Heat, Humidity And Thunderstorms. Summer Hikes At The Susquehanna Wetlands.

I returned to the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County for the first time in 3 weeks on Friday afternoon.  What a contrast from my  recent trip to Greenland. It was hot, humid and green when I arrived with temperature near 90 degrees. Greenland was cool and there were no trees just a rocky shorelines along the fjords  with looming mountains, some still covered with snow. It was a great trip but I missed the heat and the wetlands.

I didn’t see much wildlife in Greenland, a lot of ravens, seagulls, a cool arctic fox and and amazing  humpback whales. But there wasn’t much wildlife in the mid afternoon heat in the wetlands either. There was no  wildlife at the Water Fowl ponds which is  my first stop before I drive into the wetlands. . No wood ducks on the water or birds  in the trees.  I did  hear a few cicadas  but not the loud chorus of these insects I expected. The critters were not as dumb as me walking in the mod-day heat.  The wetlands changed so much since my last visit, and there were signs Summer was past its peak. The blackberries were almost all gone, only  a few ripe ones remained.

The  black walnut and hickory trees near the ponds  were laden with nuts. I knew I had to enjoy the Summer  heat I love,  since colder and darker days were coming.

While photographing the hickory nuts I saw this northern flicker in a nearby tree. It would be the only bird I would see or hear for a while in the heat and humidity.

I drove to the wetlands parking lot and walked down to the Susquehanna River. It was much lower then on my last visit. . It had been dry here  in Northeastern Pennsylvania for a few weeks.

I walked into the wetlands and saw another sign of the end of Summer, the tall sycamore trees,

were shedding their bark.

I also found this large Berkley polypore under an oak tree.

It was very quiet as I walked along the green, duckweed covered ponds and canals. . No birds were singing.   I didn’t expect to see much wildlife in the heat.  I was surprised, however, that  not even the cicadas were quiet.  It was too hot for them too.

The many colorful wildlife flowers of Spring and early Summer were gone, replaced by grasses and sedge,  I believe this is Gray’s sedge 

and this common bur-reed.

The only flower blooming in the wetlands was this swamp milkweed.

I walked to the Water Fowl Pond and saw a few wood ducks in the reeds on the other side of the pond, to far to get any good photos. 

I did this lome  song sparrow foraging for food in the heat,

and a great blue heron flew over the pond.

And I saw a few  blue dasher  dragonflies darting over the pond and perching on the reeds along the shore.

I began my walk to the river lands area in this private nature preserve and park, seeing a few snapping turtles in the murky waters of the canal

I was walking back to the river when I heard thunder in the distance and  saw storm clouds approaching  from the north, And they were approaching quickly.

So I headed back to my Jeep on the trail along the river.

I was almost  back at the parking lot when a torrential rain began to fall . I got wet before  I made it  and watched the twenty minute thunderstorm from my Jeep.

After the thunderstorm passed I walked back into the wetlands. A musty, woodsy smell filled the wetlands after  the rainfall. The sun appeared and the wet leaves glistened in the sunshine.

There was more bird activity after the rain had cooled it down. . I saw this yellow warbler perched in the branches along the canal. ,

There were now a  few  gray catbirds along the trail, and, as I walked back towards  the river lands.

I  saw the green heron perched on a tree.

These two deer  peered at me as I walked along the trail,

one walked away into the woods but the other seemed to be as interested in watching me as I enjoyed watching her.

A few cottontail rabbits also were on the wet trails.

As I neared Lake Took – A While , I saw these juvenile wood ducks on the canal.

They seemed unsure of what to do as I approached . I don’t  think they were able to fly yet, and their parents weren’t around to usher them to safety . I was able to take advantage of the situation and get some nice  photos of these elusive birds.

As I got to the lake in the river lands I again heard thunder in the distance , and  more gray clouds appeared to the west.

It looked like another storm approached . I quickly walked back to my Jeep.  As I was nearing my Jeep I realized the storm just missed the wetlands.

