April 02, 1987 - Several Subtle Signs of SpringPage 8A/The Suffolk Times /April 2, 1987
Several Subtle Signs of Spring
By PAUL STOUTENBURGH
In the past three days, the pasture
has turned from winter's dullness to
green. We've been blessed with spells
of warm weather that have popped
the crocuses and in some places the
daffodils from winter's hold. I can tell
the grass is truly growing in length
because the cows now are munching
on the first tender shoots, even
though their noses are hard pressed
Focus on
Nature
against the earth. To get off their
winter hay feeding and once again
have a full belly of pasture greenery
is their dream, I'm sure.
Hidden behind an old feed barrel
in the corner of the barn is one of our
little bantam hens who has already
started setting. These early hatches
are always risky, for I'm sure there
still is some of winter's cold about.
Yet we've had some beautiful warm
days, and it is during these spells
that all sorts of creatures and plants
are stirred. I don't know if I'd realize
just how much spring actually is
going on if it wasn't for my daily
walk "up lot" to the hay shack to feed
the cows. It's during this short jaunt
that I see and hear spring.
I remember as a kid my Dad al-
ways was an early riser so he could
capture "the best part of the day."
But as a teenager, I could never quite
see the early morning, for sleeping
in always seemed more appropriate
to me.
Spring Cleanup
The chorus of spring drops off as
the day progresses and is taken up
with man's busyness. The lawn has
to have its spring raking, leaves have
to be taken off the garden where they
have protected my wife's precious
tulip bulbs, and then there's that
general shaping up after winter's
passing.
Last week the painted turtles
emerged from their long rest on the
pond's bottom down in the pasture.
All winter they have been barely
alive in their cold tomb of mud, but
as the warming temperatures moved
in they emerged to sun themselves
on a half - submerged log. Here they
stay absorbing the warmth of the sun
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PAINTED TURTLES - -After a long winter's sleep in the mud thebe cold - blooded turtles sun themselves.
until something or someone startles
them. Then, one -by -one, they drop off
into the water and remain sub-
merged until the danger passes.
We have five common turtles
here on the East End, depending on
what you call "common." Sorry to say
what was once common is slowly be-
coming rare, for turtles, like most
other members of the reptile family,
are fast disappearing as the loss of
habitat is turned into mowed lawns
and blacktop. We too often forget
that ponds and wet areas are the
homes for a whole array of plants and
animals that are dependent on this
type of habitat.
Box Most Common
Probably the most common turtle
here on the East End is the box tur-
tle. This handsome dark brown to
blackish land turtle with its yellow
streaks and spots is often seen cross-
ing the road during the summertime.
It's probably the first turtle most of
us ever came in contact with, yet
even it is becoming hard to find.
The rest of the turtles are ones that
are found in or near the water. The
painted turtle, found in fresh water,
is dark green to black with bright
yellow and red markings. It can usu-
ally be seen sunning itself, as in my
pond. The spotted turtle is a less com-
mon turtle that is seen along with
the painted turtle. Again, it is dark
in color but with yellow spots on its
shell.
Another freshwater turtle -- but
much, much larger in size -- is the
snapping turtle. This fellow is the
only mean member of the turtle fam-
ily we have here on the East End and
should be handled with care. It looks
prehistoric and can be identified by
notches along its back shell. I usually
get calls about these turtles when
they wander from their wet environ-
ment upland to lay their eggs. Like
most turtles, they lay their eggs in
warm, sunny spots and leave the in-
cumbating to nature. Like all turtle
eggs, these unprotected eggs usually
fall prey to the over - abundant rac-
coon, whose sharp nose always seems
to detect their presence. Often I've
found digs where the raccoon has
feasted, leaving the leathery shells
behind. Again a word of warning:
Don't handle this turtle unless you
know what yo'ure doing; it lives up
to its name -- snapping turtle.
Once Common Diamond -Back
Our last turtle is one that inhabits
the salt water -- the diamond -back
terrapin. This is a handsome turtle
with webbed feet, which makes it an
excellent swimmer. I see this lively
fellow in our creeks all the time, or I
should say I see the head of this tur-
tle sticking above the water as it
comes up for air and a look see
around. -
Except for the snapping turtle,
most of our turtles are relatively
small, 6 -8 inches, but the snapper
can grow as large as a garbage pail
cover. All are scavengers and eat a
variety of plant and animal life that
comes their way, and all but the
snapper have a fairly good reputa-
tion. (He's the one that often takes
baby ducks and swans.)
There are other turtles, but they
are much less common and range
from the open sea to more remote
freshwater areas. And so, count
yourself lucky if you see turtles at
any time of the year. They are be-
coming harder and harder to find.
Sorry to say, they are an indicator of
how our natural world is changing.
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