Turtles Return to Pacific Northwest Waters 

I just spotted a pair mating in the pond at the Lake Pleasant RV Park in Bothell. It's been decades since I've seen turtles in the wild here in the Pacific Northwest. The last time I saw pond turtles was while living at the former Lake Mills. I do hope this pair are successful. Last fall they removed most of the aquatic vegetation around the ponds. This seemed to decimate the large brown toad population. I've not heard their distinctive croaking (moaning) since. One would imagine the turtles would have utilized the vegetation thick shallows and shoreline for nesting. Hopefully they'll nest among the cattails around the islands. This is where I saw the mating pair. This is also where one of the otters rips vegetation out and moves rocks seeking delectable snacks. River otters traveling between the three large ponds are threatening the turtle survival. The geese and ducks raise the alarm and flee ashore when the otter intruders come to feed. I'm not sure the turtle have a similarly sophisticated alert system. Cheers!