I Love May. A Beautiful May Day Hike In The Susquehanna Wetlands And River Lands

I was anxious to return to the Susquehanna Wetlands on Thursday , the first day of May. I was gone for almost a week. And a week is a long time in the Spring,  I made a last minute trip to Rome last week to attend Pope Francis’s funeral. ( More on that trip in my previous blogs ).   It was a beautiful first day of May and I had to get outside.

I arrived at the wetlands on a sunny and mild afternoon. Things change so rapidly in Spring  here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Every day a new flower blooms or a new migratory bird returns.  I  try and see as much of this change as I  can, especially the Susquehanna Wetlands.  I was surprised to find the gate on access road still closed. I parked at the ponds near the access road and immediately noticed a lot more green on the trees around the ponds.

There were no ducks or other water fowl on the ponds. so I began my walk on the access road to the parking lot and trail head.   On my walk on the  road I found a lot more green on the trees, shrubs and plants. In addition to the autumn olive, maple, and birch trees developing small leaves, the ostrich ferns were now knee high along the road.

The garlic mustard plants now had flowers.

Common violets,

cuckoo flowers ,

and Philadelphia fleabane flowers, all native to our area,  also bloomed along the trail

I also saw my first migratory bird of the day , a pretty small blue gray gnat catcher . I lover  be seeing these birds hoping from branch to branch in the trees along the trail. They will nest here and stay until late Summer.

As I neared the parking lot I saw another migratory bird, my first sighting of the year, a male American restart. I saw dozens of these  birds in the jungles of Guatemala   in November.

It had caught, and was feeding on an insect.

I walked down to the Susquehanna River where I now found leaves on the large trees on the banks of the river.

I entered the wetlands where I saw one of the nesting eastern phoebes. They nest here every Spring.

More common violets  and some  bluets bloomed on the trail,

and I saw this less common , exotic jack-in- the – pulpit flower.   Sadly there was no sign of the yellow trout lilies . I will have to wait another year, and survive another cold, dark Winter to see them.

As I walked along the Beaver Trail,

I saw this field  sparrow feeding on ants  in the leaf litter on the trail

And I soon heard one of my favorite Spring songs, the raspy songs of the yellow warblers.  I saw this one and would see a few more on my hike.I love seeing their bright yellow contrast with the lush green new leaves on the trees.

I also saw a dozen or more of these solitary sandpipers ,

on logs in the wetlands. These migratory birds are just passing through our area .

The gray catbirds  were back too. I love hearing their catlike cries.

As I walked over toward the Water Fowl ponds, I saw  this painted turtle on a log. There weren’t many turtles sunning themselves since the waters of the wetlands are warming up and they don’t need the heat of the sun to warm them up.

I walked to the Water Fowl pond where I usually see some ducks but there were none on this hike.

I began my hike toward the river lands section of the  nature preserve,

and walked past the now large, lush green leaves of the skunk cabbages,

I also saw two new flowers in bloom, the small and delicate Canada mayflower, and

the beautiful native pink azaleas, or, as my dad called them honeysuckles.  When I was a child my dad  would take us, my siblings and I, into the woods every Spring and look for these pretty flowers and the native duck flowers. We would  pick them and bring them home. They are now rare and should not be picked, however,  it didn’t matter to the ones my dad gathered, the entire woodlands we found them on are now being leveled for giant warehouses.  Like the trout lily these delicate flowers only bloom for a few days each Spring.

The mandrake or May apple flowers had produced buds and should be flowering soon,

The only other bird I saw in the wetlands was this Canada goose, who I am sure may have some goslings hidden on a nest. It won’t be long until they are swimming on the ponds and canals in the wetlands.

As I neared the river lands I saw this beautiful  Baltimore oriole in a tree,

singing loudly in the late afternoon sunshine.

I also saw this northern flickers, The northern flickers are one of the first migrants to return in the Spring.

I walked into the river lands and along scenic Lake Took-A-While. Only one family was  fishing on the lake which surprised me on this beautiful afternoon.

There were no ducks, geese cormorants or herons on the lake. Nor any bald eagles flying overhead or perched in the trees along the shore,

only a few noisy male red winged blackbirds and,

another pair of new arrivals, red eyed vireos.

It was getting late, so I only walked about half way along the lake and began my hike back to the wetlands.

In the wetlands I saw many of the birds I saw early and two more new arrivals, one of my favorite Spring songs, a rose breasted grosbeak, which is probably just passing through. I have never seen them in the Summer in the wetlands.

They nest in more mature forest and woodlands

I also saw this yellow throated vireo.

Like the rose breasted grosbeak these birds breed in more mature forest so  was probably just passing through the wetlands .Here is a link to a photo galley on my blog website with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hike. Susquehanna Wetlands birds May 1 2025.

 

It was almost evening  as I finished my four mile hike under the tall trees in the wetlands. I am glad I decided to hike here and see, and share, some of the beauty of Spring that is so fleeting.   All of the woodlands of Northeastern  Pennsylvania will soon be a lush green garden of Eden. It is beautiful everywhere this time of year, but the Susquehanna Wetlands are one of my favorite places to see the beauty arrive.   It never disappoints. Here is a link to a photo galley on my blog website with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hike. Susquehanna Wetlands birds May 1 2025.

May. — The very word makes the heart leap. Birds, Buds, Blossoms, Beauty! Break away from every bondage of circumstance or low spirits and go out into the sunshine. Answer back the bird-note in your heart, kiss your finger tips to every new blossom, and be a part of the spring. ~Eva D. Kellogg,