We usually see a few people on the trails that we hike. It just depends on which trail.
Look how green it is here now!
There are always people at Blue Run Park and it's fun when someone mentions a sighting. We met a lady when we were almost to the bridge and she asked if we had seen the baby ducks yet?
NO....but I picked up my pace to get to the area she mentioned seeing them.
We still didn't see them then. We did see a pair of Wood ducks on the Rainbow River side of the trail.
We hiked over the bridge and to the pond, turned around and was lucky enough to see the babies on our way back out.
They were SO cute!
Baby Wood ducks
They were scooting past just as fast as they could go so we only got a couple of photos but the sighting was priceless!
Another day we hiked from the 49th Trailhead (West) and when we met a bike coming, he said there was a wild Turkey ahead. We stayed on the lookout for the turkey but never spotted it.
But look what we saw on the side of the trail!
A baby Gopher Tortoise.
He was about 10 inches across which is small for a tortoise.
And look how clean he was!
We approached him and he hurried away and down into his burrow.
The turtles at Blue Run Park have moss on their shells, even the small ones! They are still cute though!
It's fun to see a few familiar faces when we hike. One day I went to Halpata Tastanaki Preserve and saw a sweet young woman with her daughter. I've seen her from time to time over the years and it was fun to catch up with her. When I first met her, she was pushing her daughter in a stroller. Now her daughter is riding her bike! They hike with their dog on a leash and love the forest as much as I do!
I know the weather has been crazy this week. Have you had a chance to get outside and enjoy nature?
34 comments:
...lovely as always! I love the turtles and bluebird. Take care. ...encantador como siempre! Me encantan las tortugas y bluebird. Cuídate.
Those baby ducks are adorable. Great shot of the bluebird!
Great photos! Wonderful to see the Tortoise, but my favorite photo is the Bluebird!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Hello,
Wonderful sightings. I love the Wood Ducks and the baby ducklings. Neat sighting of the Gopher Tortoise, Turtle and the beautiful bluebird. Great collection of photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend.
I love your sightings. The baby ducks are adorable. So was the young tortoise. Great shot of the bluebird at the end.
love the header shot and the water views are gorgeous. always always love the wild life not matter what you show us... favorite today is the tortoise.
What beautiful pictures.
Everything is already green with you, the lake is beautiful too.
Greetings Irma
Hello Diane, :=) You always see so many creatures on your hikes. The Wood-Ducks and the babies are super shots. The turtle, tortoise, and Bluebird are all great finds and shots. I used to enjoy meeting people on our hikes when my husband was alive. You meet such nice people.
Enjoy your weekend.:=)
Utterly cute creatures! The scenery is walking beautiful.
Oh no...the wind is so strong, it would blow a person down the street. The turtle has a wonderful pattern on his shell.
You got some cute shots of those baby ducks, and that turtle, too!
We took a long bike ride this morning, before the hard weather is expected to begin. It was a beautiful morning to be outside. Pretty dark and cloudy now -- expecting significant rain to start soon. I'm sue you'll have some at your house, too!
Those baby ducks are adorable. Love the fuzzy feathers. That tortoise has a beautiful pattern on it's shell.
Don't you just love seeing the babies? They're absolutely adorable!
Baby ducks are always cute, I see them on the lake I visit in Wales along with signets, morehen and coot chicks
Love the baby Wood Ducks and the tortoise and turtle too!
The little turtle covered in moss is adorable. Am definitely out and about enjoying warmer weather and walks!
Some very nice sightings this week. Love those cute baby ducks and the turtle. Have a wonderful weekend!
Doesn't clean-up well, beautiful.
Great trip and great post as usual. It is fun to run into people we know, even when we don't know them very well. And fun to run into all the critters you saw!
what a nice place to walk!
Having taken considerable interest in Testudinidae recently I would have very much enjoyed seeing the Gopher Tortoise, a species I have never encountered. I am curious that you refer to it as a baby. From what I understand of the life cycle of this creature, it will be laying its eggs any time now and it will be around a hundred days before they hatch, so babies should start to appear in mid summer.
i can't wait to get out for a "real walk" on my zinger or maybe even a bike ride. we have had some really cold weather!! it is when we start those outings that we begin seeing familiar faces!! i was out yesterday and saw my first turtles, tiny ones, nothing like the one you saw. i see you are being corrected on the i.d.
the wood duck are gorgeous, that is a beautiful picture of them...i'm so happy you found the babies!! the bluebird is so pretty!!
chucks dad was suppose to fly home to orlando from atlantic city airport yesterday. all of the flights to orlando had been cancelled for the day due to storms!! we got to have him with us for one more day. silver lining!!
The baby ducks are so sweet looking. I have wondered how many people use these fabulous trails you hike. They look so well planned, well laid out, and safe.
Tis the season ~ Baby ducks ~ great photos and lovely other critter photos too ~ what a fun walk you had. ~ xo
Wishing you love and laughter in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Preciosos tus avistamientos, me encantaron los patitos.Besos.
Wonderful pictures! You see the most amazing creations ever on your hiking trips. Love it. Hugs and blessings, Cindy
Red-earred turtles are so cute. On the way to our city there are two places that are marked as turtle crossings, but I've yet to see a turtle. - Margy
Great blog and beautiful places. I followed your blog now. Thx
I love seeing what YOU see!!
Great sightings on your hike. So nice to meet fellow hikers who share their sightings. The only nature we get to enjoy here is during our morning walks when we get to see some birds and hear them chirping and enjoy the flowers the residents plant in front of their houses. Not to forget our sunrises and sunsets.
Oh wonderful -- I am in heaven in when I see WoodDucks and to see their babies just might put me over the edge with joy!! Loved this post.
All these pictures are beautiful. I like bluebird photo and baby ducks. They are adorable. It is nice to see turtles with moss on their shells.
The baby wood ducks are precious. And the turtles are cute too. The design on their shell is so unique. I love that photo of the one on the tree with the water in the background. That's really a nice photo. And those blue birds are the sweetest thing. I love when they come around. They seems so peaceful, and very pretty.
Have a restful weekend, dear friend.
~Sheri
Another wonderful post, Diane!
What a special time of year when we might get a glimpse of young animals. Baby ducks are adorable. Gopher Tortoises are preparing burrows all over the place around here. And any day that includes a Bluebird is a good day!
Pretty intense storm yesterday! It has cleared the air a bit and we hope to hit the trails next week.
Have a great weekend!
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