Heat And Humidity, And A Few Critters, On The 4th Of July Weekend At The Susquehanna Wetlands

It’s hard to believe a month has passed since my last visit to the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County. June flew by and July arrived with record breaking heat and humidity.  Spring and Summer pass too quickly for me.  I was off of work for the  4th of July holiday  and  returned to the wetlands  early Friday morning. I wanted to beat the heat. Temperatures were predicted to reach 100 degrees.

It was  mostly cloudy and  a warm and humid 73 degrees when I arrived at the  Water Fowl ponds near the entrance gate at 6 a.m. . I didn’t see any wood ducks on  the now algae and duckweed covered ponds, but I did see a few critters, this  eastern cottontail rabbit,

and this pondhawk dragonfly.

I drove to the parking lot and trail head  in the wetlands,

and walked down to the Susquehanna River  and took in the beautiful early July sunrise. It made for a magical scene.

I walked into the lush woodland where the ancient oak, red maple and sycamore tree created a canopy of green over the now green duck weed covered canals and ponds.

There  are fewer wildflowers blooming in the shade of the trees but I did see a late blooming  native blue flag,

and swamp rose wildflowers.

The once lush and green skunk cabbages were  withered and dying.

I took the path between one of the  ponds  in wetlands,where I often seen song birds and I did again Friday morning. I was first dive bombed by a pair of red-winged blackbirds, this was the very aggressive female,

and this the male. There must have been a nest in the nearby reeds.

I also saw a few common yellowthroats here.

I walked to the other side of Water Fowl pond ,

where I saw a few wood ducks who, as always, quickly flew off when they saw me.

I also spotted this red tailed hawk perched atop a dead tree. It too flew off as I approached.

Creeping thistle grew along the pond, some blooming and other flowers already gone to seed. It was too early for the bees, wasps and butterflies to visit the flowers.

I began my mile hike to the river lands area of the private nature preserve. The earthy smell of Summer of  the algae and duck weed covered ponds filled the humid morning air.  It was a good smell.

I heard the continuous song of an eastern warbling birds.  They are common Summer residents in the wetlands.

I also saw the male American redstart another common Summer resident.

I also saw a more unusual Summer resident, a yellow throated vireo in the trees,

and  many noisy  gray catbirds.

I continued my walk through the wetlands,

where invasive purple loosestrife bloomed.

I walked back down to the Susquehanna River where I saw this belted kingfisher perched along the river .

I followed the trail under the ancient oaks along the river,

which took me to the new trails cut through some old farm fields . Here under the black walnut trees ,

I saw a few more  birds, including a beautiful Baltimore oriole,

and some song sparrows.

There was also a ground hog ,

and a few eastern chipmunks out in the warm  morning sunshine.

I also saw this, I believe golden jumping spider.

I left the wetlands and , on the pond in the wetlands along an access road, I saw two families of wood ducks. I often see wood ducks  here . One family was on the one  log,

and the other on a log on the  other side of the pond.

I walked into the river land, and in the canal along the trail

I saw two more  family of wood ducks. They were younger then  other families I had seen.

The parents of the first hurriedly led the ducklings to safety under some trees.

I saw another family scurrying away from me, and this family climbed out of the canal and into the safety of a pond on the other side. I love seeing wood ducks on my hikes.

I walked onto the trail between the old canal and Lake Took-A – While. It was getting hot. Only a few folks fished in the lake or walked on the trail.

There was a large flock of Canada geese   along the trail. The goslings were now as large as the adults.

This gray squirrel was also  scurrying in the rocks along the lake, maybe taking deep to cool off from the heat.

I walked to the end of the lake,

and this time I continued on the Susquehanna Warrior Trail  along an  abandoned railroad right  of way. The 12 1/2 mile trail follows the river to the town of Nanticoke.

  I saw few indigo buntings, this is a male,

and this a female or juvenile. 

I also saw an eastern phoebe.

I left the  Susquehanna Warrior Trail and  walked along a corn field to the Riverlands Trail. I didn’t take my usual 2 mile early morning hike in my neighborhood so I wanted to get in two more miles.

This wasn’t easy in the increasing heat as it got later in ther morning . I followed the trail for about a mile and began my 3 mile hike back to the wetlands in the heat. Temperatures were nearing 90 degrees  as I walked back along Lake Took-A-While.

There was now more insect activity. and I saw this blue dasher dragonfly,

a pair of Halloween pennant dragonflies mating on a  reed in the lake,

and this eastern comma butterfly  resting on some leaves along the trail.

