So I'll take a deep breath and try to remember.
I quickly found a taker for the sweet annie. A friend of my sons came over along with a little girl. She was picking it up for an aunt, who really appreciated it. yay! I'd just come back from Sisters garden. She gave me a fennel plant, complete with a nearly grown black swallowtail cat on it. It was fun showing it to my visitors later.
Along with my 12 black swallowtail chrysalis. I still have one tiny cat on the plants I have covered. An accidental acquisition that rode in on some cut fennel I put in the the last caterpillar. Oddly that last caterpillar went into a chrysalis before he was as big as the others or as green.
On Saturday I went out to the native nursery, Meadowood. The Appalachian chapter of the Audubon Society was hosting a plant sale. Ahhhhh I could spend all day there. Deciding what to buy is almost impossible. I went over budget, but only by $14. Not bad! I did buy another paw paw tree. Hopefully it will take and next year I'll get some blooms. I'm almost afraid to hope for fruit. But that would be very cool. I got another spice bush, and while there talked to a woman who apparently has a lot growing on her property. She gave me her number after offering me some saplings. Sweet! I bought a Joe-Pye weed, and...and....oh yea pink turtle head. Phew, for a moment I didn't think I could remember. I agonized over the vines. The choice came down to ...hummingbird, or butterfly. Trumpet honeysuckle for the hummers, or Dutchman's Pipe vine. After much debate and talking to another customer that didn't seem to have such issues, and a lovely Japanese girl who is working there part-time I selected the trumpet honeysuckle vine. I'll still get the Dutchman next year. I forgot, I did buy another pussy toe plant for the American Lady butterfly.
Sunday I planted everything but the vine. I'm still debating two spots for it. When I went to plant the joe-pye on the side of the bank, I started digging around the area the turtle had laid her eggs. And I found...baby turtles! Five to be exact. One still had it's tail stuck to a bit of egg shell. I'm pretty sure some of the others had emerged earlier. (I'd seen at least 10 eggs being laid) There was one complete egg I found, but it wasn't viable. I eventually opened it and it had never finished forming. But I had fun watching the little dirt and mud covered turtles crawling and tumbling at times out of the hole and down bank. Off to the water they went. Eventually they all went in different directions, but all made it to the water. It's quite a trip for them, across sand and rock. They cover ground quickly. I did get to see one of them take a first swim. The fish checked him out but he seemed to shoo them away effortlessly. I have video but I haven't had a chance to get it ready to share. Here are some stills though, showing what a rough trip they have across the yard to get to the water!
The first pic shows one right out of the ground. then through the grass/weeds. The fourth photo if you look closely there are two headed for the stream. The 6th one is the first turtle that made it to the water. Watching them, most when they made it to the water, got completely wet, then would rest against a rock for a bit. Next to last is the one wayward turtle I found coming across my patio. Aren't they amazing!
Here is the photo of the chrysalis I talked about the other day being one right after the other.
This fish caught my eye, his scales really stood out so I took some photos of him, hoping to identify it. Then the unexpected happened.
I took a pic, was just lowering my arm with the camera when a HAWK came flying by, inches from my face. I was startled .... and breathless. he turned a bit sideways as though to get a good look at me when he went by. I let out a little gasp, then I admit my mouth hung open for the next five minutes or so in amazement. He circled around and landed in a tree straight across from me, though behind branches so I couldn't get a photo. When I finally moved to see if I could get a better look at him, he flew off. Not sure what caught his interest, but it may have been my hair that I had clipped up and looked 'interesting' (only to him of course) as I was slightly bent down to take those photos. Imagine his surprise when he got up close and personal? WHOA....that's a big one! But I find it interesting that he stayed so close by. He didn't just do a fly-by, and fly off after realizing I wasn't suitable hawk prey. Hmmmm maybe he DID figure I was suitable and was watching to see if he could figure out a plan of attack.
But it was an incredible moment.
I'll return later...with more tales of Little Dude....
How brilliant to see you own turtle babies making their first journey. I'm glad you held one as it shows just how tiny they are.
ReplyDeleteI think I would have been breathless as well if a hawk came that close.