Another May Hike, This Time On The Deleaware And Lehigh Trail At River Drive in Lehigh County

It was another beautiful day in May when I awoke Saturday morning. And, like the previous two day I couldn’t wait to get outside and enjoy it. I decided to hike on the D & L trail in Lehigh County, starting at the River Drive trail head. I had hiked here twice before, in the Winter months, and thought it would be a great place to hike in the Spring, to look for some migrating song birds and maybe some mushrooms. I drove the 37 miles south of my home in Luzerne County and arrived at the trail head around 7:30 a.m.

In my blog post from my hike the previous afternoon, on the Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails I explained how it was like going back time a few weeks because of the elevation of the trail. The Spring was a few weeks behind where it was at the wetlands along the Susquehanna River, where I hiked on Thursday. This is because of the lower elevation.

Well now I was a few weeks ahead of the Spring my on top of the mountain at my home in Hazle Township, Luzerne County. I was at a lower elevation and further south and the green leaves on the trees and vegetation showed it.

Most of the trees had leaves as did the lush green ostrich ferns along trail.

The invasive Morrow honeysuckle flowers  were in bloom here and their fragrance perfumed the early moring air along the trail.

As I began my hike I saw a year long resident, a downy woodpecker,

and this American robin gathering nesting material.

The trail followed the Lehigh River and I passed a few homes along the banks of the river.

After passing the homes I came to a clearing along the river where a utility line passed over the trail.

Here I saw a few more birds, my favorite being the migratory yellow warblers .

I love seeing their bright yellow contrast with the lush new green leaves.

I also saw another bright yellow bird, a year long resident, a female American goldfinch.

A migratory Baltimore oriole sang in the tree tops and,

a year long resident song sparrow sang in a shrub overlooking the river.

A  dew covered spider web in a shrub along the river reflected the morning sun.

I had thought, when I hiked here in the Winter,  that this would be a good place to see the migratory birds in the Spring and it appeared I may be right. I followed the trail along the river,

and although it was surrounded by trees it wasn’t a quiet hike. The noise from the traffic on nearby Route 145 was loud and constant.

It didn’t seem to bother the birds I also saw this warbling vireo and,

this wood thrush singing in the tree tops.

I also saw and heard, but could get photos of rose breasted grosbeaks , king birds, and orchard orioles. There were also a lot of humans in the trail, walking, running and riding their bikes.

There were a few trails that led down to the banks of the Lehigh River. Here at least the sound of rushing waters drowned out the noise of the traffic.  

 I came  another utility line near Spring Creek . The border between Northampton and Lehigh County  is near here.

I walked into another more mature woodlands,  and came to the  slate cliffs along the trail. The trail now turned away  from Highway145 and it was  now much quieter and peaceful.

Here I found common violets,

 Dames’s Rocket, and

garlic mustard flowers blooming in the shade of the trees and cliffs. All of these flowers are edible.

The red  maple trees along the trail had already produces their seeds. called samaras or as we called them  when I was a child “helicopters” 

Here I saw this female scarlet tanager in the tree tops.

After about 2 1/2 miles I came into the town of Cementon . 

The trail took me past the backyards  and a park with the large  buildings of the cement processing plants in the distance.

I ended my hike at a small park along the Lehigh River

Large patches of bugleweed

and Philadelphia fleabane   bloomed in the park

I also saw  my first spicebush swallowtail butterfly of the year

I started my hike back to the River Drive trail head,

seeing ,  in addition to the birds I saw earlier, a few northern cardinal,

brown headed cowbirds,

white throated sparrows,

a red bellied woodpecker,

a pair of great crested flycatchers,

a yellow rumped warbler,

and this red winged blackbird.  As I thought,  the trail turned out to be a a great place to observe the migrating and year long resident birds. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the birds I saw in my five mile hike. D & L Trail River Drive  Lehigh County birds May 3 2025.

I also hoped to find some morel mushrooms growing under some of the tulip and elm trees along the river. These mushrooms continue to elude me and I wonder if the exist. I did find this edible pheasant back mushroom but it was too old to eat.

I enjoyed my hike back to my Jeep and finished my five mile hike. It is a little noisy  on some parts of the trail but it  is a great place to see  a lot of bird activity and enjoy some quiet moments near the slate cliff and along the river. I will return. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos  from  my five mile hike. D & L Trail River Drive  Lehigh County  May 3 2025.

At last came the golden month of the wild folk– honey-sweet May, when the birds come back, and the flowers come out, and the air is full of the sunrise scents and songs of the dawning year. Samuel Scoville Jr.