A Labor Day Hike Along The Susquehanna River, This Time Back In Pennsylvania
After my visit to Havre de Grace last weekend, I hiked along the Susquehanna River on Labor Day, this time near my home in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. I was back at the Susquehanna Wetlands in Salem Township. I felt closer to the ancient Susquehanna River, after, for the first time, having seen it’s humble beginning in New York and it’s majestic end in Maryland. 
As usual I stopped at the Water Fowl Pond on my way to the trailhead for the wetlands nature preserve. And, as usual I got a quick glimpse of the many wood ducks that had raised they families in the wetlands and now swim on this pond.
And, as usual they quickly flew off as I approached. 
I drove into the wetlands, and after parking my Jeep. walked to the banks of the Susquehanna River, reflecting on my visits to Lake Otsego and Havre de Grace the past few weeks. and on the history of this scenic and ancient river. It a sunny and cool morning after a cold front passed through our area overnight. A feeling of Fall was in the air. 
After visiting the river I hiked into the wetlands. The large oak, maple and sycamore trees were still mostly green, but a few leaves had begun to change color and fall to the ground as the Summer neared it’s end.
Most of the bracken ferns had wilted and turned brown,
and hay-scented ferns along the trail were beginning to turn yellow. Soon, usually after the first frost, they will fill the wetlands with there sweet aroma.
There were a few late Summer flowers blooming along the trail including, the white wood asters,
the ironweed flowers, 
and the jewelweed or touch-me-not flowers, all native to Pennsylvania. 
As I walked on the Beaver Trail along the canals, and ponds, the remains of the old Susquehanna Canal I noticed how quiet it was. Not only were the sounds of the red-winged blackbirds, and many song birds absent in the wetlands even the year long resident birds, like the woodpeckers, song sparrow, nuthatches and other were silent. In the Spring and early Summer there is a concert in the wetlands with the frog and bird song. 
I walked to the Water Fowl Pond,
where, I finally heard the cheerful song of a Carolina wren. It seemed as if the Carolina wren’s song was a wake up call to other birds in the wetlands. A downy woodpecker,
a red-bellied woodpecker and
a northern flicker were soon fluttering in the trees near the pond. 
An eastern kingbird perched in a high treetop. 
And a warbling vireo started singing branches over my head, 
I wasn’t able to get a photo of the Carolina wren but a few house wrens landed in the trees near where I was standing. 
A green heron ,
and a great blue heron flew over across the pond making making their deep raspy cries as they did. 
I watched and listened to the many birds that appeared and then began my hike to the river lands, about a mile from the Water Fowl Pond. 
It was a beautiful late Summer day, the first day of September.
The sun was still strong and quickly warmed up the wetlands, and awoke the cicadas who soon began to sing their song, although not as many and not as loud as when they first appeared in late July. 
I didn’t see any more bids or other critters in the wetlands.
I continued my hike into the river lands and along Lake Took-A-While. This area is more of a recreational area with many folks walking along the lake fishing, or enjoying the picnic area.
There were even a couple of small boats on the scenic lake. 
The large flock of Canada geese weren’t on the lake. and it’s been a couple of months since I saw one of the bald eagles that nest near the wetlands. I did see a belted kingfisher, always a difficult critter to photograph,
and, another great blue heron wading in the waters on the other side of the lake. I would not see any more birds other than the ones I had seen earlier on my five mile hike. Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hike in the wetlands and river lands. Susquehanna Wetlands birds September 1 2024. 
But, as is often the case, I did see an interesting critter, well I have seen them before but not walking along the trail, a large snapping turtle. 
This was taking with my 600mm zoom, it was about some distance away and I wasn’t sure what it was. Had I know I would have ran to try and get better photos but it was already in the waters of the lake when I got to it’s location. I would have love to encounter the large turtle on land. 
Although I didn’t see a of wildlife on the rest of my hike, there were a few late Summer wildflowers blooming along the trail, including common evening primrose flowers, 
great blue lobelia flowers, 
Canada goldenrod flowers, which are very beneficial to insects and the migrating birds that feed on the insects,
and American hog-peanuts flowers, all native to our area. 
The milkweed ,
and American burnweed had already finished blooming and have produced their pretty seeds. 
I continued my walk on this gorgeous September morning to the far end of the lake, enjoying the scenery of the blue waters and puffy clouds floating over the lake.
It was a pleasant walk back to the wetlands. 
On the way I passed a lot of folks enjoying the lake, and back in the wetlands, this gray squirrel enjoying the day too. 
I finished my five mile hike in the wetlands. The songs of the migrating birds was gone, only the cicadas buzzing broke the silence, a reminder the cold dark Winter approaches. But it’s still Summer and I hope to enjoy a few more warm days, and then a mild Fall, here in the wetlands along the Susquehanna River Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos from my hike in the wetlands and river lands. Susquehanna Wetlands September 1 2024. 
“A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself. ” Laura Gilpin
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