A Couple Of Revisits

I've recently been asking myself how it is that I am discovering new wildflower species. After all, shouldn't I have come upon them within the past two years? I guess there are always new discoveries!

Today, though, I get to present a couple of previously found species.

Wool Sowers Gall

Painted Turtle, Chrysemys picta, laying eggs.

Painted Turtle

Not having been along the magenta route in nearly two months and looking for a change of scenery, I gave it a bit of a go--that is, until the mosquitoes nearly carried me off. I did make it to the beach area and just beyond down a pathway to find a painted turtle making her nest.


Within 72 to 80 days, hatchlings will emerge from their eggs as fully formed little reptiles ready to go about their businesses. During incubation, the eggs are given no attention.




The beach is within the Harry C. Darling Wildlife Management Area, which encompasses a portion of the lake's western shoreline. Sadly, I can uncover no detail on Mr. Darling.

Painted Turtle

This little one was getting some sun when I came upon him. The Painted Turtle, Chrysemys picta, gets its name from those red markings around the edge of the shell, but the plastron (the belly shell) can be very beautifully marked as well. It's probably not long now out of hibernation. Isn't it marvelous how so much of nature 'wakes up' each year? Such richness we have around us...


I found the turtle and the muskrat just to the left of this Sweet Pepperbush--now in its early leafing. I have found this bush to be a bit of a slow opener and mostly in lowland forest rather than shoreline.