Archive for April 2023
Florida Day Two: Not Much Luck At A Foggy Lucky Hammock But A Few Birds On Aerojet Road.
On the second day of my birding visit to South Florida I decided to hike to Lucky Hammock. It is a small stand of hardwood trees located just outside the Homestead entrance to the Everglades National Park in the Frog Pond WMA. Although small in size almost 250 species of birds were sighted here. It…
Read MoreFlorida Day Three: Mosquitoes, Birds, Manatees And A Crocodile At Flamingo
On Thursday morning, my third day back in South Florida, I decided to drive to Flamingo, the southernmost point in Everglades National Park. Again I hoped to find the migrating song birds and look for crocodiles and manatees. Once again there was fog as I began of my drive. It is about an hour drive,…
Read MoreFlorida Day Four: My Last Day In The Everglades, And Finally A Migrating Bird At Lucky Hammock!
It was my last day in Florida City and the Everglades. I came down hoping to see the birds migrating from Mexico, South and Central America and the Caribbean Islands to the woodlands near my home in Northeastern Pennsylvania. And, my research directed me to Lucky Hammock as being one of the best places to…
Read MoreFlorida Day Five: Off To Marathon And A Visit To Long Key State Park
After leaving my lodging in Key Largo on my recent visit to South Florida, I headed south on the Overseas Highway to my next destination, Marathon . There are between 800 to 1200 Florida keys, depending on your definition of “key” (the word key comes from the Spanish word ” cayo” which means small island,…
Read MoreFlorida Day Four And Five. Key Largo Not Many Birds Here Either And A Lot More Mosquitoes.
On Friday, during recent my visit to South Florida, after my delicious lunch at Alabama Jack’s , as told in my last blog, I continued my drive on the scenic Card Sound Road. It was about 2o miles to my lodging in Key Largo. I was staying at a small but beautiful resort, the Azul…
Read MoreSpring At The Susquehanna Wetlands: The Turtles, Phoebes, Warblers And Frogs Are Back!
I took my first hike of the Spring in the Susquehanna Wetlands in Salem Township on Saturday. I had just returned from a trip to South Florida where I had hoped to see a lot of song birds migrating north. I was disappointed and only saw few migrating birds. It was still a good trip.…
Read MoreFlorida Day Six. A Morning in Marathon And Off To the Conch Republic, Key West.
I awoke early Sunday morning at my hotel in Marathon in the Florida Keys. Marathon is not a key, as I once believed, but rather a city located on several keys half way between Key Largo and Key West. A large city, too, for the Keys. It has a population of almost 10,00. people. My…
Read MoreTrout Lilies And Thrushes: A Pleasant And Peaceful Easter Morning Walk In Walnutport
While hiking in the Susquehanna Wetlands last Saturday I found trout lilies just beginning to bloom. I love seeing these delicate and ephemeral yellow flowers when they bloom in early April. They only bloom for a few days so I try and enjoy them as much as I can. One of the areas I have…
Read MoreFlorida Days Six And Seven. Key West, Back In Paradise
On Sunday, during my recent visit to South Florida, after my hike on Big Pine Key I drove the 30 miles to Key West. I arrived at my lodging for the next four days, the Havana Cabana, mid-afternoon. And I found it just as wonderful as it was advertised. I had the opportunity to visit…
Read MoreThe Spring Awakening Continues: New Faces And Flowers At The Susquehanna Wetlands
I love Spring here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The woodlands awaken from a long Winter sleep. One of my favorite places to watch the rebirth is the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County. It was cloudy and mild when I arrived early Saturday morning. We had a heat wave here in Northeastern Pennsylvania last week, with temperatures…
Read MoreFlorida Day Seven. A Seaplane Ride To Dry Tortugas National Park
I was able to cross another item off of my “bucket list” on my recent trip to South Florida. I had wanted to fly in a seaplane since I first saw one land on the ocean in a Flipper or Gentle Ben television episode when I was a child. (Only my old blog followers will…
Read MoreFog, Clouds, A Few Birds And Signs Of Spring On the Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails
I awoke Saturday morning to find a thick fog had formed at my home in Hazle Township in Luzerne County. I was planning to hike somewhere south of my home, either Lesser Lake or French Creek State Park. But I didn’t want to drive through the mountains in the fog so I decided to hike…
Read MoreFlorida Day Eight: Key West. Fort Zachary Taylor State Park And The Botanical Gardens.
On my recent visit to South Florida, and my second day in Key West, I was looking at the maps for a new place to watch the sunrise. I decided Fort Zachary Taylor State Park would be a great place. I could watch the sunrise and walk along the beach. So I was up early…
Read MoreFlowers, Birds, Leaves, And More Spring Colors At The Susquehanna Wetlands And River Lands
Spring is a wonderful and magical time of year here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Everyday new flowers bloom, colorful migratory song birds return and the new leaves slowly turn our woodlands into a tapestry of green. I love Spring. My only complaint it passes so quickly. I observed this in the Susquehanna Wetlands and River Lands…
Read MoreA Leisurely Hike Around Leaser Lake In Lehigh County
I returned to, what is becoming , another favorite hiking trail on Sunday, Leaser Lake in Lehigh County. The five mile trail around the scenic lake takes one through a number of different habitats and provides great opportunities to observe and photograph nature. I drove to the north boat launch parking lot and found there…
Read MoreGoslings, Chipmunks And A Few More Signs Of Spring At Community Park
Now that Spring is here I have started my afternoon walks at our local Community Park in Hazle Township, Luzerne County. As I have often noted in previous blogs, I first visited Community Park and Lake Irena in the Spring as a young child with my dad and siblings. I have many found memories of…
Read MoreFlorida Day Nine. Key West. My Last Day Exploring Key West . I Hope To Return Soon
It was Wednesday, and sadly, my last day in Key Weston on my recent visit to South Florida.. As usual, I was up early looking for another place to watch the sunrise. I decided to drive to Smathers Beach on the south, Atlantic Ocean side of the island. When I arrived there were some ominous…
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