So, at the Center, each year we have a pair of cranes who raise chicks near the pond. And this year, we also found a snapping turtle--the largest ever seen here! And in addition, cute kitten pictures! I also came up with a new logo for this site...perhaps my paltry web design skills can help me apply this to the actual blog formatting!
So, first we take a look at the cranes, both parents and their baby.
You can tell a baby Sandhill crane from its parents by its sandy plumage (see above) and the absence of the red head patch.
And next comes the snapping turtle. She weighed around 20 pounds! That's extremely big for a turtle. The naturalists at the Center think she was coming inland to lay her eggs. What a terrible idea! At the time, we were under construction.
Doesn't she look like some prehistoric dinosaur or something? It's amazing how little has changed this millions of years for reptiles.
Next come my adorable kittens! This batch is from my current favorite cat, Puma. Her kittens include Dante (black), Wispy (black and white), and Lieutenant Cupcake Sprinkles (fluffy, white, and grey).
Here's Wispy on the wall.
And a close-up!
Here's Wispy and Dante on the wall.
And here's Lt. Cupcake. Now there's a funny story about a name. Originally we thought that Cupcake was a girl, hence the name. And it fit well, very well for him. And then we found out Cupcake's gender. Rather than waste a perfectly good name, I decided to tack a "Lt." in front of in, in honor of Lt. Cupcake from the Star Trek 2009 movie. Rather than being impressed by my naming creativity, my family deemed me a nerd. I feel that I must concur wholeheartedly. And I love Star Trek. :D
More entries and pictures to come, hopefully sooner rather than later!
