This little bird was on the deck at Dove Cottage when I exited last night after doing laundry. It’s a flycatcher, Laura things maybe an Acadian Flycatcher. Fortunately, Althea was snoozing in the grass and never noticed it, so I left it to its own devices and it was gone this morning when we went by. I think its mother was nearby last night and probably swooped in after I left.
Last year, Laura found this skullcap (genus Scutellaria) on the lower loop trail in the south hollow. She caged it to protect it from the voracious whitetail deer in our woods, and it paid big dividends. Lots of rain this spring as produced a beautiful example of this medicinal forest botanical.
We removed the cage long enough to take a few photos and then replaced it. We can’t protect every skullcap in the forest, but this one definitely is worth keeping off the dinner plate of the local deer.
We love Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina). We were surprised to see so many in our woods and wondered if we were seeing a few repeatedly or if there really were as many as there appeared to be.
Short answer: There are a lot.
We used an imperfect method of marking them with nail polish last year. Despite not starting until almost June, we saw at least 25 unique turtles, many of them multiple times in surprisingly far-ranging locations. We saw them mating. We saw them laying eggs. We saw them eating mushrooms and carrion. We saw a few youngsters. We met a particularly friendly guy we named Wordsworth who hung around Dove Cottage for a while. And all this was during a brutal drought, during which the turtles disappeared for a few weeks.
Laura uses nail polish to mark an Eastern Box Turtle while faithful Trash Hound waits nearby.
There were so many sightings — and the system for marking them I devised was so convoluted — that we’re moving away from it this year and just taking photos of each turtle we encounter. We might start using nail polish again, but I think it would be mostly just to tell if we’ve seen a turtle before or not.
An Eastern Box Turtle feasts on a dead squirrel. I was a bit surprised by this. Althea had killed the squirrel the previous day, and I saw a turtle heading toward it. When I returned, the turtle was next to the squirrel, where it remained for much of the next day.
Last year, Laura found the first turtle while she was digging out a vernal pool on March 14 along the old logging road. This year, Turtle 1 was discovered much later, on April 29, in a seep that is sort of around the corner from the seep where Laura dug the vernal pool.
A female Eastern Box Turtle laying eggs near Dove Cottage.Turtle eggs. She left two, which we caged to protect them from predators, but they never hatched. We’re thinking the drought may have been a problem …
This year, I’m just going to list them here as I find them. The numbers reflect total sightings, not number of discrete individuals.
Ideally, I’d love to be able to ID them based on their shell pattern, which apparently is unique, but I think I’d need an AI program or something to review the photos to de-duplicate them.
But first, a gratuitious photo of our buddy Wordsworth, a beautiful turtle we’re hoping to see again this year:
Wordsworth spent so much time around the cottage we started warning guests to look out for him since he often sunned himself on the gravel driveway.
2025 Turtle Count
Turtle 1
First turtle of 2025, 4/29/25, female, marked with two slashes from last year, drinking from seep where loop trail crosses ridge and heads to south hollow.First turtle of 2025, 4/29/25, female, marked with two slashes from last year, drinking from seep where loop trail crosses ridge and heads to south hollow.First turtle of 2025, 4/29/25, female, marked with two slashes from last year, drinking from seep where loop trail crosses ridge and heads to south hollow.
Turtle 2
Medium male on trail leading from Bobcat Landing to Dark Hollow. Mark from last year. Two dots. 4/29/25Medium male on trail leading from Bobcat Landing to Dark Hollow. Mark from last year. Two dots. 4/29/25
Turtles 3 and 4
Male and female together. Male, on left, was on back. He was closed tight when found. Female was moving, probably trying to flip him back till I showed up. I moved them out a few feet from the log they were against, righted the male, and left. 45 minutes later when I retunred there was no sign of them. This was where loop trail crosses ridge trail up near the Pipsissewa. Neither of them was marked. 5/1/25
Turtle 5
Male, unmarked, across North Hollow creek on property next door. 5/4/25
Turtle 6 (&13?)
Male, no marks, on trail from Bobcat Landing to Dark Hollow..
Turtle 7
Female, no marks, on Logging Trail between vernal pool and beech amphitheater. 5/14/25
Turtle 8
Male, unmarked, found on logging trail just west of Laura Farrell Memorial Vernal Pool 5/14/25
Sappho (Turtle 9, 10, 12, 14, and 17)
Female on logging trail near bent beech. There was a mark on her shell that might be former tag we did or bird crap. It’s sort of a white smear. She was eating a small worm that she didn’t drop even when I picked her up and turned her over to determine gender. I returned her to where she was and left her to eat her worm in peace.
Sappho (Turtle 9, 10, 12, 14, and 17)
Same female as yesterday in same spot, near Bent Beech. Left her with a few blueberries and moved on.Same female as yesterday in same spot, near Bent Beech. Left her with a few blueberries and moved on.
Turtle 11
This male was on trail from logging road to bobcat landing, about half way to the landing. Gave him a few blueberries.
Sappho (Turtle 9, 10, 12, 14, and 17)
Same female as yesterday in same spot, near Bent Beech. Left her with a few blueberries and moved on.Same female as yesterday in same spot, near Bent Beech. Left her with a few blueberries and moved on.Same female as yesterday in same spot, near Bent Beech. Left her with a few blueberries and moved on.
Turtle 13 (and 6?)
Male. Beautiful shell with reds in it. Hissed when I turned him over to check gender. Left him with a blueberry. Think he might have been digging for worms. He had are in front of him scraped and there was a small worm exposed. On logging trail just past beech Amphitheatre on way to verbal pool.
