Turtle Crossing!

I'm thinking about getting some turtle crossing signs to put up along Dean Street, asking people to slow down and yield to these little fellas!

Last week we saw a painted turtle that had been run over right in the middle of the road. And yesterday, I saw a very large snapping turtle that had just made it (safely) across the road.

There are wetlands in the back of properties on the east side of Dean Street, and in the front of properties on the west side of the road.

Most turtles live in wetlands, but they lay their eggs in nearby upland areas. I suspect the snapper was scouting out a nesting spot where it is high and dry near our office, but actually lives in one of the wetlands across the street.

No one explains to the turtles that they need to stay away from roads because of the cars. I would imagine that for them, the road is just a really smooth and easy strip of land to cross while they are scouting for a good spot to lay their eggs.

The next challenge comes when the baby turtles (about the size of a half-dollar) hatch from the eggs, and then through some homing instinct, head off to find their mothers. These little guys are easy prey for many animals and birds. And if they have to cross a road, they are obviously very vulnerable to being squished -- let's face it, they are really small (so not very visible) and they are really slow (because their legs are so tiny!).

So, I'm thinking some well-placed turtle crossing signs are in order to warn folks to be on the look-out!

Fleming Road situation

I've been thinking a lot about Fleming Road (runs from Route 120 to Country Club, about 2 miles). If you haven't driven it, it is worth the drive. Truly one of the most scenic roads in the county. Hilly, wooded, gentle curves, the whole bit.

A friend calls it "tummy tickle" road because of the hills - a name that started when his kids were little and they liked the roller-coaster effect of driving along Fleming!

BUT, it is technically a county highway that is considered by them to be the route from Route 120 to Route 14 by way of Country Club Road and Ridgefield Road.

Over the years, some folks have used Fleming as a cut-through for just that purpose - to get from west Crystal Lake to points north like Wonder Lake. And folks who are "cutting through" are often looking to get from point A to point B a bit faster than it would take to go around on the main roads. And that means they want to go as fast as possible.

Well, Fleming just isn't that kind of road!

Fleming is more of a "Sunday Driver" road - you know, the kind where folks drive slowly, looking at the scenery, and enjoying the rural, pastoral landscape along the road.

Well, now the road may be threatened because some feel it needs some "improvements." And those "improvements" are likely to mean the road will be less hilly, wider, and with trees set back farther from the pavement. All of that translates into "less scenic" if you ask me.

Now, here's what I don't understand. Why can't they just replace the pavement and do the work within the existing right of way? Why can't they keep the road largely the same as it is today, and enforce the speed limits, rather than changing the road to make it more of a speedway for those folks who want to shave a few seconds off their trip from Crystal Lake to Wonder Lake?

Why?

Help those Migratory Birds

That's an Indigo Bunting, one of the showy Spring Migratory Birds that one might see in McHenry County these days. The shock of blue looks out of place in most any location!

Numerous warblers are travelling through the area this time of year, on the way from their winter homes to their summer places up north. I have to confess, that unless a warbler stops at the bird feeder long enough for me to get a good look at all of its markings, I cannot tell them apart (most are just small, yellowish birds to me...) Some of the names I hear others call out include: Palm Warbler, Pine Warbler, and Yellow-throated warbler. [Note: They are not bright yellow like the goldfinch.]

Keeping water and birdseed available at least through May will help the migrants (and will keep the resident birds happy as well!)

Yonder Prairie Nature Preserve Dedication

Yonder Prairie is Illinois' latest Nature Preserve, and that's a beautiful thing!

Here's a picture of the McHenry County contingent that was in attendance at the 205th meeting of the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission in Cypress, Illinois on May 4th when the formal dedication was made. Shown are Lisa Haderlein with husband Tom Cubr, Steve & Caron Wenzel, and John Nelson (the one in the tie). Tom, Lisa & Caron are sporting TLC's Yonder Prairie Nature Preserve t-shirts!

John lives in Woodstock and works for the Nature Preserve Commission. He worked with TLC to complete the dedication documents, and gave an excellent presentation to the Commission highlighting the ecological merits of the site. Thanks John.

As we learned at the meeting, there are now 351 Nature Preserves in Illinois (technically, I think Yonder is the 349th). These sites represent some of the most unique and precious pieces of the state's natural history. While many sites are on public land, a growing number of sites are located on private property -- as is the case with Yonder.

The Nature Preserves system was designed to help landowner preserve properties across the state that provide habitat for threatened and endangered species, and also have prime example of natural habitats that were once abundant in the state.

At Yonder Prairie, two features qualified the site for Nature Preserve status: documentation of Blanding's Turtles from the site, and the presence of a Grade B wet prairie.

Note: As of last month, we also confirmed that a Sandhill Crane is nesting at the site! We were able to confirm this when a crane aggressively guarded a portion of the property while we were conducting an ecological burn. Don't worry, we steered clear of the crane! But we did put him on the t-shirt!