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The Irony!
No pictures, but here is my day:
I dropped off the kids at their summer science camp this morning and headed to the nearby wildlife refuge for a hike. I had a great walk and saw lots of birds (a bald eagle, ospreys, great blue herons, a little green heron, and indigo buntings, among others), as well as amazing wildflowers and some cute bunnies who didn't know enough to be afraid of me. Not a herp to be seen, though! Well, I saw some basking turtles from a distance (couldn't get closer because they were in a no-access area), probably painted turtles as the pond was called "Painted Turtle Pond." But that's all. I had hoped there might be a few snakes napping on the trail. (I saw a friend after my walk, and she asked fearfully if I had seen snakes, as they were "all over the trail" the last time she went -- I said, "Darn, no such luck for me!")
Then when I just now mowed my lawn, I saw two huge (more than 3" across) American Toads in the shed, a lovely little Southern Leopard Frog on the edge of the woods, several juvenile Five-Lined Skinks in the woodpile and the stone wall, and I nearly ran over one of the two box turtles we rescues last month (the one from the road, not the one who needed a patched shell)! She was okay, though, thank goodness! I've gotta check the tall grass before I mow!
All this great wildlife in one day! And the herps were right in my own yard. Almost makes up for the dead box turtle (not one of our rescues) the kids and I found yesterday. It was back in the woods at the very back of our property, where there aren't any more houses for quite a ways. Something (I'm thinking the red fox we see back there a lot) opened up the front of the shell and pulled the turtle out, There were a few bones left, and the empty partial shell. Poor thing! (But foxes gotta eat, too.)
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Amy
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Funny the herps were in your own yard.
