Eastern Painted Turtle-Chrysemys picta, female. Females have shorter front nails. A male’s are noticeably longer.
While shooting at Moosehorn Pond this past Sunday, I had hoped to photograph a turtle. No luck and it was getting late so I packed up and started home. But as I neared the end of the pond there it was and I had to stop, of course.
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
Go you know if a turtle raises its head to get a better view? To sniff the air? Some other reason?
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I don’t know of a specific reason so would say yes. Any and all plus maybe others. They bob their heads out of the water for breathing and maybe to be sure that I’m not there with my camera before leaving the water. I’d think she was making sure that I wasn’t a threat at 800mm lens distance away.
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It looks like it’s trying to catch a few of those last rays.
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Or warming to the first rays of sun as it was morning.
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I obviously misinterpreted the phrase “it was getting late.”
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Oh, my bad. It was getting late in the a.m. for my shopping chores. Good writing makes the story clear. Obviously I did not write good. 🙂
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Even when it comes to ‘late,’ perspective is everything. You would have gotten a kick out of some of the conversations my mother and I used to have. She was a true night owl, and we’d sometimes cross paths when I was heading to work at 7 a.m., and she was just going to bed. I’d say “Good morning” and she’d say “Good night.”
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Very nice turtle image! Always fun to photograph turtles! Like the turtles head looking up!
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Thanks, Reed. Around here they can be frustrating when they drop into the water just as you are framing a shot. Very touchy.
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That looks like her “warrior” pose! I love how the blurred green of the pads pulls out the lighter lines of color in her shell, neck and head.
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Funny…I did feel a little intimidated. 🙂 I was happy for both the background pads and the tuft of grass to add a little something to the overall composition. Thanks, Lori!
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No frog!
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Well this was posted on Thursday. 🙂
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