Skies, Scenes, Birds, Turtle Love, Butterflies , Insects, Chipmunks and Red Squirrels of the Vermilon River. A Post to SWF.

 We had some rain this week which cooled things off. So hiking was good, as long as I was out early in the morning. The skies are from the east track area and the scenes from Mystic Lake.

I'VE SET THE POST UP TO WORK ON THE SLIDE SHOW FORMAT. BUT YOU SHOULD READ THE COPY FIRST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE TURTLE SEQUENCE, SO YOU'LL KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING.

 A post to SWF, Camera Critters, and Scenic Sunday

Looking NE

Mystic Lake

 I had photographed this female Snapping Turtle in the spring on her way to lay eggs in a sandy spot. You need to take a close look at her in this photo and in the side view below to see what's front and back, and top and bottom.

 Notice that her head does not retreat into her shell. There's no room. Take a look at her claws and her tail. These guys are from the dinosaur era, and have successfully survived until now. But they're at risk now because of loss of habitat, mainly. Her shell length is about 12 inches, which indicates she's about 22 years of age or older. They start to breed around 13 to 17 years of age, laying 40 to 50 eggs in late May or June. Incubation temperature determines the gender of the young. They live up to 70 years of age, and can weigh up to 30 pounds. If you have occasion to lift one, do not lift it by the tail as you'll injure them. Lift them by the shell, but be wary as out of the water they'll bite and the neck is quite long.

 In the water they live at the bottom of the pond on fish, frogs, and other pond life. They're not good swimmers so they tend to walk on the bottom of the pond, and they can hold their breath quite long. The male mates with the female by climbing on top of her; holding her shell, and aligning his vent with hers.

 They mate anywhere from April until November.The female holds the sperm until needed.

There are a number of web sites on snapping turtles, all of which are good, but Biokids.umich.edu is the best on the reproductive habits.
 I saw these two in the east track wetland coming up from the bottom like a sci-fi film, complete with air bubbles and murky water. The whole episode took more than half an hour.

 They seem to spend a lot of time getting the position tight.

And rolling around.

Now one of them is sideways.

Here's the other one.

 Now it's all over.

  Canada Geese or Crackling Geese? They've been re-classified.

Chestnut-sided Warblers.

Same

Same.

Male Common Yellow-throat Warbler.

Same

Rear view.

Northern Flicker-Male.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Juvenile Song Sparrow in a wind.

Northern Harrier. 

Canada Thistle.

Common Mullein

Evening Primrose.

Phlox?

Ripened Berries.

Dragonfly

Fritillary on Dogbane.

Same

 Usually Chipmunks are hard to get as they're at the bottom of the food chain. Bur this little fellow almost posed, or maybe he just wouldn't give up the food. They're ground squirrels, and true hibernators.

 In the last two photos, he's eating a grasshopper.

Red Squirrel

He's shucked the covering and gotten the berry.