We were watching all the birds in our yard inhaling the bird seed just as quickly as we put it out in the feeders. They sure are hungry in the snow and cold. (Click on blog link for other photos.)
There was this squirrel scavenging under the feeders looking for anything to eat but not finding much, or it was just too picky and didn’t like our selection.
All of a sudden he started digging a hole in the snow… deeper and deeper and deeper. He must have dug down at least a foot with his head periodically popping up. And then, he came up with an acorn! “I knew I remembered where I hid all of those acorns last fall.”
We were taking a walk at Fort Hill a couple of days ago when we heard all this noise coming from across Nauset Marsh by Coast Guard Beach. It sure sounded like a huge herd of seals, but it’s so late in the season. Were there still that many seals around?
So yesterday we walked out to the spit on Coast Guard Beach and not only was there a herd of seals on one of the sandbars, but we were greeted along the way by many of these curious creatures. Have you seen the seals on Coast Guard Beach lately? They were everywhere!
I was taking a hike at Fort Hill the other day when I came around the bend and saw this mysterious creature on the side of the trail. After a double-take, I thought, “Oh, what fun!” Have you seen this guy on the trail?
I surprised this Box Turtle as much as he surprised me the other day as I was walking about in my yard. (Click on blog link for other photo.)
“Box turtles hibernate, called brumation, a state of dormancy triggered by consistent temperatures below 60 degrees. During brumation, they burrow deep underground, slow their metabolism, and live off stored body fat until spring. This is a natural and important part of their annual cycle for health and reproduction.”
This guy hid in his shell for a bit and then went sauntering about. Beautiful pattern on his shell… he blends in so easily with the leaves this time of year.
We were so surprised to see this beautiful Painted Turtle trying to cross the bike trail on a busy Sunday morning. We picked it up and moved it to the woods on the side of the trail.
We’ve seen a lot of Box Turtles, Diamondback Terrapins and Snapping Turtles, but never a Painted Turtle in the woods around here. We usually seen them sunning themselves on logs in a freshwater pond. It was such a nice surprise!
While taking a walk on Coast Guard Beach, we kept seeing this seal diving in the water. It almost looked like it was following us, so we took a few photos. When we got home, I saw this one photo on the computer and thought it was so cool. What do you think?
This humongous Snapping Turtle was making its way across the traffic on Bridge Road the other morning when Phil stopped to help it along. (Click on blog link for other photo.) He was huge!
“Snapping turtles, which can grow up to 40 pounds, can live for decades, with some reaching over 100 years. Their long lifespan is a testament to their durability and adaptability. These turtles spend most of their lives in water, which helps them avoid predators and extreme climate conditions.”
Have you ever seen a Snapping Turtle here on the Cape?
There were lots of seals swimming along the shore at Coast Guard Beach. This guy seemed to follow me down to the Spit, diving in along the way. Cute little guy, don’t you think?
Cape Cod daily articles and photography on places to hike, experience and enjoy. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.
