First 2014 Spotted Turtle at Brainard Marsh Pond in Marion
Perhaps there will be an end to this endless winter. The Turtle Journal team visited Brainard Marsh in East Marion this afternoon. Spotted turtles in the small, shallow pond in Brainard Marsh usually awaken first on the SouthCoast. The sun warms this protected pond in mid-March, coaxing spotteds to “spring” to life.Â
At 37 degrees Fahrenheit at 2:15 pm, we had little hope of seeing our first turtle of the year. Yet, the sun must have warmed the water just enough to nudge one adult spotted turtle out of brumation (winter slumber). Sue Wieber Nourse observed this well camouflaged beauty basking at the surface and representing our first turtle sighting of 2014 on the SouthCoast of Massachusetts.
Let the Turtle Season begin!