Turtle Visits

In June, we had visits from three Woodland Box Turtles (Terapene carolina carolina). Formerly, these were named Eastern Box Turtles. The first one to see on June 6 was a delight because he was rescued 3 years ago. Here is the post from then:

https://joansnaturejournal.blogspot.com/search/label/box%20turtle

"Flame" Rescue Turtle, Male, June 6, 2020

A non-scientific post I looked up online said that you could tell an approximate age of a box turtle by counting the rings on one scute on the shell. Two rings will form each year so I counted 16 so divided by 2, that makes Flame, the rescue turtle, about 8 years.

Flame has only 3 legs (one amputated during his rescue) and a scar from a likely vehicle encounter. He was found close to the road and in the driveway about 500 feet from where he was released.

"Shy" Turtle, Male, June 9, 2020

One morning, my husband alerted me that a turtle was in the mud puddle in our driveway. By the time I dressed, grabbed my camera, and went down there, I could not find the turtle. He had already left. I kept looking and finally found him hiding behind a tree on the hillside and about 10 feet from the puddle. I did see he had a red eye before he escaped into his shell to determine that he was a male.  He also has about 16 rings so he maybe around 8 years old.

I named this female box turtle "Cook" because I imagined that one of the patterns resembled a cook. I believe this is a female because her eyes are brown.  Once again, my husband alerted me but this time she was still in the puddle when I walked down there.  She was just walking around and drinking the water, creating a trail in the mud.  She did not seem afraid of me at all.

This view from the other side shows slightly different patterns. I am hoping I will be able to recognize her again from her patterns if she stops by again. I estimate she is about 6 or 7 years old.

We will probably have turtle visitors again when the blackberries ripen in about a week or so. They always come to get those that fall on the ground.

Another Turtle Visits Us

For the last 3 days, we had another eastern box turtle visit us or more accurately, our puddles in our driveway.

 This turtle had buried himself partially at the edge of the puddle.  He still had mud on top of his shell when I took this photo.

I washed the mud off to get a good photo of the shell patterns, the way to identify this individual. Also, I estimate his length to be only about 4-4.5 inches.  I put him to the side of the driveway and found a few blackberries to feed him. 

The next day, he was still in the puddle. I watched him walk pretty fast to get to the other side.

 My husband set up this warning flag so we would remember to stop and move the turtle to the side when we drove out or when returning home.

The second morning my husband found the turtle upside down and these tracks right next to him. Even though box turtles can right themselves if turned upside down, this one was stuck to the mud so my husband put him upright. I think the  tracks are from a raccoon who tried to eat the turtle without success. 

Today, the turtle was still in the puddle so we will keep looking out for him. 

Turtles Back to Eat Blackberries

Every year, box turtles come back to visit our yard and eat the blackberries when they are ripe.

 This one appeared on July 11, about one week after the blackberries started to ripen.  I had seen one earlier in June but he was too early for blackberries.

I fed him some blackberries and he gobbled them up!

 Another photo for the record--you can identify box turtles by their pattern on the shell. It does not change and is distinctive for each turtle.

Here he is readily eating the blackberries. 

Another male box turtle visited today, July 18. He has a strikingly different pattern than the previous one.  He also gobbled up blackberries I put in front of him. The blackberries are about done. I will leave the rest for the turtles and birds.  

Spring Overload

Walker Mountain from our back pasture. April 21, 2011

It's been a great spring--minus the scary tornadoes.


Tiger Swallowtails April 19, 2011

These tiger swallowtails and another black swallowtail were feasting on the mud left by a flood along Walker Creek.


Blue Phlox April 19, 2011

The blue phlox has already bloomed in our woods . . .


and the redbud trees...


. . . as well as the wild strawberries in the back pasture.


Box Turtle April 24, 2011

I found 3 large box turtles while hunting for morel mushrooms--not sure where they were going in the woods but I was glad to see so many of these turtles around.


Garden Spring Flowers

I've been torn between working in my garden and walking in the woods. Too bad everyone doesn't have that dilemma.



Pink Tulip after rain. April 28, 2011

I plant tulip bulbs every fall even though they seem to only last a few years. I can't remember when I planted these large pink tulips.


Columbine April 28, 2011

This native columbine "came up volunteer" (an old saying of my mom's when anything just came up in her garden without her planting it). The blooms were especially beautiful this spring with the creeping phlox I planted years ago. Of course, the woods are full of columbine--they seem to like the steep rocky slopes.


Shooting Star April 24, 2011

I planted this native shooting star several years ago. The delicate green leaves are at the base whirled around a single stalk of flowers. The flowers are quite small--you almost have to get right down to appreciate their beauty. Shooting Stars don't t grow on our land but I was able to buy a start from a native plant nurseryman. It blooms for only a few days, the light green foliage decays after a month or so. I was lucky I didn't plant anything there the first year or else it would be gone.



Lilac April 25, 2011

The lilac shrub was filled with blooms.


