Common Snapping Turtle

Earlier in May, I saw a fair-sized turtle slopping it's way through the marsh. I wasn't sure it was a snapping turtle because it didn't appear to have the spiky scutes on it's shell. One helpful way to use Google that I have found is to enter a term such as "Snapping Turtle," and click on the option "images" when the results come up. It is a quick way to peruse images and use them for comparison. I found several images that closely resembled the photos I had taken.

He appeared to wander rather aimlessly from shallow water to deep mud. At one point, he seemed to be resting quietly when a plover moved in alarmingly close. She then appeared to recognize the danger and moved away.

The snapper artfully pushed mud with it's hind feet and quickly buried it shell, appearing to sink in as though it were in quicksand.

I thought it was concealing itself hoping the plover would again move in close so it could attempt to catch it, as I am sure it would if given the chance. The Plover never returned and after awhile, the snapper resumed slogging through the mud.

I was on the boardwalk overlooking that part of the marsh and when the turtle started moving again, I also moved in closer to get more tightly framed images. I didn't think it mattered to the turtle one way or the other whether I was there, but when I moved, he once again buried himself in the mud. So, I wondered if it was my presence that motivated him to bury himself the first time also.

In this close-up you can see he is superbly designed for being concealed in mud with his snout and eyes being right at the top of his head. Maybe the spiky scutes are the difference between the Common Snapping Turtle and the Alligator Snapper.

A Day in the Life

Most mornings when I first arrive at the pond where I have been filming lately, the swan can be seen at the far end. I found out when I checked that end of the pond that she is standing on a log. Even though she wasn't on the log at the time, there was plenty of evidence in the form of feathers all around that she had been there.

She seems perfectly content to aimlessly wander about the pond snacking on pond weeds and sub aquatic vegetation. At times, she looks like a Hoover vac as her head zigzags back and forth over the surface of the water. She does this over areas where there is duck weed, but I am not sure that is what she is eating.

She does take to wing once in a while and it isn't always to chase a goose. Sometimes it is simply to go to the other end of the pond quickly. It was back in the winter when I saw her doing this. I would almost be willing to bet that she had not left the pond area to fly anywhere else since last winter. She (or he) has no mate and seems content to pass her days alone.

There are not very many places on the pond that don't have duck weed growing on the surface. One of the few places is at the end of the pond where I often stand and she was been very obliging to swim up that way from time to time, allowing me to take some very nice photographs.

I don't try to hide my presence, but neither do I move around much. She seems to tolerate me being there.

She doesn't trust me completely though and keeps her eye on me. After putting her head below water to search for weeds, I will notice her peeking at me through the spatterdock.

After awhile, she will take a break from eating to preen. She has the same routine as many ducks which starts out by bobbing her head underwater and throwing water over her back. This is followed by straightening feathers and rubbing oil from her glands on them to keep them waterproof. Finally, like many waterfowl, she will rise up in the water and flap her wings vigorously before settling back down. The final maneuver is an odd-looking stretch.

Sometime the house keeping duties take place on the water and, at other times, she disembarks the pond and preens on the shore.

Like most other bird species, she elects to nap in the heat of the day. I guess if I ran into a DNR officer, I could ask how long she has lived on the pond. They might know, and I have seen a couple of them in the area at times. It is possible, I guess, that she has lived here for years. I don't know because I have only visited here regularly since this past winter.

If Momma Ain't Happy... (or, Ducks in Trees 3)

It is not just me who thinks this little promontory is the choicest spot on the pond. I have seen many birds enjoying the view from the large oak, but none more than the Wood Ducks. If you look carefully, you can see a couple in this photo over on the right in the large oak tree.

There are seven Wood Ducks in this photo, two of which are partially hidden behind foliage. Am I the only one who gets weirded out to see ducks in trees?

Sometimes I see these little comedies while I am filming. This one started out simple enough. There was one female duck sitting on the branch. Then, a male flew in, but he wasn't her mate so her feathers got twisted over that. Once the female mates — and it may only be for the season — it has been my observation that they don't want any other male to get too near. She drove this guy up the branch. The lowered, outstretched neck and head are classic threat posture for many birds species. (See the Swan in "They Just Never Learn," from a couple days ago.)

