The Turtles of Unicorn Lake

Summary

The text describes the author's encounters with turtles around Unicorn Lake in Florida, detailing the turtles' behavior during their egg-laying season and the interactions with the author's pet dog and cats, as well as other wildlife.

Abstract

The narrative recounts several incidents where the author, recently recovering from an illness, observes turtles venturing onto land from Unicorn Lake to lay eggs. The author's dog, Syau, and two cats curiously watch these turtles, with Syau alerting the author to their presence through a series of barks. The author notes the potential dangers the turtles face from predators such as hawks, foxes, and snakes, and recalls taking measures to protect the turtle eggs in the neighborhood. The text highlights the natural cycle of life and the challenges faced by wildlife in their habitat, while also reflecting on the author's personal experience of reconnecting with nature after a period of illness.

Opinions

The author seems to have a deep appreciation for the wildlife around Unicorn Lake, particularly the turtles.
There is a sense of concern for the turtles' safety and the success of their egg-laying process, as evidenced by the author acting as a "security guard" against predators.
The author expresses a mix of fascination and protectiveness towards the turtles, indicating a personal connection to these wildlife encounters.
The author implies that human intervention, such as using mesh screenings to protect turtle eggs, can be beneficial in preserving local fauna.
There is an underlying acknowledgment of the harsh realities of nature, as the author recognizes the vulnerability of turtle eggs to predation and the inherent risks of birth in the wild.

Lake life in Florida

Ten days after being discharged from the hospital, I was taking a nap (I took lots of naps while I was sick) and Captain Argentina and our dog Syau were lying next to me. Syau suddenly rose to her feet and looked towards the living room, very alert. She hurried down her little stairs to the floor and was soon barking. Not a frantic warning bark, but a bark, pause, bark, pause, bark.

The patio doors from our living to our back porch were open and Syau and both cats were watching something outside the screen on the right. There in the dead leaves on a narrow strip of yard that separates our townhome from the one next door was a turtle. Syau’s bark was one of curiosity and concern as she watched a very strange creature outside her porch. Eventually, the turtle lumbered away and returned to the lake. Based on the time of year, I assume the turtle was a she looking for a place to lay her eggs.

Our lake has lots of turtles but they tend to stay in the water or on fallen logs near the shore. But, in the late spring, the females come to shore to lay eggs. They always scope out the best nesting places ahead of time.

Yesterday, another turtle was in our back yard but only got as far as our patio before the screeching of a hawk scared her back to the water.

Syau and the cats missed this bit of excitement, but I followed the turtle to the lake, keeping an eye on the hawk overhead. Do hawks eat turtles? I rather doubt it, but a hawk could certainly do a lot of damage to a turtle, so I was her security guard, making sure she reached the water safely.

This morning as we were having breakfast on the back porch and the black-bellied whistling ducks were dining on cracked corn on the lakeshore, I noticed something odd amongst the ducks. Too far away and partially obscured by a native azalea bush, all I could see was something moving close to the ground. Something that was either hunched over or much shorter than the ducks. I grabbed my phone and walked down the stone path. There in the midst of the ducks was a turtle digging a hole!

She heard or sensed my presence immediately and before I could get a photo, quickly scurried to the lake. I was only able to get this shot before she disappeared in the water.

This was definitely not one of the turtles that visited before. She was much bigger. In a way, I felt bad for scaring her away, but I also know that if she was planning to lay eggs, she picked a very risky spot with no protection.

Interestingly, in the four years we’ve lived here, these were my first sightings of turtles on land, although Captain Argentina has spotted a couple in previous years.

Back in April, I took the photo below. My attention was on the great egret and didn’t notice the turtles in the shot until the photo was uploaded to Google.

We have two neighborhood foxes who frequent the area around the lake. I found them on our patio one night at 2 am and my neighbor saw them at dusk yesterday by the lakeside. And, there’s a black coachwhip snake that I see now and again. Foxes and snakes will definitely eat turtle eggs.

My neighbor had a turtle dig a hole and lay eggs in her front yard last year. She put a mesh screening over the nest to protect the eggs from snakes and other predators. As hatching time came near, she pulled back the mesh covering so the hatchlings could leave. One day, the hole was empty. We don’t know if the eggs hatched or if they became someone’s dinner.

Life in the wild isn’t easy. Birth in the wild is even harder.