn's name for the park) after dropping him off at pre-school. Getting out of the car i made my way out to one of three of the park's lakes and out onto the boardwalk. The lake was as beautiful and inviting as always.
Walking along I was amazed that I didn't see any turtle heads breeching the surface of the water. Was it possible I was wrong and that the turtles were still sleeping from last week's cold spell? I wasn't convinced and pressed forward. Rounding a corner I was making my way toward the woods when I spotted something out of the corner of my eye. in a bramble of bushes i thought i spied a very familiar sight.
It was the perfect spot for a turtle (or two) to bask on. Looking along the length of the tngled growth jutting from the lake's waters I spied my quarry, a beautiful Red Belly Slider (Pseudemys nelsoni) basking under the nice Florida sun.
Though not the largest Red Belly Slider I've ever seen ( around 12") this one sure was a beautiful sight to behold, the first turtle of 2013. It turned it's neck and watched me with a cautious eye as a took a couple photos. Once finished I set the camera down and, leaning on the boardwalk's railing, I just marveled at the sight of this beautiful animal, the product of two hundred plus million years of evolution, as the majestic turtle basked in the light of the modern world. Outliving even the mighty dinosaurs, Red Belly Sliders and over three hundred other species of modern day turtles, have shown the resilience of their design. We cautiously watched each other for a few minutes before I said goodbye. Slowly backing away, so as not to frighten the turtle, I made my way off the boardwalk and onto the next lake encouraged by my luck so far. It took about five minutes to reach the second lake. I took my time to take in the sounds of the woods as birds of several species could be heard chirping out in the woods. I heard Cardinals, Bluejays, Mockingbirds, and the tweets of some Warblers that I couldn't see.
Reaching the second lake I was greeted by the sight of a Moor hen slowly making her way across the water seemingly without a care in the world..
I watched as she glided effortlessly across the surface of the lake. Making my way onto the boardwalk I took a position in front of some lily pads and waited silently. It didn't take long before I spotted my first turtle, a nice female Red-Eared Slider. I almost didn't see her as she stealthfully positioned herself under a large lily pad until she stuck her head out of the water.
I watched her for a minute or two and she eventually came out from under the water lily, looking up at me for a few seconds, then making her way under the boardwalk and out of sight. Then i caught site of movement among the water lilies. Looking out around fifteen feet from where I caught sight of a beautiful, and very large, female Peninsula Cooter as she swam under the lilies.
She was a big girl, easily 16" in length and probably more. I continued to observe her as she made her way out through the water lilies until she was out of sight. Unlike the first female this one had lots of patterning on her carapace. I continued looking out over the lily fields but saw no other turtle activity so I made my way around to the boardwalk on the other side of the lake. As I walked along the forest path around the lake I caught sight of a South-Eastern Five-Lined Skink (Eumeces inexpectatus) basking on top of a piece of wood alongside a pine tree but it scurried away under the leaves before I could get a picture. I waited for several minutes, camera in hand, to see if it would come back out but it stayed hidden under the safety of the fallen leaves. I shrugged my shoulders and moved on. Approaching the boardwalk I could hear the sounds of a Florida Bird that doesn't seem to be as common as it once was, The Red-Winged Blackbird. I heard several individuals but none of them afforded me an opportunity to photograph them. It didn't matter, I got a fair picture of one at the same lake last year.
Making my way across a small walking bridge that traversed a slough connecting the lake with a small swamp littered with cattails I caught sight of chelonian activity. I slowly approached a spot above the activity, peering carefully into the water below me. I spotted a small male Red-Ear Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) about six inches in length swimming around something. Moving my head farther over the rail I spied what the turtle was after, a female Red-Ear that was making her way to the lake from the swamp. I watched as the male courted the female. She didn't show the slightest interest in his amorous advances. She obviously forgot that Valentines day was just a couple days away.
I watched them for a couple minutes until the female swam away, leaving the mal;e to chase a minnow that swam by.
After that I made my way back through the forest and out to the parking lot, and civilization, happy that I'd been able to share this wonderful morning with some shelled Friends.
Have a Wonderful Valentine's Day Everyone!!!
The "Creature"
