Brilliant Sunshine, Bald Eagles And A Great Blue Heron In The Susquehanna Wetlands

I returned to the Susquehanna Wetlands and River Lands for couple of hikes last weekend. It is located near the nuclear power plant  along the ancient  Susquehanna River  in Salem  Township in Luzerne County.  This private nature preserve and park is a great place to hike and observe nature.  It was a mild October morning with brilliant sunshine in deep blue skies when I left my home in Hazle Township  early Saturday morning.  However,  there  was some fog along the Susquehanna  River when I arrived at the wetlands  around 8 a.m.

As  usual I stopped at the ponds near the entrance road to look for water fowl and the many wood ducks that  are on the ponds in the Summer months, There were no birds on the ponds or in the surrounding woods on Saturday. I drove to the parking and picnic area  to the wetlands,

and, as usual , walked to the banks of the Susquehanna River . The October sun was burning off the fog making for some nice scenery  along the river. I love this  450  mile long river and have explored it from it’s source at Lake Otsego, New York to it’s  end where it flows into the Chesapeake Bay in Havre de Grace Maryland. It is one of the the oldest rivers on our planet and dinosaurs walked along it’s banks.

I left the river and walked into the wetlands, which are a series of  ponds  and canals remaining   from the abandoned North Branch Canal. It is hard to believe the canal was built in 1828 , almost 200 years ago.   I am sure the folks who built it did not imagine the  nature and wildlife preserve it would provide two centuries later.   The wetlands were beginning to change into their Fall colors on this beautiful October morning.

Yellows and reds began to appear, the reds provided by the  Virginia creeper vines and red maple leaves,

the yellows by the birch tree leaves  and common green brier leaves.

Many leaves had already fallen, including this sassafras leaf and were strewn over the trail.

Many leaves still were green, like this spicebush leaf and were illuminated in the morning sunshine.

The many Fall wildflowers  continued to bloom along the trail.  This is my favorite a New England aster. My blog last week identified most of the flowers blooming in the wetlands. 

I continued my walk through the colorful Fall foliage and took the side trail to the Water Fowl pond.

Here I often see birds throughout the year, migratory song birds in the Spring and Summer, and our  resident birds throughout the year. The migratory song birds are gone but I did see a lot of our year long residents on Saturday including song sparrows,

swamp sparrows.

and white throated sparrows. There are a few white throated sparrows here in the Summer months but most breed further north returning to our area in the closer months. There were dozens in the wetlands and woodlands.

There were also a lot of woodpeckers active on this beautiful October morning, including downy woodpeckers, this one is a male  feeding on poison ivy berries and,

this one a female on a tree trunk

northern flickers,

and this red bellied woodpecker, hiding an acorn for the Winter. 

A red tailed hawk was perched on a dead tree in the distance.

Along  the way I saw these rough hawkweed flowers that had gone to seed. I you look closely you will see  a short winged meadow katydid on the flower.  It was not moving. I also saw a few bumblebees inactive on the aster flowers.  It was a mild morning, for October, with temperatures in the low 50’s but this is still too cool for the insects  to be active.

I walked to the Water Fowl Pond. There were no wood ducks here  either.

and I began my hike to the river lands section of this private nature preserve. It is about a one mile walk. I enjoyed the Fall colors along the way. The hays- scented  and bracken ferns had turned yellow and brown provided a contrasts to the green, yellow and red leaves.

It was a quiet walk, I heard wood ducks on the other side of the canal and scared a few off the canal as I walked but there was no other bird activity, until

I walked back down to the river,

and saw this bald eagle perched in a tree above the river. It was  a beautiful site. I love to see these birds soaring in our skies. It is a rare opportunity to see one perched on a tree,

and it got even  rarer when the eagle cried  out,

and a second bald eagle flew to the branch, seeming to hug and kiss the first. Bald eagles mate for life and I am sure this was it’s mate, I wondered how many years they have been together and how many offspring they have raised to joun them in soaring over our skies.

I watched them for a few minutes, hoping they would fly off over the river so I could get some photos. Instead, the flew the opposite direction, obscured by the trees so no photos of eagles in flight. It was still a wonderful experience.

And it got better when I turned around and saw this white tail deer fawn watching me watch the bald eagles.