Yellow loosestrife,

and common mullein bloomed along the trail.

It was  an exhausting hike back in the heat. I was glad to return to the wetlands and the shade under the trees. However, it was still hot even in the shade.

It was almost noon when I finished  my  6 1/2 mile , 6 hour hike ( I couldn’t do the 7 miles) . The temperature was 95 degrees. I was glad to start the air conditioning in my loaner Jeep ( my Jeep was getting a new  engine) and even more  glad I had brought along some.  I love the heat but it is taking a toll on this old body. Here is link to a gallery on my blog web page with  some more  photos from  my hike in the heat  in the wetlands and river lands  Susquehanna Wetlands  July 3  2026. 

I decided to return to the wetlands the next morning, this time a little later. I arrived around  9 a.m. I already walked 2 miles in my neighborhood. I  was not going to take many photos, I just wanted to get my  usual 5 mile hike. I had a party to attend at 1 p.m.  I did hope their may  be some more butterflies, bees ,wasps and other insects in the large patches of creeping thistle in the wetlands.  It was mostly sunny and already hot when I arrived. Temperatures where in the mid-80’s. I stopped at the Water Fowl Pond again,  before driving into the wetlands.

I followed my usual path, as I did the previous day, being attacked,

again by the nesting red-winged blackbirds.

I walked to the Water Fowl ponds and,

in the patch of creeping thistle and milkweed  did see a lot of insects. I spent about a half hour in the sun and heat photographing them, and saw a few great spangle fritillary butterflies,

this least skipper butterfly,

this little glassywing butterfly,

and this summer azure butterfly.

I also saw a lot of bumblebees,

this gold-marked thread -waisted wasp,

some eastern yellowjackets  and this

yellow -horned  flower longhorn beetle.  As I often point out, I am no expert on insect, birds or wildflowers and rely on my iPhone apps and Google images for identification.  Please forgive, and correct me if I misidentify somethin.  As I was observing and photographing the insects a ruby- throated hummingbird visited the flowers, but flew off before I could get a photo.

I left the pond with the thistle and milkweed flowers and hiked through the wetlands toward the river lands. I saw a lot of the same birds and wildflowers I saw the previous day.

The only two new birds I saw was this male scarlet tanager,

and this northern house wren.

 

I walked  back down to the Susquehanna river, and, under the ancient oaks along the river,

I found this old chicken of the woods mushroom. It is a choice  edible mushroom and reminded me that it  will soon be mushroom season. Finding and eating mushrooms is one of my greatest passions. My dad taught me two  edible species when I was very young and I have since learned to identify dozens of edible species.

I left the wetlands and came to  the canal where  I saw the wood ducks the previous day. Here I saw this  muskrat staring at me before swimming away.

The two  wood ducks familes were on the canal again.  One family quickly swam to the other side of the canal, led by the parents, and followed by the ducklings. One poor little duckling was unable to climb up the bank and swam frantically   to some reeds. I am sure  the parents would return to rescue it when I was gone.

The other family was huddled under some trees along the canal. Here is link to a gallery on my blog web page with  some more  photos of the birds I saw on my hikes in the wetlands and river lands  Susquehanna Wetlands birds July 3-4 2026.  . 

I walked along  Lake Took-A-While. There were not many folks along the lake. It was hot.  I wasn’t stopping to take  many photos since I wanted to get home  to attend my nephew’s 4th of July party at 1 p.m.

I  walked  to the end of the lake in the heat and humidity and I was feeling it again.

I began my hike back to the wetlands, this time walking on the other side of the canal across from Lake Took-A-While. The large trees here provided shade from the strong rays of the July sun. The temperature was in the 90’s again.

As I walked I noticed some invasive  poison hemlock growing along the trail, and

also some native spotted water hemlock.

Spicebush berries, and

wild summer grapes reminded me again how quickly the Summer was passing.

I felt the heat and humidity as I finished my five mile hike.

I had walked seven miles again. I know it’s a lot but I love to look for the beautiful wildflowers, birds, insects, and mammals that abound in our woodlands in the warm months. There is so much life and I love taking photos and sharing the beauty I find, even on the hottest days of the year.  Here is link to a gallery on my blog web page with  some more  photos of the birds I saw on my hikes in the wetlands and river lands  Here is link to a gallery on my blog web page with  some more  photos from  my hike in the heat  in the wetlands and river lands  Susquehanna Wetlands  July 4 2026. 

Midsummer noontide in a sky of brass:
The sun like flame licks at the blistered earth,
And shrivels up the blades of withering grass…
~John Gould Fletcher