Box Turtle

All posts tagged Box Turtle

Ornate Box Turtle Firmly Grasping Breakfast

Posted by Lee Hiller on June 28, 2018
Posted in: Hot Springs National Park. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

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I have spotted turtles on almost every trail in Hot Springs National Park.  Tiny to big I have admired their beauty and ability to survive on a variety of terrain. Other than munching leaves I have rarely seen a turtle eat in the wild.   A morning hike revealed a juvenile ornate box turtle on the trail pulling a big worm from the ground for its breakfast.  I moved carefully around admiring the firm grasp on the prized food.  This is the second ornate box turtle I have seen in the park this year (different mountains/trails) and hopefully this is a sign of population growth.

Love to ALL!
Lee

Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo or Raphael?

Posted by Lee Hiller on July 29, 2015
Posted in: Hot Springs National Park. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

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When I was raising my son in the 80’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a very popular cartoon.  So when I saw this little guy my brain said “Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo or Raphael?”  This is the first time I had seen a baby box turtle on the trail in the park. Best of all I know why this little being was there for us to see on our morning hike.

Thirty seconds prior to my spotting our little ninja turtle we startled a hawk on the trail.  As it flew away there was a muffled plunk sound.  When we arrived on site a stunned little turtle was running for cover.  They are a lot faster than their bigger counterparts.

Witnessing all the chaos was a semi well hidden chipmunk (spotted by my husband).  I got one photo and she was on her way. We have seen many large raptors this year on low branches, logs, and lifting off from the Forest floor. I would not stay out in the open long if I was a small being.

Happy Trails ♫ ♪… and Love to ALL!
Lee

 

Life and Death on the Trail in Cedar Glades

Posted by Lee Hiller on July 20, 2014
Posted in: Cedar Glades Park. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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Last weekend early morning in Cedar Glades Park I photographed a bit of Nature on the side of the trail that I did not realized was an empty Box Turtle shell.  The sun was still low and I could not see everything clearly.  Later on the hike we discovered a male Box Turtle in the middle of the trail.  My husband Rick picked him up and to move him off the mixed use (mountain bikes and hikers) trail.  A team of three cyclists had buzzed past us earlier and now after seeing I had photographed an empty shell I know my husband likely saved a life that day.

Love to ALL!

Lee

In The Beautiful Light of a New Day

Posted by Lee Hiller on August 21, 2013
Posted in: Hot Springs National Park. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

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Hiking in the morning is the perfect start to any day as an immersion in Nature always refreshes the Soul.  The light caresses the mountain ridges and weaves in and out of the tall Trees.  Everything has a mythical world appearance illuminated by the rising sun.

Love To ALL!
Lee

Beautiful Autumn Leaves, Fungi and Wildflowers

Posted by Lee Hiller on October 14, 2012
Posted in: Hot Springs National Park. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

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Autumn rain and cooler temperatures have begun to change the beautiful Forest in Hot Springs National Park. The greenery is beginning to transition to yellow, orange and red.  Autumn Wildflowers of purple, pink, blue and yellow are emerging from the covering of old Leaves, Twigs and Rocks. Fungi some the size of large dinner plates have sprouted from stumps and the Forest floor. It is a glorious time of the year for hiking.

Love to ALL!
Lee