Critters on the course you ran into...

[BogeyNoMore]

Ran into at Hudson Mills - Monster Hole #1 last June. Making a nest on the Monster:

Common Snapping Turtle hatchlings spend about 80-90 days underground before emerging in early Fall - that is, if they manage to avoid detection by raccoons, skunks, foxes, and Frisbee Golfers.

CSTs are subject to temperature dependent sex determination. "Mostly males develop at temperatures between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit and mostly females above 84 degrees or below 70 degrees. A clutch of eggs may produce mostly females on top, where it's warmest, and on the bottom, where it's coolest, while males dominate in the middle of the nest."

Snapping turtles are among the oldest residents of North America! "They were present when dinosaurs lived and died, and had been laying round, white, leathery eggs in sandy loam and glacial till for millions of years when the first Amerindians wandered over the Bering Land Bridge. Snapping turtles have witnessed the drift of continents, the birth of islands, the drowning of coastlines, the rise and fall of mountain ranges, the spread of prairies and deserts, the comings and goings of glaciers."

Source from Audobon Magazine (good read, by the way): https://www.audubon.org/magazine/march-april-2012/the-staying-power-snapping-turtles

Thanks for subscribing to snapping turtle facts!

I'd have expected it to make a nest closer to the marshy area to the to the right of the fairway.

 

[Curtis_Valk]

I'd have expected it to make a nest closer to the marshy area to the to the right of the fairway.

I have a creek just behind my house. A common water turtle laid eggs at the edge of my concrete patio just like the picture above. I wonder if there is something about that feature that they like.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I'm playing Hudson Mills tomorrow. I'll be on the lookout for it. Hudson Mills is a pretty busy course. I'm concerned all the traffic might stress momma turtle.

 

[SocraDeez]

I wonder if there is something about that feature that they like.

Maybe it's the already-loose soil. Less work! Fun facts: female snapping turtles will travel up to a mile to build their nests. Most snapping turtle encounters are probably nesting females as snapping turtles in general rarely leave the water (except to sunbathe). Snapping turtles are mostly nocturnal. And the bottom/ belly part of a turtle's shell is known as a "plastron," which is also the name of the protective chest garment worn by fencers.

 

[sidewinder22]

Pair of geese and ducks hanging out @ Creeping Creek today.

 

[Jimb]

Not much of a pic, but this hawk (most likely red-tailed in this area) was checking us out on hole #1 at Central Assembly of God DGC last Thursday night at league. My guess is that it is pretty young as it isn't as broad as most that I've seen.

 

[Monocacy]

Nice, Jim. Hawks are impressive to watch.

There is a pair of red-shouldered hawks that I see often from my window at work. And lots of vultures, but they're not nearly as scenic.

 

[Jimb]

Nice, Jim. Hawks are impressive to watch.

There is a pair of red-shouldered hawks that I see often from my window at work. And lots of vultures, but they're not nearly as scenic.

Over the last year or so, when traveling to Hagerstown on I70 between Hancock and Williamsport (for shopping, or preferably playing Ditto Farms) we have seen a lot of hawks in the tree tops along the road. I don't know if the population is growing or what but is cool to see more of them around.

 

[sidewinder22]

Hole 1 Creeping Creek

 

[Nova P]

Adorable!

 

[DavidSauls]

Surprise course visitor, this week. You'll have to take my word for it that it's perched above a basket.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Surprise course visitor, this week. You'll have to take my word for it that it's perched above a basket.

View attachment 74024

How many times have you played that course?
Glad to see you finally got an eagle!

 

[DavidSauls]

How many times have you played that course?
Glad to see you finally got an eagle!

Every once in a while. You'd think that if I had the freedom to set par, I'd have more eagles, wouldn't you?

 

[Riverdog]

Every once in a while. You'd think that if I had the freedom to set par, I'd have more eagles, wouldn't you?

....apropos of nothing, an albatross at Stoney would truly be something to write home about. [emoji108][emoji41] Can't you just see it sitting on the sign.

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[DavidSauls]

Alas, albatrosses rarely sit.

*

Even here in the South, I've witnessed a lot more snowmen than eagles. Made more than my share of them, myself.

 

[Riverdog]

Just a few minutes ago on a tree next to Ramcat not2b tee pad. Still drying. [emoji106][emoji41]


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[BogeyNoMore]

Just a few minutes ago on a tree next to Ramcat not2b tee pad. Still drying. [emoji106][emoji41]


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Never seen such an eye-catching moth before.
Had to Google that, and found out it's a Luna Moth.

Would be a cool dye on a McBeth Luna.

 

[Riverdog]

Never seen such an eye-catching moth before.
Had to Google that, and found out it's a Luna Moth.

Would be a cool dye on a McBeth Luna.

The spring Luna's seem to run small. This one was about 3". Later in the summer I've seen them pushing 6". Saw another last Saturday Ramcat #3.


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[Jimb]

Knobley Mountain DGC

Was doing some course cleanup and ran across this little guy, about 18" long or so. It was agitated because I was moving it out of harm's way, thus the more aggressive stance than the one in SW22's recent post. I'd say it's an Eastern Garter snake. It ended up striking at me multiple times as I moved it away from where I was running the tractor.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Snakes can be so unappreciative...