nichepoetryandprose

We did our usual bird-watching run along the St. John River on Sunday afternoon.   We ordinarily follow the same circuit, from Oromocto, along the north side of the River, to Jemseg, crossing the River via the Gagetown Ferry, and returning on the south side of the St. John River.  This area is in central New Brunswick, east of Fredericton.

The first part of this circuit is along the old Trans Canada Highway, now Route 105.  This section follows the St. John River, through the Grand Lake Meadows, an important wetland area for New Brunswick.  Near the spot marked ‘A’, we saw lots of ducks, an Osprey eating a fish, and three other raptors (a group including hawks or eagles) too distant to identify.  Near ‘B’ is the place we often see various owls, Bald Eagles, and Moose.

From Jemseg, we take Route 715 to Lower Jemseg.  This part of the route travels above the River, through farmland.  We rarely see wildlife along this section, but the area has a rich history and has several interesting buildings, including the old church featured in my post of September 14, 2011.

From Lower Jemseg, we turn towards the Gagetown Ferry and Scovil.  This is a very interesting part of the route, snaking between wetlands and ponds.  Along this section, it is usual to spot other cars of eager birdwatchers.

a wet field near Scovil … there are two American Black Ducks in the grass to the left and two Canada Geese beyond the pond … this is the same pond where we saw a Glossy Ibis on April 23, 1988

The highlight of our trip on Sunday was a group of three Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) on a log along this last section of our route, near the spot marked ‘C’.

The turtles were sunning themselves on a log in the middle of a pond.  They have dark green, smooth shells, with bright orange markings along the edge of the shell.  The inside of the lower shell is bright yellow.  Their heads and tails are also marked with short streaks of orange and yellow.  All winter these turtles have been hibernating at the bottom of the pond.  Now awake, they will live in the pond all summer, laying eggs and feeding on aquatic insects and vegetation.

These Painted Turtles were stretching their necks out of their shells as far as possible.  They made a beautiful sight, their colorful shells mirrored in the pond water.

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Painted Turtles

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I study the colors

through binoculars

remember these

with my hand, my fingers

rock the fine focus

rotate the brush

pick paint from the palette

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the shell, flat olive tiles, grouted

Payne’s Grey

the wrinkled foot and leg, relaxed along the log

Burnt Umber

on the tail, the neck, the head

deft strokes of Cadmium

Yellow and Orange

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the head stretches, to soak in sun

and dazzles on the pond

the lower shell

Yellow

refection on water

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and, at the edge of the carapace

bright dabs of Orange

one part Cadmium

two parts Quinacridone

and a touch of some unknown

translucence

elusive

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©  Jane Tims  2012