It seemed curious as we watched each other until it decided to walk into the woodlands

I continued my walk into the wetlands and along Lake Took-A-While. The sun was now shining brilliantly in deep blue skies.

There were no birds on or around the lake, but there were a few fishermen and a lot folks on the trail enjoying the beautiful Fall morning.

I walked to the far end of the lake and then began my hike back to the wetlands

I only saw one more bird ,this Carolina wren singing it’s cheerful song in the sunshine.  Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the bald eagles and other birds I saw on my hike. Susquehanna Wetlands birds October 4 2025.

It as near noon when I was finishing my 5 mile hike. The October sun warmed the cool morning air, and I heard a few crickets, and saw a few bees the aster flowers,  this is  a panicled aster flower. 

and this monarch butterfly visiting some late blooming Japanese honeysuckle flowers. I  was hoping to hear some cicadas but I  didn’t and I won’t hear their songs until. next August.

I was hoping to see the river otters and wood ducks on my hike  in the wetlands but I was even more pleased to see the pair of bald eagles in the tree along the river.   Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from  my  5 hike. Susquehanna Wetlands October 4 2025.

It was another beautiful Fall day on Sunday, a perfect day to be outdoors. However,  had to get home early to watch the Eagles football game and begin packing for a trip to India next week. I decided to return to the wetlands and look for the river otters, bald eagles and wood ducks again.  Once again the skies were clear with brilliant sunshine at my home, but 10 miles away, in the wetlands, there was some fog along the Susquehanna River in the wetlands.  I stopped at the ponds near the access road again,

and this time saw a solitary  wood duck sitting on a log on the pond.

Near the ponds I found the ground covered  with black walnuts,

and bitternut hickory nuts. I gathered some of the hickory nuts, but learned, when I got home and tried them how they got their name. They were very bitter and  not edible. 

I drove to the parking lot again, and down to the river. The fog was already evaporating under the brilliant October sun.

I walked into the wetlands again, seeing some of the birds I had seen on my walk the previous morning. I was in a hurry and walking fast so did not stop to photograph them. I also saw, and heard, dozens of wood ducks on the ponds and canals but  most flew off as I approached

but I   was able to get photos of   these two perched on a log.

I walked through the colorful wetlands.  Almost every step in  the wetlands created a beautiful Fall photo.

I walked through the wetlands and didn’t see the river otters, and there were no bald eagles on  the trees long the river.

I walked to the river lands and in the marsh along the access road I saw a flock of American goldfinches in the tree tops,

the males have already changed from their colorful yellow  Spring feathers into their drab Fall and Winter brown feathers.

I also saw a few male red-winged blackbirds in the marsh.

I  walked into the river lands and again found fishermen along the lake and a lot of folks walking along the lake in the brilliant sunshine.

There were no birds on the lake but I  saw this great blue heron perched on a branch above the trail.

It remained as I approached,

contorting it’s neck as it was preening it’s feathers.

It appeared to be scratching it’s head,

and then spread it’s wide wings like a cape.

I watched ,waited and took a lot of photos for almost a 1/2 hour.

until it finally flew off to the other side of the lake.

I followed it to the other side of the lake,

when it flew off again. It was a beautiful bird.

I continued my hike along the lake, and

then began my walk back to the wetlands. On the way I saw this eastern phobe that has not  migrated south yet.

I also saw the great blue heron again searching for a fish or frog along the shore of the lake.

I returned to the wetlands hoping  to see some wood ducks, and I did, but they flew off before I could photograph them.

I was able to get some photos of a flock of tufted titmice feeding on black walnuts.  Well, they actually were feeding on the insects in the black walnuts. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the great blue heron and other birds I saw on my hike. Susquehanna Wetlands birds October 5  2025.

I admired the Fall colors in the brilliant sunshine,including the cinnamon ferns. I didn’t see the river otters or bald eagles, and I didn’t get any ggo photos of the wood ducks but I enjoyed my close encounter with the great blue heron. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from  my  5 hike in the brilliant  October sunshine. . Susquehanna Wetlands October 5  2025.

“How is it possible that the most intellectual creature to ever walk planet Earth is destroying its only home?”  Jane Goodall 

“Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, we will help. Only if we help, we shall be saved.” — Jane Goodall: