August, And Mid-Summer, Arrive At The Susquehanna Wetlands
August arrived here in Northeastern Pennsylvania and with it the beginning of the end of my favorite season, Summer. After exploring, for the first time, Salt Springs State Park on Saturday, I returned to my favorite and familiar hiking trails in the Susquehanna Wetlands and River Lands in Luzerne County on Sunday. As usual, I began my hike at the ponds at the entrance to the wetlands . When I exited my Jeep I immediately noticed the musty, woodsy smell of mid -Summer. I also noticed that the ponds were now covered with a thick growth of green duck weed.
I was overcast and seasonably warm when I arrived and I did see some wood ducks on the ponds but they quickly flew away as I approached. A red-tailed hawk also flew from a tree near the ponds. 
I drove to the parking lot in the wetlands and took my usual walk to the Susquehanna River. Which was still high from the recent rains. 
This there were no eastern cottontail rabbits in the picnic area, probably because of the red-tailed hawk I saw earlier. 
I did hear and see this eastern wood pee wee near the trailhead. 
As I was walking into the wetlands I noticed this note on the information board at the trailhead. I agreed with it’s message. I found a few of these notes hanging from branches along the trail in the wetlands on my last few visits. And, after reading them I am convinced the person posting them has some issues. They are nonsensical and bizarre. They originally were found in Schuylkill County and are referred to as “Schuylkill Notes”.
I continued into the wetlands were I found it somewhat quiet. The frogs and cicadas were not making their usually noise yet and there was not a lot of birds song either. I only heard a few Carolina wrens in the distance. 
I walked on the Beaver Trail toward the Water Fowl Ponds and finally heard and saw this hairy woodpecker searching for insects on a tree trunk. 
I also saw the red-tailed hawk that flew off earlier perched high on a dead tree top. 
I watched it watch me for a little while until it flew off to another tree across the ponds. 
Like last week there were a lot of green herons perched on logs and branches near the ponds. 
Most flying away as I approached. 
I walked to the Water Fowl Pond as the sun broke through the clouds. The humidity in the wetlands caused condensation to form on my camera lens. 
Once again there were large flocks of wood ducks on the pond,
I believe they are gathering together before they begin their migration south in the Fall. 
I began my hike to the river lands section of this private native preserve ,
and saw this doe feeding on vegetation in the wetlands. 
It seemed to follow me as I walked back to the Water Fowl Pond when I heard the red-tailed hawk and tried to get some photos. 
I also saw a few eastern bluebirds,
and this eastern phoebe,
which was catching insects flying above the pond. 
The August sun warmed the morning air and awakened the annual cicadas who began to fill the wetlands with there buzzing calls. 
There are not many wildflowers blooming in the wetlands in August. The only wildflowers I saw in the wetlands were ironweed, 
swamp milkweed and 
a lot of goldenrod flowers, all of which are native to Pennsylvania. 
And where there are wildflowers there are insects and I saw this pretty butterfly, I believe it is an Appalachian brown butterfly.
The doe I saw early was back this time with I think it mother,
and there was also a buck with the pair of does, who finally decided they saw enough of me and ran off into the woodlands.
There were now more birds along the trail including this cheerful Carolina wren,
a few song sparrows, 
and a pair of my favorite woodpeckers,,
pileated woodpeckers. 
They were searching for insects on a dead tree top until they both decided to fly away. 
I walked through the wetlands not seeing anymore birds 
,
but I did see this gray squirrel 
this eastern cottontail rabbit,
and a few green frogs in the puddles along he trail. 
There were more signs it was August in the wetlands, and the end of Summer was approaching, acorns were scattered on the trail,
and mushrooms growing on a log.
I left the wetlands and hiked into the river lands,
where I saw this muskrat feeding one the duck weed in a canal. 
I continued my hike along Lake Took-A-While, 
seeing a lot of insects along the trail, including many of the cicada killing wasps,
a spicebush swallowtail butterfly feeding on some late blooming honeysuckle flowers, 
a silver spotted skipper butterfly,
and a lot of eastern bumblebees feeding on purple loosestrife,
a blue dasher dragonfly. 
The large flock of Canada geese were not on the lake this week, but I did see a few birds along the trail including a few gray catbirds, 
a swamp sparrow, 
an eastern kingbird perched high atop a tree branch, 
and this this pretty white -eyed vireo. I did not see or hear the many yellow warblers, hermit and wood thrushes, warbling and red eyed vireos I had heard in the wetlands since the Spring. I believe many have already began their southward migration, many ending up in South and Central America for the Winter. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hike. Susquehanna Wetlands birds August 4 2024. 
I came to the end of the lake and this week I decided to continue my hike on the Riverside Trail. 
The trail continued through a woodlands of oak and willow trees and then proceeded along the Susquehanna River back to the river lands.
When I first started hiking this trail there were native wildflowers and ferns growing along the trail. Now it is overgrown with invasive Japanese knotweed.
The trail took me through some cornfield before returning me to Lake Took-While.
I walked back along the lake,
and back into the wetlands. 
Here I saw that the yellow jacket nest above the canal was still there, 
and a few rocks thrown at the nest had the yellow jackets stirring again. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the insects I saw on my hike. Susquehanna Wetlands insect August 4 2024. 
I finished my 7 mile hike listening to the loud buzzing of the cicadas in the treetops. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from my seven mile hike. Susquehanna Wetlands August 4 2024. 
It was another great hike, even though many of the song birds are leaving the wetlands. I still saw some birds, insects and wildflowers and I am glad I can share this beauty in my blog. 
August… brings katydids, elderberries, blackberry pie, and goldenrod… August is just another thirty-one days of concentrated Summer, but it certainly gets one in condition to appreciate Fall when it comes. Good old August — we’ll take it, and some of us will like it. ~Hal Borland
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