Hints Of Green Return To The Woodlands As The Susquehanna Wetlands Slowly Awaken

I returned to the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County early last  Friday morning.   I always enjoy hiking here  but especially in the Spring,  when  the natural world awakens from it’s long, cold and dark Winter sleep.  At first the awakening is slow, every day there is little more green in the woodlands in the wetlands. Then, in late April and early May there is an explosion of growth and  green.

Although most of the trees were leafless it was a welcome site to see tinges of green in the woods  as I  arrived into the wetlands . The first buds had appeared on the native spice bush,

and invasive Morrow’s honeysuckle bushes in the wetlands. 

The access gate to the wetlands parking lot was still closed for the Winter so I parked by the Water Fowl Pond and walked in again. I was surprised there were no ducks or geese on the ponds.

As I walked  along the access road I saw more plants  that  were  contributing to the hints of green appearing in the woodlands,

the garlic mustard and

Dame’s rocket I had seen for a few weeks now  continued to grow .

Blackberry and

multiflora rose plants also were sprouting their first leaves.

A   flock of cedar waxwings  flew into the trees along the access road.

I love seeing these elegant birds. They remain in the wetlands during the Winter.

Another Winter resident bird, a male northern cardinal was singing in the tree tops.

I continued on my usual hike to the parking lot and then down to the rain swollen Susquehanna River where I saw a  pair of wood ducks swimming in the fast flowing current until they saw me and quickly flew off.

I walked into the wetlands were I saw this white breasted nuthatch in a tree,

and this pair of American coots on the canal . Although these birds swim on the water and look like ducks they are actually more closely related to the Sandhill crane. I see many  of these birds in the Everglades on my yearly visits.

On the Beaver Trail in the wetlands, in addition to the hints of green, I also saw the red buds,.

of the red maple trees along the canal.

The skunk cabbages, which  heralded the beginning of Spring when they sprouted from the cold soil a few weeks ago , where now unfurling their leaves.

I walked to the Water Fowl pond. There were no ducks, geese or herons on  the pond,

but I did see this fish crow cawing in a tree top.

Walking  toward the river lands,

I saw the pair of Canada geese nesting on the canal.  They were quiet as I approached and not honking loudly to defend their nesting territory as they did the past few weeks. I believe it is because they now are protecting their eggs.

Trout lily leaves  made their first  appearance  along the trail.  It won’t be long until they are blooming. These delicate yellow follows bloom for only a very short time in the early Spring.

I walked back down to the Susquehanna River,

and took the trail along the river,

and through the meadows.

It was quiet morning,  there were no spring peepers or wood  frogs active in the cold morning air. I did see a few of the very common red-winged blackbirds perched on treetops and singing loudly to establish their mating territory .

I walked  into the river lands,

and along Lake Took-A-While.

I was greeted by this belted kingfisher that flew across the lake, 

and perched on a tree branch just long enough for me to take this photos.

I walked along the lake, it was gloomy scene on this cloudy and cold morning.   There was only one person fishing along the lake and one other person walking her dogs.

There were no bald eagles  either, only the flock of double crested cormorants

flying on and off the lake.

A few American robins also were singing in the trees along  the lake.

I walked to the end of the lake,

before heading back to the wetlands.

Although it was cloudy, the strong April sun warmed the cold morning air, and I heard few spring peeper and other wood frogs in  the wetlands . I also saw a few painted turtles who felt the warmth of the April sun through the cloud cover.

The only other bird I saw was this tufted titmouse.   Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web-page with some more photos of the birds I saw on my 5 mile hike in the awakening wetlands. Susquehanna Wetlands birds April 2 2026.

I finished my  5 mile hike in the wetlands, not seeing a lot of wildlife, but enjoying the greening of the woodlands in the wetlands. It is only going to get better the next few weeks, with the blooming of the widlflowers and the arrival of the migratory birds. I love the Spring!Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web-page with some more photos from my 5 mile hike in the wetlands. Susquehanna Wetlands  April 2 2026.

“Spring drew on… and a greenness grew over those brown beds, which, freshening daily, suggested the thought that Hope traversed them at night.” — Charlotte Brontë