A Stop at Terrapin Station!

O.K., perhaps not "Terrapin Station" (that's for our son-in-law)

but it was a stop at the Alloway Creek Watershed Estuary

where we found over a half-dozen Northern Diamondback Terrapin

digging deep and laying their eggs for safe-keeping. (next pic)

Unfortunately... the predators outnumber the terrapin by about

three-to-one (on a good day!)  We also found dozens of recently

cleaned out sites where the turtle eggs had been destroyed.

We cheered this Mama on... as she layed egg upon egg.

This is the top shell design of one of the Diamondbacks that we

found crossing the footpath... exquisite!

Up-close and personal...  we came across hundreds

(no exaggeration here... 100's) 

of fiddler crabs scooting into their little mud-hole houses on either side

of the brackish waters!

We also came across two slithering Eastern King snakes along the footpath.

Each of these beauties stretched three to four feet in length. 

(this pic is not mine, it was taken by Brian Zarate ©)

The plan is to head back to the area in 3 months or so to see if we can spot any of the new hatchlings!