One of the larger turtles in Jamaica Pond took in some sun yesterday at the pond's main turtle haven.

A great blue heron preened itself while a couple of turtles watched its every move on Jamaica Pond this afternoon (even more turtles watched from the other side on what is normally the pond's turtle log).

It was turtles, turtles everywhere at Jamaica Pond today, at least on the one downed tree limb that is the premier turtle lounging spot.

Jamaica Plain News reports Zoo New England has been using Franklin Park to train Koda to find eastern box turtles, an increasingly rare species in New England, so that researchers can better figure out ways to keep them around.

This turtle climbed up on the oversized bathtub drain at the northern end of Jamaica Pond this afternoon to get some sun, but then seemed to want to figure out if it could balance on it using just its shell.

The heron stood mostly still at the water's edge along the Pinebank side of Jamaica Pond today, only its neck swiveling as it scanned the water. Then, suddenly, it went into a crouch, like a cat about to pounce, took a couple of steps to the left and speared the water, coming up with a quickly devoured canape. Read more.

Roving UHub photographer Elisha Meyer found herself stopped on Allandale Street on the Jamaica Plain/West Roxbury line around 4:15 p.m. today - by a monster turtle, at least until police showed up to help him across the street:

He got a BPD escort and everything. I guess it gives new meaning to the term "rubbernecking."

Before the clouds completely took over the sky this afternoon, a turtle sunned itself on the usual turtle perch on one of the fallen tree branches near the northern end of Jamaica Pond.

We decamped for Jamaica Pond at lunchtime in search of the loon. Didn't find it, but did find plenty of sunning turtles.