I also surround myself with lots of pansies from local greenhouses--they get their plants from local growers or else grow them right there in the greenhouse. The prices are usually good too.


Teapot Planter

At one greenhouse, I saw some violas in a teapot planter which gave me an idea to use my recently broken teapot. My husband glued it back together for me and I put some violas in it. I think it makes a better planter than teapot now.



Country Eggs

This has nothing to do with my post but wanted to show you the beautiful country eggs I've been buying from a friend. He supplies the local gourmet restaurant with eggs so they have to be good.


Carolina Wren April 23, 2011

I put up an old birdhouse on my garden shed. A pair of Carolina Wrens built a nest in early spring. She was disturbed every time I went inside the shed. But, now it's quiet with the last fledgling leaving on April 23. But, I saw a new pair checking out the birdhouses on the front porch so I hope to see more activity and I can watch them from my computer.

Spring happens so fast!

Mushroom Weather

It rained so much in July I didn't water my garden once. Although the weather kept me inside, I did manage to get in a few walks in the woods (paying for it with chiggers and mosquito bites).


Orange Pinwheel Marasmius (Marasimius rotula)

This tiny mushroom (cap only about 3/8") had just emerged on a slope by the driveway.


When I came back up the driveway after the walk, I noticed a clump of the same mushrooms illuminated by sunlight. They are so cute--they look like you could put one in a mixed drink.

The rainy weather also brought out parasitic plants.


Indian-Pipe (Monotropa uniflora)

This plant sprouts up in the mulch around trees. It's probably not hurting anything but feeding on the decaying plant material.



The wet weather also brings out the box turtles. My husband brought this huge box turtle up from the road because he was sure someone would run over it. A few days later, the same turtle was seen near my blackberry patch. I tossed a few blackberries on the ground and he started eating them. So, I rushed in the house to get my camera. Having finished his snack, he was headed into the briars but I think you might still see the blackberry juice on his face!

Rainy Days Bring May Treasures

The base of this oak tree in our woods is always covered with Christmas ferns and moss. After several rainy days, it's perfect.


The rains also bring out the box turtles. This one was trying to cross the road so my husband brought him up on our land where he stayed for awhile, then went back down to the road again.


Another common sight after any rain is the toad, like this one on our deck.

Our yard was covered with Buttercups. I hesitated to mow but finally broke down and mowed for the first time in early May. After one day, the buttercups popped up again, just shorter. I also let the dandelions grow since I noticed my honey bees like to work them.


Here, my dog Kookie (all 86 pounds of her) runs through the back pasture which was covered with buttercups up until this week.


This Columbine was also blooming in early May although this wildflower prefers rocky, dry soils unlike the buttercup which likes moist soil.


May is not complete without a photo of the Wild Geranium, here with a pollinating fly or bee and another getting ready to land.


I have been looking forward to seeing the Black Locust tree bloom this year because beekeepers said that honey bees feed on the nectar. I did not see any honey bees on this tree even though it is only about 10 feet from my hive. The smell of the blossoms is so sweet I don't see how my bees could miss it. Perhaps they went to larger trees which were also covered with blossoms. However, other pollinators were abundant including bumble, carpenter and several other types of bees along with butterflies. Ants and beetles were roaming the twigs and leaves, making for a very active tree.

A Berry Good Summer

Nature has provided a bounty of blackberries this year as if to comfort us for the high food and gas prices. I have seen families picking them on the side of the road, taking advantage of the free wild food.


Photo: July 27, 2008

I picked them every few days when they started to ripen in early July (stashing a quart of them in the freezer a few minutes before we left on vacation on July 9). Since we returned July 19, I have been picking them every other day, using mostly for ice cream sauces and cobblers. I plan to make jelly soon to use the bounty I have stored in the fridge.


Photo: July 27, 2008

I don't worry about collecting them all because some fall while I pick them, letting whoever might come along (turtles, mice?) to feast as well. It is also impossible to get to many of the remote briars. So, the birds (Cardinals, Turkeys, Towhees) and insects (wasps, ants, bees) have plenty to eat.

Blackberries grow best in disturbed ground such as the edge of our field that was brushhogged two years ago. In our yard, I am letting the blackberries fill in at the edge of the lawn so we don't have to mow quite as much.


July 27, 2008

This Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) grew along with the blackberries in one patch. Like others in the mint family (bee balms, many herbs), it has a square stem.



Photo: July 22, 2008

I fed some berries to this Box Turtle I found in the yard who seemed appreciative as he went on his way. I put the berries in front of him and left alone and he and the berries were gone about a half hour later.


Photo: July 22, 2008

Later that same day, I found two more turtles in the yard. I am hoping to keep track of these over the years by taking their pictures. Each one seems to differ in size, color, and pattern so maybe I should name them too to help me remember.

I had worried about Box Turtles when I read a newspaper article that reported they were threatened and will probably go extinct someday because of loss of habitat. These turtles, however, looked healthy so I felt good about them. As long as it rains (not a given since we had the drought last year), these turtles should continue to prosper around here.