Monday, November 10, 2008

Bronze heron sculpture with sunbathing turtles


I ran across this photo recently. I took it a few years ago during one of my many walks around Northampton. This lovely sculpture of a heron is located in a small pond next to the Smith College greenhouses (a fascinating place to visit if you're in the area).



I liked how the turtles were enjoying the sun on the statue's base... not something they would likely do if that was a real heron! -- PL

8 comments:

Matt said...

Ah, a male and juvenile eastern painted turtle... lovely. I don't see them nearly as much as I used too around here.

Buslady said...

Yep, Eastern Painteds...
nice to see something OTHER than Red Ear Sliders...

Bookgal said...

I love this statue! One of my faves when I go for strolls in the summer. Looking at this picture, I can almost feel the heat with these little guys.

~ tOkKa said...

-->> .. is this genus or whatever specific to MA, Buslady ??

>v<

Matt said...

Tokka-- it's subspecies. There are four subspecies of Painted (Eastern, Midland, Southern and Western). The genus on these guys are Chrysemys (sp?) with the species being picta... The eastern subspecies are common from finger lake/central new york area east to the atlantic and I think they dip as far south as the Virginia area.

~ tOkKa said...

-->> .. o my and so it's like the genus is pronounced similar to ' CHRISTMAS ' ??

>v<

Buslady said...

Westerns painteds aren't as common as they should be, many of the painted populations like so many other species like our Western Ponds are pushed out by Red Ears- as much as I adore the aggressive Red Ear, they don't belong anywhere other than east of the Mississippi....

As for pets, Painteds make so much better pets than RES, they're smaller and less agro...all though my RES were pretty nice, oh yeah except Miss Tokka, she was a snapper in red ears. LOL

~ tOkKa said...

-->> ..yeh me and my big yap.

When i told Buslady "Take my wife, please .. " ..

.. she took it literally ..


and well .. - - -

..when my wife gets back, she's gonna bite my ears off ..
literally ..

X(

>v<