Western Pond Turtle - Endangered

I took another trip up the Columbia River Gorge, to Skamania Lodge, with a group of gals from my watercolor class. Our aim was to sketch and hike. We had no idea of what we were about to see! We chose to take the Lake Loop trail and it was beautiful around every stretch of it's 1.7 miles.

The trail led us to this beautiful lake where we heard birds singing, and noticed a large family of turtles basking in the sun.
They were difficult to see at first but as we got closer our excitement raised! "Look," I said, and we quickly got our camera's out! There will probably be several works of art produced from this scene, and just exactly the kind of subject matter we were hoping to find!!

The information (below) about these turtles in very interesting and I am glad that a place like Skamania Lodge resort is making an effort to provide this endangered species with a safe habitat.

COMMON NAME(S): Western Pond Turtle
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Clemmys marmorata
CLASSIFICATION: Phylum: ChordataClass: ReptiliaOrder: CheloniaFamily: Emydidae
DESCRIPTION: Length: Ranges to about 7 inches.
General: Smooth, broad, low upper shell (carapace) is olive to dark brown; often marked with a network of dark flecks and lines radiating from center of scutes (scales). Under shell (plastron) pale yellow, hingeless; may have dark brown or black blotches along scute margin. Male plastron is somewhat concave as compared to the female.
RANGE: Washington south through Oregon to Baja California
HABITAT: Ponds and small lakes with abundant vegetation. Also seen in marshes, slow-moving streams, reservoirs and brackish waters.
STATUS: General: Endangered WA State: Endangered
DIET: Consists primarily of invertebrates, carrion and plant material.
REPRODUCTION: The breeding season extends from April to August. Using her hind legs, the female digs a hole in the soil and will deposit a clutch of about 11 eggs where incubation lasts about 12 weeks.
LIFE SPAN: Ranges to about 70 years.
BEHAVIOR: Western pond turtles engage in basking behavior, a means by which to regulate body temperature. Baking regulates body temperature by the amount of exposure, or orientation to sunlight. When preferred basking sites are limited, competition for these sites may occur.
SOURCES: Status of the Western Pond Turtle in Washington – Washington Dept. of Wildlife The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians – Knopf

Information taken from the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park web site here.

Treasures found....and random happenings.

This last weekend, in our area of the Northwest, it was very hot and windy. In years past, when these two conditions have existed, bird nests have fallen from the trees. We found this tiny nest under a fir tree on Sunday. It is a hummingbird nest, made of hair from our Angora and Cashmere goats. The nest couldn't be softer or more comfortable for a baby bird! The hummingbird family was done with their nest so we don't worry about them not having a home.
Another gift from the woods this week are Smoke Pipes or Monotropa uniflora. They grow up out of the earth like ghosts and look like smoke pipes. They are not common but we usually find a few growing in our woods. They grow in dark shady areas, and we have found them at the woods' edge under Douglas Fir trees. If we touch them the heads fall off, indicating their delicate nature.
This is an example of what the heat did to lazy Bart and Simon. They seemed to be unable to move even after several photos were taken during this quiet time, and they could have come in the house where it was cool at any time. We call them "flat cats."
Last night we drove up the Columbia Gorge to have dinner at Skamania Lodge. We took highway 14 out of Camas, Washington. The Lodge sits above the Columbia River and our table looked out over the striking landscape, one we never get tired of seeing.When we returned home we found some very, very guilty looking goats standing outside the fence. After a quick inspection we knew just how much damage they had done!! The good news is that they devoured only the vegetation near the barn and chicken coop. We did find hoof prints at each flower site near the wedding area, but they didn't eat them! Well, one of them bit off a zinnia head but spit it out. Goats are not good pets for people who can't laugh at this kind of behavior!! Stripped roses bushes.....We don't blame them because we left a chain unlatched on the gate after painting the fence, and though we care about our flowers...we love the animals more!! :)) How could anyone be mad at those faces!! That's life on the farm!

Sunday in the Gorge and a visit to Crown Point.

For the past week we have had the honor of having a visitor from my husbands college days. They are good friends and we have enjoyed catching up on our lives and showing him a little of the area around Portland. Visiting the Columbia River Gorge is a must and Crown Point is one highlight that is not to be missed! We took our usual drive up to Skamania Lodge, had a hamburger, returned on the old road that lead us up to Crown Point and Vista House. Hwy 30 was built in 1916 and was the main passage through the Gorge until Hwy 84 was built. The road is overgrown with lush ferns, fir trees, waterfalls galore and many other living things that are all GREEN! The last stretch of the road climbs up to the most spectacular view there is to offer of the Gorge: Crown Point and Vista House. It is said that Lewis and Clark slept below this high point on their journey through the Northwest. View from the top of Crown Point and Vista House looking East. Vista House was built in 1916 at the same time as Highway 30 (what is now the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway, and the only way to reach Crown Point). The building was designed to be a place of refreshment and enjoyment of the Columbia Gorge. The octagonal building with its copper dome now houses a museum, gift shop and interpretive display of historic and geologic points of interest in the Gorge (the building is open from March-October).
Good friends!
We arrived to this mountain top just in time to see the sun setting. Everyone clapped as the sun went down. It is a natural emotion when seeing such a wondrous site! The view is looking West towards the Pacific Ocean.