Sappho (Turtle 9, 10, 12, 14, and 17)
The Bent Beech Turtle strikes again. This is the fourth sighting in that location. She’s munching a worm, apparently one of her favorite foods.The Bent Beech Turtle strikes again. This is the fourth sighting in that location. She’s munching a worm, apparently one of her favorite foods.
Turtle 15 – Shelley
Found this male on the lower loop in the South Hollow, not far from where the ridge. His shell is beautiful and he was very curious and outgoing. Didn’t seem at all upset to be handled.Found this male on the lower loop in the South Hollow, not far from where the ridge. His shell is beautiful and he was very curious and outgoing. Didn’t seem at all upset to be handled.Found this male on the lower loop in the South Hollow, not far from where the ridge. His shell is beautiful and he was very curious and outgoing. Didn’t seem at all upset to be handled.
Turtle 16 – Shelley
Male on lower loop of South Hollow, between the ridge and the logging trail. Pretty sure this is the same guy we saw the other day, Turtle 15, so going forward his name is Shelley, after Percy Bysshe Shelley, the romantic poet, and, well, the fact that he lives in a shell …
Sappho (Turtle 9, 10, 12, 14 and 17)
After multiple sightings this girl gets a name: Sappho. She’s been sighted repeatedly near bent beech, but this is her on June 4 up by Dove Cottage (where Wordsworth has been known to roam). To get there, she had to do some serious climbing through briars and heavy leaf litter. She might have followed the switchback trail up to the cottage. Regardless, it’s a long walk and she’s a turtle with attitude.
Turtle 18
Female in north hollow basking in sun. She was in front of a game cam I set up pointing toward a deer trail that runs from the property next store, across the creek and into the north hollow.
Turtle 19
Male on trail from logging road to Bobcat Landing. Damage to his shell. Hissed when I picked him up.Detail of shell damage. Male on trail from logging road to bobcat landing. Damage to his shell. Hissed when I picked him up.
Turtle 20
Male on trail from Bobcat Landing to Hidden Holler. Big guy.
Turtle 21
Female on new path from hidden hollow up to tulip tree graveyard. Seems to be snoozing at base of dead tulip tree.Sleeping female on path leading up out of Hidden Hollow.
Turtle 22
Male on trail from Bobcat Landing to Hidden Hollow. June 7.
Sappho (Turtle 23)
I stepped out of the garage at Dove Cottage on Monday morning (6/9) to find Sappho snoozing just outside. When I picked her up to ID her and check gender, she hissed at me and still had whatever she was eating for breakfast in her mouth. Perhaps she’s awaiting the return of Wordsworth …
Turtle 24
Male, big, beautiful on upper loop, south hollow, just past the ridge heading east.
Turtle 25
Male on 6/13 off upper trail that runs along bench leading to ridge trail. Hissed when picked up. Beautiful red eyes. Seems hunkered down for heat of the day.
Turtle 26 (Owl Turtle?)
Male in north hollow right off trail. It was rainy and he was pretty muddy. Looked as if he’d just emereged from his nest. His shell design reminds me of an owl, or perhaps a fox.Male in north hollow right off trail. It was rainy and he was pretty muddy. Looked as if he’d just emereged from his nest. His shell design reminds me of an owl, or perhaps a fox.
Turtle 27
Male on upper loop of south hollow near miss and beech section.
Turtle 28
Male on lower south hollow loop heading toward bobcat landing. Thought this was Shelley at first but the pattern isn’t quite the same.
Turtle 29
Male in lower loop of south hollow not far from where it connects to ridge.
Turtle 30
Male Hissed when I picked him up. Near vernal pool on 6/18.
Turtle 31
Male, had attitude. Sitting I. Ridge near where snake and ate squirrel. Neck fully extended when I spotted him about 15 feet from trail.Male, had attitude. Sitting I. Ridge near where snake and ate squirrel. Neck fully extended when I spotted him about 15 feet from trail.
Turtle 32
Small female on trail connecting north to south hollow before the stick bridge.
Turtle 33
Female where trail forks from lower loop trail to bobcat landing. Hissed when I picked her up.
Turtle 34
Male. Hot morning. Hissed when picked up. On lower loop south hollow right before it splits down to bobcat landing.
Turtle 35
Small male. Eating something. Beautify shell with reds in it. Not far from other male this morning. He’s on spur to bobcat landing.
Turtle 36
Red-shell male on way to bobcat landing. Same one as yesterday? Hissed when picked up.
Turtle 37
Male on logging road between vernal pool and beech amphitheater. Damage on shell and nail polish mark from last year.Male on logging road between vernal pool and beech amphitheater. Damage on shell and nail polish make from last year.
Turtle 38
Male hissed when picked up near spur to bobcat landing.
Turtle 39
Male on trail in dark hollow that runs up to logging road/ elm graveyard
Turtle 40
Male on upper loop north hollow trail not far from dryad saddle tree.
Turtle 41
Male on connector from north to south hollow near trumpet spot.
Turtle 42
Red shell again? Male on lower loop trail right before hidden hollow.
Turtle 43
Large male in north hollow.
Turtle 44
Big bull turtle on lower loop north hollow near beech that straddles the rock. 7/6 morning hike.Big bull turtle on lower loop north hollow near beech that straddles the rock. 7/6 morning hike.
Turtle 45
Male munching a rusula stem on lower loop just east of where it crosses ridgeMale munching a rusula stem on lower loop just east of where it crosses ridge
Last year, Laura found this skullcap (genus Scutellaria) on the lower loop trail in the south hollow. She caged it to protect it from the voracious whitetail deer in our woods, and it paid big dividends. Lots of rain this spring as produced a beautiful example of this medicinal forest botanical.
We love Eastern Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina). We were surprised to see so many in our woods and wondered if we were seeing a few repeatedly or if there really were as many as there appeared to be.
