Back At The Much Missed Susquehanna Wetlands For A Pleasant November Hike

I drove to the Susquehanna wetlands in Luzerne  County early last Saturday morning. It was over a month since I last visited my favorite hiking trails. I had spent 18 of those 30 days visiting the wonderful country of India. It was a great trip but it was good to be back home.

Located about only 10 miles as the crow flies from  my home in Hazle Township, the Wetlands are on the northern side of the Susquehanna river. It was a seasonally cold, partly cloudy morning when I arrived at the wetlands. As usual, I stopped at the Water Fowl ponds near the entrance road.

It was quiet. And it was a different world then my last visit.  While the Fall colors had appeared there was still a lot of green on my last visit. On Saturday, there was still some fall color, but most of the trees were now bare. It was a sober and sad feeling. Fall was ending, and the wetlands would be going to sleep for the winter soon.

No songbirds greeted me this morning. There were no wood ducks,  herons or geese on the ponds. I hope to spot a perched  eagle or hawk on the bare  trees, but there were none. I did not even hear the resident Winter birds singing on this cold morning.

I did see a couple of white tail does standing by the pond. One looked at me with curiosity. I watched the tiny critter and thought of it much larger cousin , the sambar deer and  it’s similar sized cousin the spotted deer that I saw in India.

They both decided they saw enough of  me and ran across the road.

There were no wildflowers growing on brown grass, but I saw large patches of  bright green garlic mustard growing everywhere. This is an excellent edible green, but I was not going to harvest any on Saturday. I had been very busy since I returned from India and I just wanted to get some hiking in.

 

I drove to the access road and found it closed for the winter.

I don’t mind walking the approximately half mile to the trail head since in the winter months I often see many of the local resident birds along the road. I saw I’ve heard a few on Saturday morning, including this male cardinal, and a

cedar waxwing perched on the bare branches of a tree along the trail. It was nice to see many exotic and new species of birds in India, but I was just as happy to see our local and common birds here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

I also saw a flock of  swamp sparrows fluttering in the shrubs along the trail. I heard white throat sparrows, but did not see any.

This downy woodpecker was  searching for insects and the tree tops,

As was a flock of now  drab colored goldfinches.

I walked along the road into the parking lot and walked down to the ancient and historic Susquehanna River, my favorite river on our planet. There was still some leaves on the trees over hanging the river and it made for a pretty autumn picture.

I walked into the wetlands work and most of the trees were naked, but there was still some color around.

I walked to the Beaver trail,

and was surprised to scare off  a pair  wood ducks on the canal. I would see  at least a dozen more on my hike that morning. I was glad they were still in the wetlands.

There was not much other bird activity. I walked to the Water Fowl pond and did not see any birds on the pond or on the surrounding woodlands.

I began my hike back toward the Riverland section of of the private nature preserve.

Bright red  winterberries

 and remaining  oak leaves  provided some color and allowed  me to have one last walk, and appreciate  the beautiful fall foliage before the winter arrives at the wetlands. Soon  only shades of brown and gray will greet me on my hikes.

I walked along canal, hoping to see some more local resident birds, but didn’t, it was quiet,   until I saw a pair of pilot of woodpeckers searching for insects on a dead  tree near the river lands.

I love seeing these largest woodpeckers that live in our Commonwealth throughout the year. It will be a good day when I photograph one in January. Of the 7 species of woodpeckers that live in Pennsylvania five will remain all Winter. Most norther flickers and the yellow bellied sapsuckers will migrate south. I hope to see the yellow bellied sapsuckers in the Keys and Everglades in the Winter.

After watching the woodpeckers, I walked into the River lands section of the private preserve. The canal was still green from the algae and duckweed.

It was still mostly cloudy and a somber first day of November when I walked along the Lake Took- A- While. There was only one man fishing along the shores of the lake. There were no ducks on the lake nor any eagles or hawks flying overhead. There are no snakes slithering across the paths, no frogs jumping into the canal or turtles plopping into the waters. No insects were buzzing or  flying.

No flowers were blooming, until, I found these New England Astors along the trail. They will probably be the last wildflowers I see until spring.

I had walked about 4 miles and I was feeling tired, which is unusual for me. I had felt tired all week on hikes with an old friend who visited. I would soon find out why. In any event, I decided to walk back to my Jeep.

It was a quiet reflective, walk under the mostly leafless  trees.And  I knew this would be the last fall colors I would see, since the remaining colorful leaves would soon Fall too.

I did see a few Christmas ferns along the trail. They may remain green throughout the winter if it is a mild one.

Dames rocket, another excellent wild edible green was also growing along the trail. The garlic mustard and Dame’s rocket could even grow in January in my winters. I hope to see a lot of it this winter.

As I walked through the wetlands and a flock of Canada geese flew overhead. I also heard a few wood ducks flying off in a distance. It would probably be the last time I see both of these birds until next spring.

I returned to the access road and followed it back to my Jeep. Near my jeep I saw one more of Pennsylvania’s woodpeckers,  a red belly woodpecker on  a tree top. I hope to see a lot of of these fellows during the winter. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog webpage with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hike. Susquehanna Wetlands birds November 1 2025.

I finished my four mile  hike and was feeling tired. I soon would find out why. I went home and slept for two days, but had a fever of 103.7. I wound up in the infectious disease unit at the Lehigh Valley hospital the following week. After many pokes and IV’s I was diagnosed with Legionnaire’s disease. I have been down a week but I am recovering and I hope to be back in the wetlands this weekend. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog webpage with some more photos from  my hike. Susquehanna Wetlands November 1 2025.

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”―Rachel Carson