A January Thaw Melts The Snow, And A Pleasant, For January, Walk In Susquehanna Wetlands

I am not a fan of the cold, snow and ice anymore.  I used to be, as some of you may know from following my blog posts.   So, anyway I always welcome a January thaw which melts the snow and ice. And we got a January thaw last week. I have walked in the cold and on snow and ice for two weeks now, both here in Northeastern Pennsylvania and at the New Jersey shore. So I was glad  when the   temperatures rose into the mid 40’s and we  got some warm rain last week.

 I decided to hike in the Susquehanna Wetlands on Saturday morning. The last time I was there, two week ago, the ground was covered with a few inches of snow with a sheet of ice, from freezing rain,  atop the snow.  It was a treacherous 3 mile hike I took, slipping and sliding much of the way. When I arrived early Saturday morning all of the snow was gone with temperatures in the low 40’s.  This is my kind of January weather.   However,  despite the thaw and warmer weather  the Water Fowl ponds near the entrance to the wetlands were  still frozen solid.

There would be no wood ducks, mallards,  Canada geese, or other water fowl flying off  of the ponds as  I approached.   Unlike last time when the ground was frozen solid, I walked through mud along the  ponds shore. I like walking in mud, especially in Winter.   I left the ponds I walked over to the access road, which is closed for the winter.  As I was walking the 1/2 mile to the parking area and trail head I was  greeted by the loud calls of a red-bellied woodpecker.

I soon heard, then saw,  few downy woodpeckers,

and hairy woodpecker on the  trees along the road.  I believe the warm temperatures had  the insects living in the dead trees stirring  and the woodpeckers were taking advantage of this.  I usual see sparrows, nuthatches , chickadees  and  other birds along the road in the Winter but is was quiet Saturday morning.

 The few green plants and shrubs that survived into December were now dead and shriveled. It was a dreary gray and brown world I was walking in, but at least it was warmer and there was no snow.

When I got to the parking lot, as usual ,  I walked down to the ancient, scenic and historic Susquehanna River.  I found it was swollen from the melting snow and ice and recent rains we had. There was still some ice floating down the river. I heard a few mallard ducks in the distance, but didn’t see them. I love this ancient river, one of the oldest on our planet,  which flowed before the Appalachian mountains appeared .

I left the river and walked into the wetlands, again, it was muddy and wet, but I did not mind the mud.

The canals in the wetlands were still  mostly frozen. However there  were now some areas of  open water. It was in these  areas I  hoped to see a  river otter, mink, muskrat or beaver.  I’ve seen  all of these critters in the wetlands  on previous hikes over the years after a January thaw. Unfortunately  there were none of these aquatic mamamals so far on this hike.

However,  I did see some swamp sparrows,

song  sparrows,

and  a pair of golden crowned  kinglets.

This pair of birds did not seem to mind me taking photographs,

which wasn’t easy, because they continually hopped from branch to branch.

I continued on to the Water Fowl pond which  was also frozen solid. I had seen river otters playing on the ice when there were some  open water here on my hikes past winters.

I began my hike back toward the River lands area of the nature preserve. This area is more of a picnic and family area and allows fishing and dog walking both which are prohibited in the wetlands. It was nice walking on the snow free muddy ground in the mild, for January,weather.

But I didn’t like  bare trees and dreary brown and grays of Winter.

 There were some green colors along the trail. I saw some intermediate wood ferns,

Christmas ferns,

and, princess pine or flat-branched  tree club-moss.

There were also a lot of bright red winterberries along the trail.

I also saw  one of the few American holly trees that grow in the wetlands.They remind me of the holly forest I find on my  hike along the New Jersey shore.

It was quiet as I walked  over to the river lands.

It appears the utility pole line that passes through the river lands is being expanded and sadly, a few ancient oak trees were cut down.

I didn’t see or hear any wildlife  in the river lands or along Lake Took-A-While in the  river lands,

I did find some garlic mustard,

and Dames’s rocket growing in the open area along  the  trails   in the river lands where there is more  sunshine that  warms the ground.

I decided to hike back to the wetlands,and this time I walked on the new trails in the old farm fields and meadows in the middle of the wetlands.

I have walked here a couple of times this winter, hoping to see some bird activity in the field. I didn’t much on my last few hikes.However, I did this time. First, I saw a flock of American goldfinches, feeding on the seeds on the shrubs And flowering plants from last summer.

I also saw a flock, of American tree sparrows,

and dark eyes juncos   forging in the fields and meadows.

A  brown creeper was crawling down a tree trunk  in the woods along the trail.

I  followed the trail through the fields, past the  brown and withered invasive Japanese  bristlegrass,

and cutleaf teasel.

It  took me back down to the Susquehanna river. Here I saw a few common mergansers  swimming across the river and,

a belted kingfisher  flew off of  some branches that overhang the river. I have seen many belted kingfishers, a few, red tail hawks, and bald eagles perched on these branches over the years.

As I returned to the trails in the wetland, clouds moved in. It was still mild with temperatures in the 40s, not a bad day for January walk.

I saw a few birds as I finished my walk, including some cedar wax wing,

and tufted titmouse. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web page with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hike in the wetlands. Susquehanna Wetlands birds January 10 2026.

As I was ending my hike in the wetlands I saw, what at first I thought was some type of animal on an open area in the ice.   As I got closer, it decided it was a rock. But as I walked past the “rock” it jumped into the water. I think it was a muskrat. 

The clouds thickened at I finished my hike.  Their was precipitation in the forecast, and, thanks to warm temperatures in the January thaw it would be rain  and not snow.  I know the thaw would  end, but every day without snow and frigid temperatures in January is a bleeding, in my opinion anyway. I am  waiting for the first signs of Spring. which I hope will arrive next month.   Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web page with some more photos from  my hike in the wetlands. Susquehanna Wetlands  January 10 2026.

“There are two seasonal diversions that can ease the bite of any winter. One is the January thaw. The other is the seed catalogues.”  — Hal Borland