This past weekend, I had a couple of interesting encounters with wild animals. The first happened when I was driving along a country road near my place. I saw something on the road ahead and slowed down to see what it was.
It was a Snapping Turtle and I decided to pull over and park on the side of the road to get a better look at him, or her (probably a mama, looking for some place to deposit her eggs). As I was standing there, taking pictures, some other cars came along and, when the drivers saw the turtle, they pulled over too and got out to take pictures. Snapping turtles are amazing creatures - very primitive-looking with their long necks and claws and thick tails. All the humans who stopped were enjoying taking pictures and chatting about how big he/she was and what a cool thing to see this wonderful creature.
My second encounter happened when I was driving along a highway and was turning off onto a road to the town of Hawkesbury. There, among some bushes and weeds near the road, was a moose. Wow! Again, I pulled off on the side of the road and got out to take some pictures.
This moose was very young - probably born this year. There were lots of people who, like me, had pulled their cars over to the side of the road to get a better look and take pictures. We were all amazed to see this beautiful creature. Where had it come from? Where was its mother? The poor moose was in a place too close to the town and an industrial park and lots of busy roads.
I kept taking pictures but it was hard to get a lot of good ones. The moose was constantly moving, strolling along, probably wondering what the heck all these strange people were doing stopping their cars to get out and point their cameras at him. Finally, he trotted off into some tall bushes out of sight and I got back in my car and left. I hope both the moose and the turtle are okay and managed to get back into some wild place where they could be safe.
6 comments:
What wonderful encounters. I haven't seen many turtles this year yet. Only the one in our yard. Good that Moose sighting was off to the side of the road! Great shots.
Great photos! Amazing encounters. Very, very cool.
What a treat to see a moose! and a turtle! My son, the truck driver, is always on the lookout for moose-you don't want to hit one. He saw a couple the other day by the side of the road, full-size biggies, and was very glad they stayed put. Your guy looks so nonchalant. Must be a teen.
These must have been exciting moments for you. Moose a fantastic chance to take some lovely photos. Snapping turtle never heard of such a creature will check it on wiki. Great post.
The snapping turtle is great but I am REALLY jealous of your moose!! I have been wanting to see one around here, but no luck yet. Beautiful photos!
Wow! What a great weekend for wildlife encounters.
If you ever need to pick up a snapping turtle, here is a funny video clip showing you how to do so. Or not.
Actually, I'm kidding. Never try to pick up a snapper. Also, apparently picking them up by the tail is painful to them.
Post a Comment