Huge Turtle at Crabtree

Apr 19, 2013 | AF 80-400mm f4.5-5.6D ED VR, Common Snapping Turtle, Crabtree Nature Preserve, Daily Image 2013, Nikon D300, Wildlife

4/19/2013 Snapping Turtle

Huge Turtle at Crabtree  Now, that is a turtle.  Yep, he’s 500 pounds of pure Snapping Turtle and he’s just one of the reasons to visit Crabtree Nature Center in Barrington Hills, IL, a northwest suburb of Chicago.  He may not be the cutest turtle in the pond, but he’s got to be the biggest.  In this image, he dwarfs the Painted Turtles in front of him.  To be fair, you don’t see him often.  In the spring, he seems to be more visible.

Turtles at Crabtree

Apr 10, 2013 | AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8 ED VR II, AF-S TC 2.0 E III Tele-converter, Crabtree Nature Preserve, Daily Image 2013, Nikon D300, Wildlife

4/10/2013 Turtles at Crabtree

Turtles at Crabtree  Although our weather has been rainy, the turtles don’t seem to care.  Whenever a speck of light pokes through the clouds, they are out sunbathing.  Crabtree Nature Center, part of the Cook County Park District, is located near Hoffman Estates in the northwestern Chicago suburbs.  It’s a nice place to visit any time of year, but my favorite is spring, about now.  It’s full of new life.  The turtles love the place.