Turtles

This past weekend it was all about the turtles. I found these two sunbathers, a painted and a snapping turtle, at Honeysuckle Pond in Lakeland Park. 

Easter in Connetquot

While walking in Connetquot River State Park on Easter Sunday, I saw this handsome snake. He was not too far from Deep Water Pond. My guess is he was a garter snake.  He was not a timid creature because he stayed in the same spot for quite a while, allowing me the opportunity to photograph and admire him.

Bluebird Boxes in Connetquot

It has been months since I last walked in the Connetquot River State Park. This year's harsh winter with all its dreariness has been the main reason for my absence. Yesterday morning, being a fairly nice spring day,  I went to the park and committed myself to future visits by buying an Empire Passport sticker for my car. When I was in the parking lot, a group of birders asked me if I wanted to join them in their walk. I accepted their invitation, and I was glad I had. Some of the birds we saw on the walk included pine warblers, yellow warblers, white-breasted nuthatches, red-bellied woodpeckers, ospreys, and bluebirds. I  admit that seeing a bluebird sitting on top of a nesting box, was the highlight of the walk for me. The leader of our group told us the reason bluebird houses in Connetquot River State Park are spaced two together. Both bluebirds and barn swallows like to nest in them, but barn swallows are more domineering and, if allowed to, would take over all the boxes. A solution to this problem came from knowledge of bird behavior. Barn swallows apparently don't like to nest near other barn swallows, so by placing two nesting boxes near each other this keeps one of the two boxes free of barn swallows.  So although barn swallows don't like nesting near each other, apparently they don't mind nesting near bluebirds. This simple solution allows both the barn swallows and bluebirds to breed and thrive in the Connetquot River State Park.