Terrapin Nesting Season

[sjasis]

We visited Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge this weekend. JBWR is one of the most important urban wildlife refuges in the United States. Encompassing 9,155 acres, it is comprised of diverse habitats, including salt marsh, upland field and woods, several fresh and brackish water ponds and an open expanse of bay and islands- all located within the limits of New York City. (http://www.nyharborparks.org/visit/jaba.html)

Its Terrapin nesting season there.... we saw Park Employees picking up diamondback terrapins from other areas in the park to return them to the nesting area, hoping to confine the breeding mothers to a single large area:

The nesting area is closed to hikers during this season:

However, as we were about half way around the main trail, we came upon a terrapin far from the nesting area, who was just finishing up laying her eggs right along the side of the trail! We actually saw her drop her last egg into the hole she had dug (unfortunately I wasn't quick enough and I missed that shot) and cover up the whole thing with her paddle-like back feet!

It was all pretty exciting, and really made my day as I have never seen a Turtle or Terrapin laying eggs before!

[Bebop]

Great shots! I'm disappointed you missed that egg.

[sjasis]

This story appeared in New York Newsday yesterday 7/9/09. (The JBWR is located on Jamaica Bay right next to JFK Airport):

A runway at Kennedy Airport was shut down briefly yesterday morning after at least 78 turtles emerged from a nearby bay and crawled onto the tarmac. Grounds crews rounded up the wayward reptiles and deposited them back into the brackish water farther from airport property, but not before the incident disrupted JFK's flight schedule and contributed to delays that reached nearly 1 1/2 hours. "Apparently, this is something the tower has experienced before" said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters. "I guess it's the season for spawning."

The invasion began unfolding, slowly, at around 8:30am, when an American Eagle flight crew reported seeing three turtles while taxiing out for departure. Before long, a chorus of pilots was radioing to report turtle sightings.

The FAA halted flighted for about 12 minutes shortly before 9:00am while some of the turtles were cleared away, then quit using the runway entirely after getting new reports of "massive numbers" of turtles on the tarmac, Peters said.

Port Authority spokesman John Kelly said airport crews gathered up the turtles in about 35 minutes. He identified them as Diamondback Terrapins. The turtles appear to be about 8 inches long and 2-3 pounds each.

Jets hit turtles a few times each year at JFK, according the the FAA's wildlife strike database. There have been no recent reports of the strikes causing any damage to an airplane.

--New York Newsday 7/9/09

[sjasis]

thanks! no, we went to a different nature park today.

[GTO]

very cool Susan!

there was a Toad Crossing alert in Chilliwack BC where they had to close the road for a few days...

Toad Count: 38,426 toadlets have been moved across the road as of July 12.

Important Notice for Volunteers:

As of July 13, 2009 at 8:00 am all volunteer shifts for the Toad Rescue have been cancelled. Currently there are no toadlets crossing the roads in Ryder Lake and it looks as though the migration has ended. Thank you to all the volunteers for making this years Toad Rescue such a great success!

[GTO]

http://www.fraservalleyconservancy.ca/

[sjasis]

Wow, with terrapins on tarmacs, toads on the roads, and ladybugs all over everything, it seems Mother Nature is having some fun with us :)