It was a beautiful day, and I just knew we'd find some hognose if we looked in the field. I was sure of it! We looked for awhile and didn't find anything, though, so I figured maybe it was still too soon to see them. I decided to walk down to the pond, now officially named Turtle Pond, and see who was on the log. I made it halfway down the trail, took this picture of 11 turtles, and heard my son yell ... MOM! HOGNOSE!
I ran back to the field and found Aaron with his prize, the first hognose of the year!
We spent a little more time looking, and then I went back to Turtle Pond to take pictures of turtles. My son came with me, and as we walked I told him to walk slowly and quietly so we didn't disturb the turtles. As I looked down, I spotted this:
I had been on this very trail 10 minutes before with no sign of this bigger hognose, and here we are headed back to the turtles, not even looking for hognose, and we nearly step on him! He saw me a second after I saw him and flattened his neck out. That's when I took this picture. The other kids came over to see and after he had been properly admired on the trail, my son went to pick him up. He immediately went into a death roll and "died."
We kept the hognose for a little while and then released him in the same area. Before he left, I took a few more photos.
Total herp species found in 2015: 10. Found on property: 9. And it's not even May!
Total herp species found in 2015: 10. Found on property: 9. And it's not even May!
After we released him, we went to the pond to do what I intended, which was sit on a close by log and just be still and watch the turtles. It was the perfect ending to a great day, watching the turtles come back to the log (we'd previously scared them by walking on the trail). I love spring!