It was last April and Tony Garro led a new hike through three county parks (Munns, Sears-Bellows, and Hubbard Creek).  That hike would take us on a traverse across Long Island from Tiana Bay to Flanders Bay, evoking memories of our June 2003 National Trails Day Bay to Ocean Hike.  There were differences of course.  No lunch was served and the group was smaller but no less enthused to explore a novel route.  The group included such trail stars as Ken Bieger and Ken Kindler, who helped as informed sweepers. 
 

As promised the hike took us through areas that included pine forests and ponds we hiked from south to north towards the shores of Peconic Bay where we saw one of the first ospreys of the season and the submerged coastal “ghost forest”.  During our traverse we walked between two wetland ponds and came upon a turtle.  As resident naturalist I was asked to identify and as a professional I told my fellow hikers everything except the answer to their question.  I knew what it was not.  It was not a box, snapping, painted, mud, musk, yellowbelly, or red belly turtle, nor was it a yellowbelly or red-eared slider or diamondback terrapin.  It was distinctly spotted with yellow, round spots on the carapace as well as along the head, neck and limbs.  I could have called it a “spotted turtle” without anyone challenging the identification.  It is, after all, better to be lucky than smart because it turns out that indeed the bonafide name of our mystery turtle is the spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata).  This species is not common, but a Hofstra University source notes that it can be found in isolated wetlands and prefers the calm waters of brackish marshes and ponds.  That accurately describes the general area where we found that fine turtle.  Just one more reason to support the preservation of wetlands and the benign use of parklands.