The first week of this period brought daily thunderstorms towards the end of each day. Before each day’s rain, Gray and Green Tree Frogs and Narrow-mouthed Toads began calling from the dense cover surrounding the Wetlands. While it’s difficult to impossible to actually see it happening, many new eggs were being deposited in the Wetlands each night. On a smaller scale, and easier to see, small patches of eggs have been seen floating in the water of the U-shaped pond next to the Ornithopter on the mornings following the rains.

I saw a Stinkpot, or Eastern Musk Turtle, poking its head out from under a log in the Wetlands. They have a musky odor to them. While very common, I’ve personally only seen one in the Wetlands. Others have been reported by staff at the Museum. These small turtles tend to stick close to the bottom. Curiously, they have been found dozing as much as 6 feet up in trees along the edges of ponds and slow moving rivers! Good climbers.

A rather large Snapping Turtle sauntered across the path at the base of the boardwalk at High Noon on the 14th of July. I hadn’t seen a Snapper in several weeks.