Turtles

Turtles, we see a lot of them this time of year. On a sunny day, you will see them sunning on a log or floating with just their nose above water.
This female, painted turtle, took the usual defensive stance when I accidently walked through her territory. Truth is, she was walking through my territory and I surprised her, quite by accident.

Can you see the brown area just in front of the turtle, below? She spent considerable effort digging out a shallow spot in which to lay her eggs. This has to be a spot that gets sufficient sun to incubate the eggs, close enough to water so the babies can make a dash for safety as soon as they emerge from the shells and also a spot predators won't find and dig up. She picked our laneway, but moved on when the digging became too rough.

Moving on is not done quickly when you are a turtle so I left her to meander down our laneway in search of a better spot.

Yes, it is a busy time here in the north; new life and new families are taking over the territory.

Have a great day and thanks for dropping by.