Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Frog, Rock, Turtle

IMG_3716This downward-facing turtle was king of the hill.IMG_3724This frog wanted a piece of the action.IMG_3722And this was one determined frog.IMG_3723It made several attempts to…well, what, exactly? Dislodge the turtle? In theory, the right amount of force applied to the fulcrum here should have knocked off the much larger turtle. IMG_3736But the turtle’s steadying feet made for an impregnable bastion.IMG_3728Meanwhile, and this was somebody else’s storyline, a young House Sparrow landing on all the nearby rocks and the other basking turtles briefly landed here. The turtle seemed to pay no more heed to this than it did the kamikaze frog.IMG_3730A state of equilibrium? IMG_3719But wait. Another rock. Another turtle. Another frog.IMG_3720

8 responses to “Frog, Rock, Turtle”

  1. McMackin, Rebecca (BBP)

    Hilarious!

    Rebecca McMackin
    Director of Horticulture
    Brooklyn Bridge Park

  2. Beautiful photos of the little dramas that occur in nature everyday –
    dramas we overlook as we rush through the city.

  3. Loved this series!

  4. Hilarious! Great pics. There’s probably a parable in here somewhere.

  5. Definitely a parable in the making ,what an odd way for a turtle to position himself . I’m routing for the frog .

  6. Wonderful sequence Matt; I’m still laughing.

  7. Turtles all the way down.

  8. Terrific set – thanks for the laugh!

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