You found a WHAT in the yard?

Chelydra serpentina

AKA Common Snapping Turtle.

I have NO idea what it was doing in the yard, even though I am close to both the lake and a catchment pond.  Close, but not that close!  Dad did his good deed for the day, and carried it down to the catchment pond and chucked in it released it back into it's natural environment.

Official turtle carrier.

Apparently, the word in the neighbourhood is that this is a pretty good yard to hang out in.  I have my yard toad* (who is back this year!!), and some new neighbours:

Red-Winged Blackbird eggs

Remember that small tree in the front yard that the tree guys cut down?  It was surrounded by a bed of daylilies, which are still there.  And is now a nesting site!  The nest is only a couple of feet off the ground, so I hope the eggs don't get eaten by a ground predator :(

Mama bird on the roof (behind the shrub - she's shy)

Annoyed Papa bird

Mama and Papa aren't too thrilled when anyone is in the front yard, but hey, we were here first :)

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*Not sure if I've blogged about the yard toad before.  I have a toad in the yard, that I run into (but not literally!!) every time I mow the grass.  He's cute, and this year, he has a friend :)