Wetlands walking.....variety

This is sort of long because I tried to combine the things I saw on both days walks.

I haven't seen many dragonflies yet, but this Eastern Pondhawk female stopped to pose.

Mike spotted these two tiny frogs out in the "pea soup", but the camera sure didn't like trying to sort them out from the surroundings.  I can always count on Mike to spot the little critters!

.....and the big ones!  Mike saw this Kingfisher dive in the water and grab something and fly up to this tree.  I was busy looking at baby geese and almost missed it.  Not very good shots, but whatever he caught was rather large and he was having trouble controlling it.

Here he took off with it.....probably to some safe spot to eat it before he dropped it.

How many turtles, Rose??  This was one of the busiest logs, but this is only a small fraction of all that were out sunning on these two days.  I never get tired of turtles, so you have to put up with lots of photos.

I call this one "Turtle Yoga".   

This was one of the little ones....maybe silver dollar size.

A tiny frog that Mike spotted sitting in the duckweed!  His eyesight is so good for these little things that are hiding in plain sight.  There was another even smaller one, but my photo wasn't very good.

Another turtle having a "Zen moment"....or something.

(dueling turtles...showdown on the O.K. Branch)

"We were here first and we are going THAT way!"

"Well, we don't care and we want to go THE OTHER way!"

A long stretch of turtles.

It's best to have your very own log.

Little turtles, big turtles.  

I know the 2 on the right are Red Eared Sliders, but not sure about the two on the left....Painted Turtles?  There are also Map Turtles and Snappers in these waters.

"Tell us some stories, Grandpa"

The yoga position for today is to the right.

Wild brambles, blackberries, all along the edges of the creek. 

A Damselfly with a catch!  

They are so small themselves, it makes you wonder what they find that is smaller! 

A Grasshopper along the path. 

 Red Admiral.....wonder if it is the one that the Phoebe chomped on the following day.  Poor Admiral!

 I believe this is called Rust on the back of some of the blackberry leaves.  Not a good thing.

Tiny Turtle......I didn't see his head until I had the photo on the computer. 

 Another tiny one in the spot where the two little frogs were the following day.

 Climbing out.

 This one brought a coating of duckweed with it.  Looks like a moss covered rock!

Just enjoying the sunshine.

 When I was leaving I found a turtle on the bridge!  He kept butting his head on the railings trying to figure out how to get through....he really wanted back in the safe water!  Unless he had some of Alice's "shrinking" potion, I don't think he was going to find an opening :-)

I got behind him and began gently "herding" him towards the end of the bridge where I could put him over the side. Fortunately, a nice young man came along and offered to pick him up and put him over.  Thanks!  I have never seen one on the bridge before and he was not a happy turtle.

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I see other birds on my walks....Goldfinch, Grackle, Cardinal, Red-wing Blackbirds, etc. but they are the same birds I see at home and I can get better photos of them in my own backyard, so I try to only show the more unusual ones.

Tomorrow.....the baby geese and their parents.