pics from the field 1

[John_White]

A couple of sliders


Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)


Common Snapping turtle


Baby Mallard


Eastern Painted Turtle


Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)



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[pincess_wy]

Those are great, John! I felt kind of dumb, but I admit I had to look for a couple seconds to find the snapper... the way I had minimized my window only showed his head and part of his shell. (silly me.) [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
I especially like the cormorant pics! What a cool eye he has!
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[John_White]

Thanks!

Some of these photos were taken down your way at Mason Neck.

John
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[Stormyva]

Amazing pics John!
I tried one of a red wing blackbird and some herons with my coolpix 2100, there just is not enough zoom available on it to get the shots though.

Guess I will have to take along the good old Canon Rebel with the zoom for those shots [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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[pincess_wy]

Mason Neck, eh? I haven't been up there in a while... We used to go there a lot when I was in school. I'll have to check it out again, thanks!
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[John_White]

Thanks Stormy!



>>Mason Neck, eh? I haven't been up there in a while... We used to go there a lot when I was in school. I'll have to check it out again, thanks!

You're welcome.
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[JuliusSqueezer]

Very Nice...One of your sliders looks like a painted though. Cormorants have such pretty eyes don't they?
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[John_White]

Thanks!

>>Very Nice...One of your sliders looks like a painted though.

Which one?


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[Bry]

Great pictures as always, John. The Mallard duckling is cute, a pet shop near me is selling a bunch of those. The first slider on the left is a Southern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta dorsalis. The one on the right I can't tell. But, from the yellow plastron, it could be an Eastern, or an old Yeller-bellied or red-eared slider. I'm guessing the one on the right is a slider because they eventually turn quite dark, almost black, as adults. Even with the red-eareds, the red markings are barely visible. The one you have labeled as an Eastern Painted is most likely an old Southern Painted. Either way, great pictures, keep them coming. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Bry

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Happiness is like peeing your pants. Everyone can see it, but only you can feel its warmth.

[John_White]

>>Great pictures as always, John. The Mallard duckling is cute, a pet shop near me is selling a bunch of those. The first slider on the left is a Midland Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta dorsalis. The one on the right I can't tell. But, from the yellow plastron, it could be an Eastern, Southern, or an old Yeller-bellied or red-eared slider. I'm guessing the one on the right is a slider because they eventually turn quite dark, almost black, as adults. Even with the red-eareds, the red markings are barely visible. The one you have labeled as an Eastern Painted is most likely an old Midland Painted. Either way, great pictures, keep them coming. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
>>
>>Bry

Thanks Bry!

Regarding the top photo: The turtle on the left is a northern redbelly cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris) and the turtle on the right is a yellow-bellied slider (Trachemys scripta scripta). Both these turtles are old specimens. Midland painted turtles have more decorative marginal scutes and lack the reddish markings on the vertebral and pleural scutes.

The photo labeled as an eastern painted turtle is labeled correctly. Midland painted turtles have not been documented as occurring in Virginia.

Here's a photo of the midland painted turtle:
http://audubon.wku.edu/daviess/painted2.jpg

John


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