A Lot Of Spring Happening Out There

It was a long day in court and at the office so I was glad the weather was nice when I got home in the afternoon.  I had planned to head back to community park but decided to stay near my house and walk out the nearby railroad tracks. May is the month of growth here in Northeastern Pennsylvania and there were wildflowers blooming everywhere.

I walked past some of the ponds near a mining reclamation area and was startled by a blue heron, that I startled,  and who flew overhead. 

I haven’t seen a blue heron out here for a few years and I am sure the frog and fish population in this ponds will soon be depleted. These birds eat a lot. 

As I walked through some wetlands in the reclaimed areas I saw this white throated sparrow, 

And a few goldfinches fluttering in the distance. 

I walked  through the reclaimed areas and toward the railroad tracks. These areas were all coal strip mines and coal culm deposits when i walked here as a child. 

They are now becoming a home for many species of birds including this  female common yellowthroat  I saw peeking out  from the nearby brush.

And nearby was a male, I am guessing her mate. 

As I walked up to the railroad tracks I came across this dead snake, it appears to be a black racer. I am not sure what would have killed it out here. 

I love walking railroad tracks and these are special to me since I have been walking them since I was nine years old. Lot of memories out here even though the landscapes have changed.

Along the way I heard the rustling of some eastern towhees in the underbrush and was only able to get this photograph of this bird. 

I wanted to see if the lady slipper orchards, or duck flowers, as my dad called them were in bloom and, sure enough they were, I cant believe it has been a year since i saw them. 

I made my way back this time encountering a number of water fowl, including thes pair of geese,

this mallard duck

and, I believe  this beautiful spotted sandpiper. 

I also watched this sparrow find a meal in along the way .

There were a lot of plants growing too, like these skunk cabbages. 

And even poison ivy looks pretty in the spring. 

I saw this egg, I believe it is a mallard duck, exposed in the wetlands along the way home. i was surprised it was so exposed without mom or dad around. 

And I  had one more special treat before I decided to head home. I spotted this beautiful scarlet tanager high atop an aspen tree and enjoyed listening to it’s song for awhile. Here is a link to some more photographs of the birds I saw on my hike  https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/photographs-2017/nggallery/photographs-2017/Railroad-hike-Greenridge-May-10-2017-

It was a short walk but provided me with much needed stress relief. In may every walk can be a wonderful adventure. Here is a link to some more photographs from my hike.  https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/photographs-2017/nggallery/photographs-2017/Railroad-hike-Greenridge-May-10-2017

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden