Late May through June is the time of year when turtles are most often seen crossing roads and in gardens. A majority of these turtles are gravid (egg-bearing) females looking for a sandy location to nest.
Unfortunately, its also the time of year where many are crushed both deliberately and non-deliberately on black tops as well as from mowing equipment. Motorists and bicyclists who are willing to help can due so by simply moving the turtle off the road and placing it in the direction it was going. If its a large Snapping Turtle; the best way is to find a blunt object such as a branch and gently try to "push" it off the road. DO NOT pick the turtle up by its tail because severe injury can occur to the turtles spinal column. Above all, be safe and do not attempt stop traffic.

John Foley, our local turtle expert and Naromi Board Member, is looking to document Box and Wood Turtles. If any are observed crossing the road, please contact him immediately at (203) 417-7745. Any prior sighting locations would also be of much interest.

Naromi has been busy this month!  We began with the annual Bird-identification walk on May 5. The walk was led by Angela Dimmitt.  They viewed geese, great blue herons, wood ducks, mallards, kingfisher, tree swallows, chimney swifts, red-winged blackbird, grackles, swamp sparrow, song sparrow, chipping sparrow, yellow warbler, goldfinch, red-tailed hawks, turkey vulture, mourning dove, and swan at the Wimisink Wildlife Sanctuary from the brand new Boardwalk. At the Strauss Preserve, the group was greeted by silence then loudly broken be three competing ovenbirds. In the field was a pair of towhees, white-throated sparrow (called in by Angela!), blue-gray gnatcatcher, a pair of bluebirds, field sparrows, a

Seniors on the Boardwalk

catbird, a blue-winged warbler, red-shouldered hawk, and yellow-bellied sapsucker drumming.  the group heard a downy woodpecker calling, titmice, chickadees, robins, blue jays, crows, a phoebe.

On May 9, the Senior Center organized a trip to Naromi's Boardwalk at the Wimisink Preserve.