If you throw it, they will come. Yeah, it’s a bastardization of the famous line from “Field of Dreams,” but it fits for the Brighton millpond turtles. The “it” is bread! All you have to do is arrive on the boardwalk south of Stillwater Grill and toss some small pieces of bread into the water. Within a couple of minutes, you’ll see a turtle circus with up to three species. The first to arrive are the Midland Painted Turtles. There are several large Common Snapping Turtles in the area. They’ll probably show up, too. If you’re lucky, you might also see a Red Eared Slider. There aren’t as plentiful, but they aren’t shy either.
During a recent feeding, these two medium-sized snappers (shells about 12-14″ head-to-tail) arrived. They weren’t happy to see each other OR they were so happy feasting their eyes on each other that they held a stare-down position for about ten minutes! Neither moved. A fellow turtle watcher suggested it was Turtle Love, but I think it was a territorial dispute over food — the first one to move or turn away loses. One finally got bored, I think, and pivoted around. The other went in hot pursuit (for a turtle). Then pond life returned to normal.
Doug,
This may be environmentally and politically incorrect, but all these snapper turtle pictures lately are giving me a powerful hunger for snapper soup. I may have to take the train into Philadelphia or drive out to New Holland for a good dose of it with sherry, of course. :-)
Now wait a minute, Nanina. I’m not sure I’m sending the right message to my readers if that’s what it conjures up for you. I have a general rule that I never serve my friends as dinner. :-)