Why did the turtle cross Abbey Point?

Yurtle, meet Birde

There it was this morning, mid-way between the Abbey Point concrete curbs, perfectly positioned in the crush zone. The turtle was apparently migrating from Pond A to the deeper, more dense Pond B, perhaps aware that it was the first day of September and time to get started on winter plans. It is a turtle, after all.
We scooped up the little mud turtle, with its glorious markings, and brought it inside and around the neighborhood for a brief science show-and-tell and naming ritual. It was easy to see why it is called a "Painted Turtle." It is tiny now, but will grow 7 to 10 inches during its 40-year life-span.
He was not shy, kept his head and legs out of the shell, and clearly didn't appreciate the disruption to his travels.
Not wishing to disorient him, we took Yurtle back to his original route, and he parted company at a brisk turtle trot.
These are creatures of habit and Yurtle will no doubt be making the same trek for decades to come.
If he can stay out of traffic, that is.