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Friday, April 8, 2005
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Florida Softshell Turtle - Nine Mile Pond, Everglades National Park
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Today, I passed at least five of these giant Florida Softshell Turtles as they were attempting to cross the road. Of all of them this was the most cooperative in letting me photograph it. The best description I have found of these giant turtles comes from Peterson's Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern/Central North America. The authors describe the turtles in the Trionychidae family as "animated pancakes." I thought this was a rather hilarious yet accurate description of these turtles. I love the snorkle like tube nose that is often seen poking just above the surface of the water.
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Interesting Sightings
I found a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Mrazek Pond this afternoon. I was thrilled to see this beautiful bird for the first time this winter. I also found a small flock of male Indigo Buntings along the highway between Mrazek Pond and Coot Bay Pond. However, one of the most exciting birds of the day was a Shiny Cowbird in the Flamingo area. This was a lifebird for me bringing me up to a lifelist of 309 species.
Other Interesting Observations:
This evening I found a staging area for Swallow-tailed Kites before they go to roost. When I arrived there were seven birds perched in the tops of three different snags. After an hour or so they flew off to roost for the night.
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