Strap on yo chap on!

I brought out the Pentax 20-60x scope today to watch all of the action. The "up close" turt viewing was pretty awesome, however the dot marking system is not working out to the point that I can id all individuals from afar. When Joe and I first arrived, four turtles- one with a transmitter and another marked, were basking on the log. Shortly thereafter, a Sierra garter snake (T. couchii) was spotted heading for the basking log loaded with turtles. It slowly swam over to the log and posted up less than 25 cm away from a basking turtle. As the snake rested its head on the log, the turtle stayed in place seeming to look at the snake which was looking back at it. After a moment, the snake was gone and was not seen for the rest of the survey. I looked at the entire basking log and noticed a fifth turtle had hauled out while we were watching the action.


As for our transmittered turts; all are in the reservoir. The transmitter of turtle 6 is working again, but weak. The beast, whose transmitter is also pretty faint, was triangulated to the shallows. Most of the tagged turtles triangulated to the willow or in the vicinity of the basking log. Some itty-bittys were seen near the shallows and at least four unmarked turtles were present. As for behavior, most of the turtles were basking on the log or at the surface in open water (after they were scared off the log by two big humans waving shiny things in their direction). We noted some foraging and two marked turtles, a female with a transmitter and a turtle with non-readable dots were courting in open water and taking it to the shallows. Copulation was not seen.


Other wildlife- On our way out to the reservoir, we flushed the Great-horned Owl who was not on the nest. She flew behind the levee into a pine and hooted. Starlings scattered and squeaked as she moved. On our way back in from the res., we flushed her again from a location off of the nest and she hooted as she landed in another pine behind the barracks. This behavior suggested of her having branched young somewhere nearby, but out of the nest. Upon scoping the nest, no nestlings or adults were seen. In addition, a tom turkey came by for a drink and forage in the swale above the reservoir and the Killdeer's behavior suggests they are laying or on eggs somewhere on the west end of the reservoir.







And for the finally... Joe- you missed the rattle snake (C. oreganus) you so wanted to see. As you were driving out you passed the snake on the road just north of the barracks. I did get a photo before directing it off of the road. It was coiled and non-aggressive, taking a couple of pokes with a stick to get it to buzz and move off of the road into a rock outcrop. Since this is my second encounter with a rattlesnake on the Range in one week, I think it is a good idea that the crew begins wearing the snake chaps provided in the store room. In other words: strap on yo chap on!