Another male flew in and landed in the spot she had initially occupied while she was further up in the leafy foliage above him. Almost immediately, more ducks flew in also wanting to enjoy the view.

You can see the male which was already there is none too happy about the female getting ready to land next to him as he is giving her a piece of his mind.

Things went south from there. The female that had chased the first male up the branch now returned to scold the other three.

The male duck that was flying around in the last picture has made a big mistake and landed between the two ladies. (Head down also means butt up.) He is getting an ear full.

Now the two females dour attitude has spread to the two males on the right and they have become all agitated and argumentative.

And that is how a perfectly wonderful day disappears into the ether. Thus was born the saying, "If momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy."

Maybe it is obvious, but I would like to say that I don't have any special talent for seeing wildlife carry out their daily routine. I don't think there has ever been anything I have posted in this blog that didn't occur within just a few miles of home. With a pair of binoculars and a little patience, you can see similar amazing activity too. There are wonderful places to view wildlife all around this area, including many parks and reserves. Make a resolution to get out and see some for yourself.

Ducks in Trees 2

Straight across from a spot where I like to stand and view the pond is a majestic old oak in it's declining years. It is probably a couple hundred years old and still has a lot of life left in it, but it is obviously past it's prime.

It provides just the type of limbs birds of any size prefer to perch on when they land in trees. Osprey, Eagles, Vultures and, yes, Wood Ducks all favor branches that don't have smaller limbs growing out of them which can tear up their feathers when they land. There are seven ducks in this photograph and you can see which branches they chose to land upon.

It was a banner morning for seeing ducks in trees. There were two more over on the other side of the tree. In truth, having webbed feet, Wood Ducks need a rather broad limb upon which to stand. They have sharp toes that allow them to climb, but that cannot grasp a limb like smaller birds can.

There were so many ducks coming and going that at times it was difficult to keep track of who was where. Seeing the females raises questions in my mind. Are they not going to nest this year? Do they have a clutch somewhere and they are simply taking a break? Were they simply unable to find a suitable cavity to raise a brood?

The ones who really seem to have it made are the boys of summer. Some of the males do not appear to have mates. Mated pairs are easy to spot because whithersoever one goes, so goes the other.

But then there is the boy's club. Handsome guys who would just as soon prefer not to be nagged and who enjoy one another's company.

Things aren't always sweetness and light, though. The two males on the limb began to move towards the trunk of the tree, but the one in the lead wasn't moving fast enough to suit the other. Taking a cue from another bird, he "goosed" him which had the effect of making him fly.

This guy appeared to want to reach something in the smaller branches. I thought perhaps an acorn. It wasn't close enough, however, and the branch in which he was interested was too small to perch upon.

There were so many pictures of ducks in trees I wanted to share, I decided to split them into two parts and will continue tomorrow.

So Many Questions; So Few Answers

I have often wondered over the years whether my being out in the open when filming birds makes a difference in their behavior. I know birds are not going to come right up to me — although there have been a couple times when they didn't recognize me and did just that.

One day when I was standing in this same spot, pretty much like in this picture, a Great Blue Heron flew up and tried to land right next to me. I really don't think it recognized me as human because of the way I was standing behind the camera.

Even after all this time, I still have unanswered questions. For example, does the color of my shirt change their behavior? Does it make a difference if I wear a subdued color rather than a brightly colored shirt?

I had gotten a camouflaged blind at one point, but even a tool like this isn't completely foolproof. If it wasn't there before, birds know that and will remain wary of the new object. If you can leave it setup, they will become use to it, but if you have to erect and remove it, you probably have not solved your problem.

One of main complaints with a blind was that the view was restricted on each side. I could see what was out in front of me fine, but couldn't see anything approaching from the side. And, although it was relatively small, the footprint was larger than the footprint I have with the netting in that picture. At times it wouldn't be a problem, but if the location was tight, it could be difficult to erect and take down.

I decided just recently to try a camouflage hunting net. I was motivated by the Wood Ducks. When I arrive at the pond, no matter how unobtrusive I try to be, they tend to leave. Eventually they do come back, but they can still see me standing there and I wondered if they wouldn't come in closer if I was under camo.

