Bonanza! (20160623) looky looky what I found....

Well I grabbed my puppy and we decided to do a little exploring close to home. As we approached the lake I couldn't believe my eyes. Lady Snappers!

What a great way to start the morning! This monster was looking for just the right place to unload her cargo of eggs and then get on with her living.

What a tail, and can you image the males are almost twice this long! This one seemed to be well on her way to finishing up her laying for the year. This is Mama2.

Here is another shot of Mama1, quite the rust stain on her back.

Now as a wildlife photographer this is a time you have to be very careful and not focus on just one or two subjects. You need to slow down and take a look around to be aware of everything that is happening. As I did so I spotted two turtles out in the lake "snorkling". Snorkling is a method these big turtles use to warm up in the spring. They will float just below the water surface and gain heat from the blazing sun.

Then I started to be more acutely aware of what was happening right at the shoreline. I was not disappointed at all, rather it was another bonanza! I found this lady fully submerged in about 12-15 inches of water. I have darkened the photo to emphasize the shape in the water.

Here is a nice image of a girl just sticking her head out of the water.

I popped back to see how Mama 2 was making out and grabbed this up close portrait. Shot @ 270mm. What a prehistoric looking critter.

Turning back to the shoreline, I spotted this lady which looks like number 7 on the morning. I like how clear this shot is considering she is under water. You can see her tail and even her small eyes. 

I included this shot to show just how high they will lift their hind legs as they walk. Nothing but good fortune and thanks to my gifts of nature this morning.

What a day to get a feller's heart going. Now that I know that I have Snappers in the area I will need to be very vigilant to ensure that I do nothing to interfere with them. 
Take some time today and "put a little wild in your life!"
Turbo