flycatchers & a turtle

There are definitely two Great Crested Flycatchers in the northeast woods -- the woodland patch that runs from outside the kitchen and porch to the creek and the moss-covered path that marks the property boundary. The birds duet with each other -- or perhaps I should say dialogue with each other (Great Crested vocalizations are not exactly melodious but consist of colorful wheeps and chuckles). I trust that this is a romance; we can certainly use more flycatchers -- Great Crested in the woods around the house and E. Kingbirds down by the creek. and pond.

It was low tide early this morning and I was hoping to find a heron or a shorebird this morning. Instead, there was a very different kind of wader in the pool: a Box Turtle standing in the water with feet planted firmly in the mud. The Box Turtle is such a typical animal of dry, sandy habitats that we forget that it comes from a long line of aquatic creatures. In fact, our Box Turtles like the muddy paths around the edge of the marsh and the best time of day to see them is after rain or early in the morning when there is often a lot of moisture on the vegetation in the form of dew. Still, finding one in the pond was a surprise. Which brings up a question: can Box Turtles swim? I suspect that they can!

Eric Salzman