It was a sunny warm day, 26c feeling more humid in late morning. I thought I would walk along the river to see what I can find.
This bird flew over the river and landed right in front of me. It seems to be an Eastern Kingbird.
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| Killdeer |
This is a different rock in the middle of the river from the one I saw in the May 26 post. I thought I was only seeing this one big turtle but there were little ones too!
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| Northern Map Turtle |
The Northern Map Turtle is a species of "Special Concern".
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| Northern Map Turtles |
This woodpecker was working around the tree.
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| Hairy Woodpecker |
There were schools of fish in the warm shallow water.
The next turtle I saw is an endangered species that I've always wanted to see. The Spiny Softshell Turtle. It was far away so I was using my telephoto lens to try to get closer photos. I finally saw my first Spiny Softshell Turtle...very, very exciting! I'm not identifying the area I saw this because of the status.
The Spiny Softshell Turtle is a medium-large freshwater turtle that is easily recognized by the shell, which is round rather flat, and leathery. It is also distinguished by its snorkel-like snout. The shell is soft, olive or tan in colour with dark blotches and tiny spine projections along the front shell.
The Spiny Softshell Turtle lives in rivers and lakes. In Canada, it is found in Quebec and Southwestern Ontario - Lake St.Clair and Lake Erie. The majority in Ontario are found in the Thames and Sydenham Rivers and at two sites in Lake Erie.
