Why Hell-O, Turtle #8...

2 days in a row of warm weather and the turts are all movin and shakin. Turt 1 was spotted today foraging along the bottom of the HP swale (yeah, she finally moved after 8 months of inactivity!). Also in the HP swale was Chip and, get this, Turtle #8. Turt8 was one of the boys whose tags shorted out last season, thus he has been untraceable. Until now. I fished him out and took morphometric data on him and I gotta say, the boy looked robust. Compared to all the scrawny girls, this dude already had a nice layer of insulation going. Makes me wonder where he's been....



So, Turt 7 also finally made a move and is in the ERes with Turts 4 and 2. Turt 5 is still in the same spot out in OM, and Turt 3 has actually shifted a little deeper into the undergrowth near the pumphouse. We are also working on a plan to 'funk up' the trap a little so it's not so darn squeaky clean and glaring white....

Turt Trapping Trial #1

Was wildly unsuccessful. I think the turts were laughing at me. I put the basking trap out for 5 hours today (and even added some delicious catfood after the first hour), but it is definitely in need of some modifications. I'm thinking it would be much more ideal to be able to 'cover' the trap when not actively trapping, thus the turts would get used to it and could still use it as a basking platform. Then, when needed, we could remove the 'cover' and hopefully the turts would blunder right in. It's an idea, anyway. So. No turts caught in the trap today, although I got a glimpse of turt #2 basking on one of the snags with 3 other untagged adults.


During the many hours I had to wander around, I also managed to re-tag and bee-dot Turt#3 (still by the old pumphouse). Turts 1, 7, and 5 are still in their burrows.





OHHHH. And guess who is back in the HP Swale? The one-eyed wonder, Chip.

EPIC Find!! Nope. Not a turt.

So it has only taken me five years of searching high and low (mostly low) for this species to come across a live one. I found a roadkilled juvie 2 years ago, but these guys are so damn cryptic in this area that this is the FIRST live Longnose I have ever found at the range..... Allow me to say - WOOT.

The Return of Turt 2

She's close. Oh so close.... Yesterday I tracked her to a spot about 100y south of the cistern in OM. Today she was busily foraging in a shallow puddle within sight of the ERES!


There are also 6 and a half (the wee beast) turts in the res without tags. Start passing the hat. We need about 4 more tags to get the whole adult population. Also in the ERES is a loverly pair of wood ducks which may be nesting beneath the willow. Turt 4's tag triangulates down that end, but I kept my distance due to the duckness. Turt 1 and 7 are still buried deep beneath the ground in their overwintering spots. turt5 is still hanging out in OM and turt 3 was looking around as if debating the trek up the hill to the Res.

Little Dude is in the Mix

Well, it looks like a young 'un survived the looooong dry spell and is already getting a jump on the new season. Nothing like a stinking cute baby turtle to kick off the season. Did I mention it was 46 degrees and overcast with intermittent showers today?

Turt 2's Tag Tracks True (say that 3 times fast)

So no worries on Turt 2's new tag. The epoxy was fully cured and looked the same as it did when we attached it yesterday. Woot. It was a bit rainy today, sprinkling for a few minutes and then the sun would come out, then sprinkles again, etc. No dramatic movements. Hopefully the res will come up another foot or so with all the rain....


My Hard-working Helpers for the day.

Turt 2 gets a new tag!

Big Thanks to Steph Myers for hand delivering 2 new tags and a bright shiny basking trap down to us today. All the turts seem fairly bunkered down, perhaps bracing for the incoming storm. We did manage to get morph. data on Turt #5 and Turt #2. Both turts finally got bee dots and turt #2 got a shiny new tag... It was a fairly cold, overcast afternoon, so hopefully the epoxy cured fully. Guess we'll find out tomorrow...