A Christmas Morning, And A Couple More Year End Hikes, At The Susquehanna Wetlands.

We had a white Christmas here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. There was still about three inches of  snow on the ground  in my backyard in Hazle Township in Luzerne County on a cloudy Christmas morning.   After taking my usual 2 mile morning walk through my neighborhood I watched my turkeys in my backyard. I used to visit my parents and aunts on Christmas morning but they are all gone so  decided to drive to the Susquehanna Wetlands   in Salem Township to walk off the calories from our traditional Polish Christmas Eve Holy Supper at my nephew’s house. And, of course   to see what I  could see, photograph and share.

It was  overcast at the wetlands  too, and a seasonably cold 25 degrees. There was  about two inches of snow  on the ground. The wetlands are  located only  about 10 miles from my home, as the crow flies,  but at about 1000 feet lower elevation. The gate on the access road is closed for the Winter so I parked along  the two ponds  near the gate and access road entrance.  In warmer months I always see ducks. geese and herons on the ponds. This  morning they were covered in ice and snow  and the water birds  have gone south.  Not a critter was stirring.   However, it  was a nice scene for Christmas morning.

I walked on the snow covered access road to the wetlands parking lot and trail-head. 

 I often see our Winter resident birds in the trees and shrubs along the road. I saw this bird along the trail and took a photo. I thought it was a goldfinch or sparrow. As  often the case, I see a bird and take a photo not knowing what I photographed until I edit the photo at home. Well I was surprised when I edited the photo and saw it was   a hermit thrush. I had never seen a one  here in Northeastern Pennsylvania in the Winter months.  I learned they  are a short  distance migrant and that they are the only thrush that Winters in the United States, Pennsylvania being on it’s northern Winter range. I was glad to see it and look forward to hearing it’s haunting song in the Spring and Summer. 

As I continued on the access road I saw a few more birds including this house finch,

a small flock of white throated sparrows ,

a downy woodpecker and,

 this blue jay.

I also saw a lot of animal tracks in the snow. I was told this may be a red fox paw print but I am not sure. I hoped to see a few of the critters that made the tracks and possibly a mink. muskrat, beaver or river otter  in the wetlands.

I walked down to the Susquehanna River and found  ice floating on  the river this  season.

It was a bleak Christmas morning as I walked under the bare limbs of the trees that towered over the trails in the wetlands.

It was quiet,  too,  walking along the ice covered ponds and  on the snow covered trail.

As usual, I finally heard than saw some birds  on the path between a pond and marsh.

Here I saw a few song sparrows,

and swamp sparrows fluttering near the grounds foraging for seeds.

I walked to the Water Fowl Pond,

and noticed more animal tracks on the ice on the ponds,

and along the canal. I wasn’t sure what was making them but there were a lot of them.

I then walked  back on the Beaver Trail and towards the river lands area of the private nature preserve. Along the way I came upon a large flock of America,goldfinches, feeding on seeds in the trees along the trail,

and drinking water from a  stream along the trail that was ice free.

I also saw a few ruby crowned kinglet,

and I  was glad to be able to capture a few  photos of these jittery small birds. 

I  walked  to the river lands and frozen Lake Took-A-While. I ended my hike here. I usual walk to the end of the lake for a 5 mile hike but I cut short my hike on Christmas morning. I began my hike back to the wetlands seeing only one other person on my hike.

I did see a few more bird, this red headed woodpecker,

and a flock of American tree sparrows.  Here is a link to s gallery with some more photos of the birds I saw on my Christmas morning hike. Susquehanna Wetlands birds  December 25 2024.

Walking back along the canals in the wetlands I didn’t see the critters that made the tracks but I heard two loud splashes in the canals.

I finished my quiet and reflective hike having enjoyed, once again, the beauty of nature in the wetlands. It was a great Christmas gift to myself..Here is a link to a gallery on my  blog web page with some more photos  from my Christmas morning hike. Susquehanna Wetlands December 25 2024.

Rain was in the forecast for the  weekend so on  Friday afternoon I decided to return to the wetlands, hoping to see the critters that were making all of the tracks in the snow. It was a seasonably cold 35 degrees and the skies were mostly clear when I arrived mid afternoon. The sun was already low in the southwestern sky.What a difference the sun made in the scenery.

I took the same walk I did on Christmas day, following the access trail into the wetlands and then down to the Susquehanna River.

I saw many of the same birds I saw on my previous hike, including white throated sparrows,

song sparrows, 

a small flock of black-capped chickadees ,

this winter wren. I got much better photos  in the late afternoon sunshine.

I also finally,  was able to get a photo  of one of the furry critters making the tracks in the snow, a gray squirrel feeding on maple buds in the tree tops.

 I walked into the wetlands. I rarely walk here in the afternoon and  never in  the Winter and it was a different and somber feeling walking in the dim afternoon sun.

I followed the trail to the Water Fowl ponds and then walked toward the river lands again.

On the way I saw a few more winter wrens, song sparrows and swamp sparrows. I decided to walk back down to the river,

and here I saw a few common mergansers swimming on the river between the floating chunks of ice.

Walking toward the river lands again,

I saw a  red bellied woodpecker.

few eastern bluebirds, and

dark eyed juncos

I walked into the river lands and walked along frozen and snow covered Lake Took-A-While as the weak December sun was getting lower  in the southwestern sky.

I saw a few folks walking along the lake as I  took my usual walk to the far end of the trail along the lake.

The sun was low in the south west as I began my hike back to the wetlands.

I saw a few more birds along the lake, a northern cardinal,

a hairy woodpecker, with it’s longer bill than it’s very similar cousin, the downy woodpecker,

and a yellow rumped warbler. This sighting surprised me even more then the hermit thrush.  The migration of this bird varies. Some are short distance migrants, wintering in the southern United States. I have seen them at the New Jersey shore in Winter. Other migrate to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. They are not know to be here in Northeastern Pennsylvania in the Winter. I have never  seen one here before.  It would be one of the last birds I would see on my hike.  Here is a link to a gallery on my  blog web page with some more photos of the birds I saw on  my  afternoon  hike. Susquehanna Wetlands birds  December 27 2024.

I finished my hike in the wetlands, as the setting sun became obscured by clouds making for a very serene  and reflective year end walk.

I heard two more splashes in the canals but didn’t see the critters that made them.I now was guessing it was  beavers. after seeing these recently gnawed trees along the trail.

I finished my five mile and was glad I decided to visit the wetlands in the afternoon and see the hermit thrush and  yellow rumped warbler. There seems to always be something to see in the wetlands and river lands if you just keep your eyes peeled.   Here is a link to a gallery on my  blog web page with some more photos from my  afternoon  hike. Susquehanna Wetlands December 27 2024.

It did rain on Saturday but the rains ended early Sunday morning . I decided to visit the wetlands one last time in 2024. The rains brought warmer temperatures.  I hoped there would be  open water on the canals and ponds in the wetlands which would provide me with an opportunity to photograph the minks, muskrats, beaver and river otters that I know live there and are very active even in the cold weather.

It was overcast with temperatures in the low 40’s when I arrived at the wetlands. All of the snow had melted. And so  did a lot of the ice on the ponds.

I followed the same route as my two previous hikes and, along the snow free access road,

I now saw some green among the brown leaf litter. The warm rains revived garlic mustard,

and Dame’s rocket leaves. Both of these invasive plants are edible and I enjoy foraging for them in the middle of Winter.

I saw a few  white throated sparrows, tufted tit mice and song sparrows in the woods along the orad but it was hard to get photos in the overcast conditions.

I walked to the parking lot and down to the Susquehanna River. It was now ice free and a fog was rising above the river.

Walking up the the trailhead to the wetlands I saw a hawk fly overhead and land in a tree. I walked to the tree and the hawk was still there.  As I noted it was hard to get a good look and photo in the  fog and mist but I think it was a  red shouldered hawk.

I walked along the Beaver Trail and the old canals and, although there was a lot of ice, there was also open water and I still hoped to see  at least one of the critters that live here.

I walked throuh the fog and to the mist covered Water Fowl Ponds,  where I heard another splash in the open water.  When I looked in the direction of the splash I saw a furry head looking at me for a few seconds before it dived under the water.  I wasn’t sure but I think it was a muskrat.

I walked toward the river lands and I was hearing and seeing some bird activity along the trail.

I saw a few more ruby crowned kinglets,

a white breasted nuthatch

and a northern flicker in addition to some more wooodpeckers, sparrows and juncos. Again  the weather was not great for photogrpahy.

I did see some more green along the trails, exposed after the rains melted the snow including these intermediate wood ferns,

some tree clubmoss or princess pine

and a few appropriately named spooted wintergreen leaves.

I walked to the river lands under the cloudy and ominous looking skies  again ended my hike here, I wanted to get home of my Philadelphia Eagles football game.

I walked back into the wetlands and finally, for a few minutes, I  saw this critter in a canal. This was the best photo I could get. I am not positive, buit I believe it is a beaver. Please correct me  if I am wrong .

I finished my last hike of 2024 in the wetlands. It is hard to believe another year has passed. They go faster now for me as I get older. But I enjoyed hiking in  the four seasons in the wetlands and river lands, even the cold and dreary Winter hikes. I am hoping to have a few more years of hiking here, and sharing the beauty of nature I find. Here is a link to a gallery on my  blog web page with some more photos from my Sunday  morning hike in the wetlands . Susquehanna Wetlands December 29  2024.

“What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from.”
—T.S. Eliot

fskokoski@gmail.com

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