I finally decided to order some netting and it came in yesterday. It is open netting so it shouldn't be too hot. Plus, it is surprisingly easy to see through holes in the netting in either direction. Of course it is suppose to rain for the next week, so it will be a while before I get to try it out. I don't mind the rain, but it is hard to protect electronic cameras in the rain.

I can't wait to try it out. I will be very surprised if I don't see a difference in their behavior and I will let you know how I think it works in a future post.

They Just Never Learn

I would have thought word had gotten out to the Canada Geese population to stay off Depot Pond. I have to admit, from the goose's perspective, it has to be awful inviting. The presence of birds, even of other species, is a silent message declaring this is a safe place to be. That is why hunters use decoys. And it is safe — unless you are a goose on Depot Pond.

I'm just going to ignore that goose.

Fortunately for me, the swan just happened to be down at my end of the pond. I watched her as the goose flew over, singing her mournful tune. There is just something about a goose's song that riles a swan. Maybe it is because they cannot sing themselves. Actually, despite their name, they are not completely "mute." I heard her one-note call just recently. While it may look picturesque, wings up is supposedly a threat posture. Hearing a goose makes her wings go up.

Nope, nope, just can't do it.

I knew as soon as I saw the goose land, she was going to be taking off and flying like a moth to a flame. In all the times that I have been there, I have seen her fly twice without a goose to encourage her flight. This was about the fourth time I have seen her fly motivated by the urge to kill a goose. Over the years, I have found that in almost any case, it is impossible to tell when a bird is ready to take off. This is the one exception I have encountered.

Birds that have their legs set far back on their bodies generally need a lot of runway to take off. In her case, I was surprised to learn she needs a lot of runway to land as well. A loon is another bird that may have a swan beat in the need for a long path. Not only does a loon have the same body configuration, but it's bones are not hollow like most birds, so it is much heavier which creates the need for a lot of real estate to take off.

In my opinion, this is the most photogenic spot on the entire pond. In the winter, it is distressing to see the amount of trash around the edge of the pond. I'm talking plastics, industrial parts, and even what appears to be an entire concrete septic tank! As the vegetation fills in, most of that stuff disappears.

I have noticed the swan has a technique for getting close to the geese before they realize they are her target. She does not fly directly at them. She appears to be flying close by and then turns at the last minute. That, by the way, is the same technique people can use to get close to a wild bird or animal. If you don't walk directly at them and don't make eye contact, you will be able to approach much closer. The goose is the little white spot peeking out just above the spatterdock to the left of the swan's wing.

The goose got the message! The swan doesn't even have to chase her. The Wood Ducks know the swan is not after them so they are simply watching the entertainment.

Notice how she put her wings back up. She is as much as saying to the goose, "Keep going."

This is exactly the kind of behavior that has caused states through much of the country to want to eradicate the Mute Swan. They are so aggressive that they do not co-exist very well with many other birds. I say "she" because early in the spring I saw her sitting on what appeared to be a nest, but I have never seen another swan on the pond. The aggression is not related to nesting but is territorial in nature.

Black-crowned Night Heron Fishing

 I went looking for the Black-crowned Night Heron the other day and spotted her at the end of the pond struggling with a sunfish.

This is worse than bobbing for apples. I can't imagine only using your mouth to capture and eat food. 

I say "her" because what I have read seems to indicate the male has the long hind neck plumes. If you look at the pictures in last Thursday's post, you will see only one had the plumes.

Characteristically, the heron has grasped it's prey in her bill rather than stabbing it. Great Blue Herons, on the other hand, will often stab a fish clean through.

The sunfish is surprisingly dark bodied. It may be that it was in breeding colors like the bird. In fact, sunfish will scoop out a little depression on the bottom in shallow water, lay their eggs and stand over them fanning the eggs with their tail. Perhaps that is why she was able to catch such a large one.

She was finally able to choke it down. I am often surprised by how large a fish herons can swallow.

You can almost bet on the fact that a heron will drink after swallowing a fish.

Sometimes, that is a problem.

She must really be thirsty!

Almost immediately after finishing her meal, she dove into a nearby bush presumably to nap until nightfall.