Fog And Sun: A Tale Of Two Worlds At The Susquehanna Wetlands

I was reminded of the effects elevation has on our weather on my visit to the Susquehanna Wetlands in Salem Township, Luzerne County early Sunday morning. Before driving to the wetlands I took my usual two mile walk through me neighborhood. It was still dark and a cool  41 degrees under the clear, moonlit skies. A warm front was moving into the area and  the temperature was predicted to reach 70 degrees. The wetlands are a  22 mile drive from my home in Hazle Township, but located only 10 miles from my home as the crow flies.  Thinking the sun will rise and quickly warm the cool morning air I drove to the wetlands wearing a light hoodie and shorts.  This would be a mistake.

The sun rose in the clear, blue skies as  I drove to Salem Township.  However, as I neared the Susquehanna River I saw a fog rising above  the Susquehanna River. As I drove along the river  and arrived at the parking lot the fog grew more dense.

When I walked down to the river a  thick fog had  formed over the river and in the wetlands.  I couldn’t see the river form the river bank. The temperature was 31 degrees!  The warmer temperature near my home was a result of the higher elevation. The elevation of my  home is about 1800 feet above sea level. The wetlands are at an elevation around  500 feet. The less dense warm air of the  front  rose over the colder,  denser air near the river  and created the fog. And it was a cold,  raw fog. I was shivering again, as I did on my hike at Minsi Lake on Saturday.  It  was much colder here at the wetlands.

It has been over three weeks since I last visited the wetlands and I entered a different world then on my last  visit.  Most of the leaves on the trees had changed into the different Fall colors, shades of red, yellow and brown.

 The thick fog created a somber,  almost eerie,   feeling as I walked into the wetlands. On the way I met a friend and fellow photographer who hoped to capture the beauty of the Fall foliage and was also disappointed with the fog.

I walked on the Beaver Trail toward the Water Fowl ponds in the cold thick fog,  hoping the sun would quickly rise and burn off the fog.

and for a short while I was optimistic it would, when the disc of the sun appeared in the foggy sky. However,  the fog soon thickened again and the temperatures remained in the 30’s.

As I  continued my cold walk  in the fog I was surprised to hear a lot of bird activity in the trees and shrubs along the trail.    I heard a lot of yellow-rumped warblers, red bellied woodpeckers and hairy woodpeckers but they were in the treetops and I couldn’t get any good photos in  the fog.  I was able to get some photos of some of the birds in these shrubs and trees along the trail, including a few swamp sparrows,    white-throated sparrows,

and song sparrows.

This winter wren also was scurrying near  the ground along  the trail.

 This female red-winged blackbird was feeding on some lichen on a dead tree trunk.

A few  American robin were also in the fog shrouded trees. 

I could here the rapping of a pileated woodpecker in a tree just above me   and I finally saw this large and beautiful bird in the fog but this was the best photos I could get,

As usual, I walked to the Water Fowl Pond.  There were no wood ducks or herons on the pond as there have been since last Spring. I think they may have already migrated south. My hope that the sun would burn off the fog soon vanished as did the sun. The fog got thicker and I got colder.

I began my one mile walk to the river lands section of this private nature preserve. The Autumns colors, the still green duck weed covered canals and the fog made for some pretty scenery.

It was a kind of eerie walk, perfect for the Halloween season.

I saw a few more birds as I walked in the cold fog, including a flock of white throated sparrows,

some swamp sparrows

and a few song sparrow.

The fog was even thicker as I approached the river lands,

and Lake Took-A-While.

You could hardly see the trees across  the lake.

Again the bright colors on the trees,

made for some eerie but pretty scenes along  the lake.

There were only a few wildflowers blooming along the trail, these white snake root flowers,

and New England asters.

The fog settled on the spider webs along the trail,

there were hundreds of them.

 As I was nearing the far end of the lake, and still shivering, I finally saw some blue skies overhead. The fog began to lift and a new world was unfolding along the lake.  Here is a link to a gallery on my website with some more photos of  my foggy walk in the wetlands and river land . Susquehanna Wetlands fog October 20 2024.

The sun broke through and quickly burned off the cold fog.  The still warm rays of the late October sun immediately warmed me up, especially my cold fingers.

I could feel the warmth of  the suns rays raising from the heated ground. It was like walking in  a different world.  The bright red sumac and other leaves sparkled in  the sunlight.

The  skies were now a deep blue and were reflected in the waters of the lake.

I walked back into the wetlands which also took on an entirely different appearance than my walk a few hours earlier. The rays of the sun filtered through the colorful leaves,

creating a magical Fall landscape.

I walked along the canals, and back to the Wild Fowl Pond,

hoping to see the wood ducks and maybe even a heron ot a bald eagle. Unfortunately the only birds I saw were a lot more song sparrows.  Here is a link to a gallery on my website with some more photos of the birds I saw on my walk in wetlands. Susquehanna Wetlands birds  October 20 2024.

The temperature had risen into the 60’s and I was enjoying my walk in this transformed world in the wetlands.

Bright red winterberries added to the  color of the leaves along the trail.

I walked past the yellow jacket nest  now long abandoned.

I wish I could have stayed, but I had already walked my five miles (and two miles earlier on my walk near my home). And,  I wanted to get back in time for the Philadelphia Eagles football game so I reluctantly left the Autumn beauty in the wetlands. after walking back down to the river,

what a difference the sunshine made. Here is a link to a gallery on my website with some more photos of  walk in the sunshine in the wetlands. Susquehanna Wetlands sunshine  October 20 2024

Sadly, this beauty won’t last long. Many of the trees already lost most of their colorful leaves. Hopefully, I will get one more visit in  the wetlands and river lands with some Fall colors on the trees, and  before the dark, cold and bleak Winter weather arrives. I will still hike in the wetlands, but I will be counting the days until Spring.

I saw old Autumn in the misty morn stand shadowless like silence, listening to silence.  Thomas Hood