A Few Winter Resident Birds On A Slow November Walk Back At The Susquehanna Wetlands

Shortly after my last hike in the Susquehanna Wetlands,  two weeks ago. I became ill , was hospitalized and was diagnosed with legionnaires pneumonia ,  an  E. coli infection and dengue fever. I acquired these lovelies  while traveling in India for a couple of  weeks.It was not a fun two weeks, I had with a 103.7 fever, the chills fatigue and muscle pain.  Luckily, I am recovering.  I was grateful to  able to return to walk   in my beloved Susquehanna wetlands on Saturday morning.

I was advised to take it easy so I did not do my usual 5 mile hike. I parked at the Water Fowl  ponds near the access road to the wetlands,  It was mostly cloudy and very quiet when I arrived around 8 a.m.

The wood ducks, geese and herons were not on the ponds. And, there  was littleother  bird activity. The migratory birds have flown south, and none of the winter resident birds were active or  singing on this cold November morning. The wetlands now took on  their  Winter look. The trees were leafless and everything was a drab brown and gray. It will look like this until April.

Brown and shrived native deer tongue grass replaced the wildflowers that bloomed in the Spring and Summer months.

After visiting the ponds, I walked over to the access road, which was closed for the Winter. I  followed it for about a 1/2 mile  toward the parking lot. Again I also noticed  most of trees  and the woodlands took their drab brown and gray winter appearance.

There were still some greens ,  garlic mustard,

and Dame’s rocket, both edible greens , were growing along the road.

Invasive Amur honeysuckle and,

 autumn olive  still had their green leave, providing some color in the drab winter scene.

I walked to the parking lot and down to the Susquehanna River. It was still low from our lack of rain. It was still very quiet as I approach the wetlands no  birds were active.

I walked into the leafless trees,

and under the tall sycamore trees which look so different but without their large green leaves.

I walked to the canals along to Beaver Trail, and scared off one wood duck.

I walked toward the waterfall ponds again and, here I found a large number of different birds, feeding on the winterberries and poison ivy berries along the path. A flock of cedar wax wings were perched in the tree tops, while others,

fed on the bright red berries..

A flock of goldfinches were aloes perched in the trees.  The males lost  their bright yellow summer feathers and now were in the brown drab winter colors. .

I saw both a downy woodpecker,

and a larger  hairy woodpecker in the tree branches searching for insects  on the branches.

I was also very surprised to see this yellow bellied  sapsucker still here in the wetlands. They migrate south and I love to see them when I have vacation in Florida Keys and Everglades in the Winter.

I saw one more woodpecker,  a red bellied  woodpecker,  feeding on what looks like acorns high in  the tree tops.

There were also  a few song sparrows,

 black-capped chickadees, and

white breasted-nuthatches, feeding the he leafless trees.

I was surprised to see a pair  the nuthatches enter a hole in one of the trees. I didn’t know that the males and females wintered together.

I  stood in the cold morning air for almost an hour, photographing the various birds feeding in this  one area of the wetlands. I decided  it was time to move on. I walked to the Water Fowl ponds,

and although I saw no water fowl , I did see a few eastern bluebirds in the tree tops.

There were also  a few more goldfinches,

and a few American robins. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web-page with some more photos of the birds I saw on my slow two mile hike in the wetlands. Susquehanna Wetlands birds November 15 2025.

I left the ponds and walked along the path toward the River lands.

Along the trail, I saw these  cinnaber-red polypore,

and these hairy  bracket mushrooms growing late in the season.

I also a lot more  bright red winter berries growing along the path.

The winter berries and  the. wilted green brier leaves   provided some color to the drab winter scene,

as did the Christmas ferns

 princess pine club-moss,

and this pond water-starwort growing on one of the streams in the wetlands.

I had walked  about a mile.  It was a pleasant day, for mid November, and  wished I could’ve walked towards Riverlands.  However I decided to take my doctor’s advice and  it easy.  I started back to my Jeep.

I saw and heard many of the birds I saw earlier but  no new species . I found this hornet nest right along the trail. I must had walked past in dozens of  times this summer and only noticed it now that the leaves on the trees have fallen.

I walked  through  through the wetlands again and scared  off a couple more wood ducks. A flock of Canada geese flew over. They are still living on the river until it gets colder.

I finished my slow two mile hike. I only walked two miles but I was out in the cold, with temperatures  in the 30’s  for over two hours and I may have over did it a bit.

I warmed up in my  Jeep and drove to the river lands area of the private nature preserve. I parked and walked a short distance to Lake- Took- A -While. I was the only one on the lake and in the wetlands.   I ws hoping to see a bald eagle, hawk , heron or even the kingfishers but it was quiet, just few song sparrows and goldfinches fluttered in the shrubs along the lake.

And there were reminder of the coming Winter, the withered staghorn sumac seed pods,

and the withered and  dried cutleaf teasel.

I left the river lands. I glad I was able to get back into my hiking routine. I don’t love hiking in the Winter anymore but I am still hoping I will be hiking my usual five to seven mile hikes soon. There is so much beauty to see in the Winter months, , not as much as the Spring, Summer and Fall but you never know what you will see if hike and keep your eyes peeled. And I love sharing whatever I find on my hikes Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web-page with some more photos from  my slow two mile hike in the wetlands. Susquehanna Wetlands  November 15 2025.

“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” Bernice Johnson Reagon

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
      No comfortable feel in any member—
      No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
            No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds,
                  November!
~Thomas Hood