June 7th. A female Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) with thirteen ducklings.

 

 

 

Hmm, three different looking ducklings amid the others.

 

 

 

 

 

The nearer two ducklings are Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus). Female Mergansers will ofter "dump" (lay) eggs in the nests of other cavity nesting species. This improves the chances of some of her young surviving should her own nest be raided. There's no cost to the surrogate "mom" since ducklings are capable of feeding themselves shortly after birth.

 

A massive Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) about to lay eggs.

 

 

 

 

 

A Common Musk Turtle or "Stinkpot" (Sternothaerus ororatus).

 

More drilling for footings last Friday. It's Sunday so no work since then.

 

I know the drill is on caterpillar tracks, but it silll amazes me that they could extract that monster from the pit.

 

 

 

 

 

May 8th. A Barred Owl (Strix varia) on the right just west of the Colchester Spur junction.

 

Deep shadows before the sun came anywhere near it.

 

The Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) goslings and adults were out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A smallish Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina), maybe 7" long?

 

On my way back east, there was a bit more light on the Barred Owl.

 

 

 

Sleepy.

 

Zzzz.

 

More work in the pit at Old Colchester Road. I won't try to caption everything, but the job was to drill holes for the footing pipes, and install them. A worker told me the footings go about 56 feet down.

 

Wish I could have seen them get that drill down into the hole.

 

No idea what this rod with white triangular bits was for, but it went into the pipe.

 

 

 

 

 

Positioning a length of pipe.

 

 

 

Down it goes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Across the stream, a digger was moving dirt and these massive rocks, presumably preparing the area for the same footings as I've watched go in on the south side.

 

 

 

Still at it on the south side.

 

June 9th. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) grooming.

 

Highbush Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are showing berries.

 

Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) hiding.

 

About 3PM at Old Colchester Road. Looks like a couple of I-beams for the new bridge have arrived at the site.

 

Seems like there was some concern about the footing with the tall rod coming out of it.

 

A section of pipe was loaded onto the big drill carriage...

 

...and carried down to the pit. I think they were trying to attach it to the pile they were checking, mabe to sink the pile by the length of another piece of pipe...

 

...but they failed and brought everything back up before leaving for the day. (At least that's my interpretation of what they were doing.)