It was late afternoon and the heat had me exhausted so I ended  my five mile hike.  But I loved the heat and it was great to be back in the woodlands of Northeastern Pennsylvania.  Thw trails in the wetlands are my  favorite,  even in a thunderstorm. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from my 5 mile walk in the wetlands. Susquehanna Wetlands hike July 25 2025.

I was back in the wetlands early the next morning.  I had wanted to see if the eastern cicada killing wasps were  still along Lake Too-A-While after some vegetation was removed in the areas I had found them along the shore of the lake.  It was mostly sunny, a bit cooler and less humid but still a warm 68 degrees when I arrived early Saturday morning. As soon as I left my  Jeep at the Water Fowl pond I  noticed the effects of the cooler temperature. The shrill, high pitched buzzing of  cicadas   could be heard in all of the trees around the pond. 

And the sounds of birds  also filled the air. I heard and saw more gray catbirds, song sparrows and yellow warblers, and also this American redstart,

and this yellow throated vireo.

This turkey vulture was perched on a dead branch overhead.

There were a few wood ducks in the reeds on the pond.

I drove to the parking lot and down to the Susquehanna River, where a mist had developed over night.

I walked into the wetland in the mornimg sunshine, listening to the louds buzzing of the cicadas.

I also heard the cheerful songs of a few Carolina wrens,

and saw a pair of white breasted nuthatches scampering down a tree.

I saw this American robin with some nesting material, apparently starting a late season family. They are only short distance migrants and  will be able to raise a possible second family before flying south. Some robins remain in the wetlands during mild Winters.

Like on the previous afternoon, I  walked to the Water Pond and then began my hike to the river lands, about a mile away.

On the way I saw a few insects, icluding more blue dasher dragonflies,

an ebony jewelwing damselfly, and,

a spicebush swallowtail butterfly.

A pair of eastern phoebes were fluttering over a canal, probably hunting the insects I was seeing.

I walked into the river lands, and walked along Lake Took-A_While.

Here, without the shade of the large trees in the wetlands there were a few more mid- Summer wildflowers in bloom. Native blue vervain,

bulbet bearing water hemlock and

white meadowsweet  were in bloom.

as were the invasive yellow loosestrife and

cutleaf teasel. 

The large soft leaves of the invasive but beneficial common mullein  were also growing along the trail.

As I walked along the lake I found what I came to see, large swarms of cicada killer wasps buzzing on the ground along the trail. These large non-aggressive  wasps feed on the annual cicadas that have emerged. 

There were a few folks walking along the lake, a few more fishing and a  couple fishermen were on small boats in the lake. It was a beautiful mid-summer morning.

I walked to the far end of the lake, where I saw  the flock of Canada geese.

It is hard to tell the juveniles from the parents now.

I began my hike back and saw  some more blue dasher dragonflies and a few Halloween pennant dragonflies along the lake.

I also saw this great blue heron along the lake,

and watched it fly off as I approached.

There was also a willow flycatcher,

a green heron

and a few American goldfinches in the trees. I wouldn’t see any more new species of birds on my hike.  Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hikes in the wetlands.  Susquehanna Wetlands birds  July 25-26 2025.

It had warmed up and the temperature was in the 80’s when I returned to the wetlands,

I saw a few painted turtles in the canal, and

I saw this fawn, who like the deer I saw the day before, was just as interested in my as I was in it. It was a beautiful creature.

I finished my five mile hike with the now loud sounds of the cicadas filling the wetlands. It was a comforting song to me , bringing back memories of many past wonderful Summers . Summer, is, and has always been my favorite season. Sadly it passed so quickly as I get older. I don’t know how many more Summers I will see, but I know I’ll enjoy them all, as long as I can see a fawn or hear a cicada. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from another  5 mile hike  in the wetlands. Susquehanna Wetlands   July  26 2025.

The years came and went, the children came and left. The worst of getting old is not tiredness and aches and pains, but that time rushes on so quickly, that in the end it doesn’t seem to exist. It’s Christmas and then it’s Easter. It’s a clear winter’s day and then a hot summer’s day. In between it’s a vacuum.  Marianne Fredriksson