Archive for March 2024
February Sunshine, And Another Bald Eagle Sighing, At The Susquehanna Wetlands
The skies were clear and the late February sun was shining brilliantly on Sunday morning here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Of course, as usual, I drove to the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County to take advantage of the sunshine. It was a cold 20 degrees when I arrived at the wetlands around 8:30 a.m. The cold…
Read MoreClouds, Rain And Not Many Snow Geese At Middle Creek
March arrived with mild weather here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. And, as has been my custom for the past 18 years, this meant a visit to the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area . This 5000 acre wildlife preserve is located on the Lebanon/Lancaster County border about 65 miles from my home in Luzerne County, It has…
Read MoreSunshine, Snow Geese, Tundra Swans And A Bald Eagle At Middle Creek
I was up early Sunday morning at my hotel in Lebanon. I had a cup of coffee in my room and was off to the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Reserve just as the first light of dawn started to brighten the eastern sky. The skies were clear and the waning quarter moon was setting in…
Read MoreOnly A Few Snow Geese, And People, On Another Rainy Saturday Visit To Middle Creek
I returned to the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties last Saturday. This time I drove down from my home in Luzerne County with my brother Mike and my nephew Mikey. We have been visiting Middle Creek to see the migrating snow geese for the last 18 years. We have experienced…
Read MoreBald Eagles, Some Birds And River Otters On A Dreary Early March Hike in the Susquehanna Wetlands
March is an unpredictable month here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Temperatures can range from 0 to near 80 degrees. We have had flooding from tropical rains and blizzards that have dumped over two feet of snow. And these variations can occur overnight. I experienced a small sample of this on my hike in the Susquehanna Wetlands…
Read MoreMarch Sunshine, Warmer Temperatures And Some Wood Frogs At Community Park.
It’s hard to believe it has been over three months since my last hike in the Community Park near my home in Hazle Township, Luzerne County. I last hiked here on November 28. There are only a few days until Spring arrives, so it looks like I survived another Winter here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.…
Read MorePhoebes, Spring Peepers And Sunshine, A Springlike Walk On The Last Weekend Of Winter At The Wetlands.
The Vernal Equinox, known by most folks as Spring, arrives on Tuesday at 11:06 p.m. And it felt like Spring when I visited the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County again on Saturday. This is not always the case in mid March . Many a year there is still ice and snow on the ground here…
Read MoreA Late Winter Hike Around Lake Chillisquaque In The Montour Preserve
I made my third visit to the Montour Preserve and Lake Chillisquaque in Montour County last Sunday . I first visited this 600 acre private preserve with my young nephew Mikey and niece Brooke about 15 years ago. We were looking for fossils at the fossils pit. I returned again in December to help with…
Read MoreFlorida Day One: Birds, Butterflies And Alligators: A Mid-Afternoon Hike In Shark Valley In The Everglades.
I love the Florida Everglades. The everglades are a flooded, flat grasslands unique, on our planet, to Southern Florida. I first learned of the Everglades watching the Flipper and Gentle Ben television shows in the 1960’s ( yes I am old). I remember imagining exploring the Everglades and looking for alligators and snakes on an…
Read MoreFlorida Day Two: Everglades National Park. An Early Morning Hike In Shark Valley
As usual, I was up early Thursday morning on my second day in Florida . I wanted start my hike on the Shark Valley trail in the Everglades National Park at sunrise. It would be a lot cooler, less crowded, and hopefully have more bird and wildlife activity than my hike the previous afternoon. After …
Read MoreFlorida Day Two: A Short Afternoon Hike Around The Miccosuckee Casino And Resort Grounds
It was late Thursday afternoon during my stay at the Miccosuckee Casino and Resort in southwestern Miami. The resort is owned and operated by the Miccosuckee Native American tribe and is at the edge of the Everglades on Route 41. I had hiked five miles on the Shark Valley Trail in the Everglades National Park…
Read MoreFlorida Day Three: A Hike Before The Rain On The T-67 Extension Trail In The Northern Everglades National Park.
When I was leaving for my trip to Florida and the Everglades there was no rain in the long term forecast. The 10 day forecast showed sunny or partly sunny days everyday during my stay. I was blessed. I thought to myself , because it always seems to rain sometime on my visits to the…
Read MoreFlorida Day Four: Everglades National Park: Back On The Old Ingraham Highway After The Rains, Almost
The rains finally ended on Saturday afternoon during my stay in Florida City, almost. I was here on my visit to the Everglades and I decided to drive back out to the Royal Palm Visitor Center and hike on the nearby Old Ingraham Highway again. I hiked here earlier in the day as noted in…
Read MoreFlorida Day Three: Everglades National Park. A Break In The Rain And A Quick Visit To The Royal Palm Visitor Center
The unexpected heavy rains continued all day last Friday on my Florida trip. I had hoped to visit the Royal Palm Visitor Center in the Everglades National Park after my arrival in Florida City. The rains were torrential with sever thunder and lightning. Roads were flooded. So I spent the afternoon in my hotel room.…
Read More