I'm Glad I Took My Camera; A Walk On The Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails

I'm Glad I Took My Camera; A Walk On The Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails

pine warbler
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            <![CDATA[It was raining Sunday morning. The forecast called for rain all day. I decided to stay close to home and hike our local Rails to Trails.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.keepyoureyespeeled.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Rails-to-Trails-1-of-35.jpg"><img class="alignnone wp-image-114244 size-medium" src="https://www.keepyoureyespeeled.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Rails-to-Trails-1-of-35-300x200.jpg" alt="Rails to Trails entrance " width="300" height="200"></a>

I wore my rain gear and was going to walk without my camera because of the steady  rain. As I was leaving my car I decided to grab my camera. I was glad   I did. I had only walked a  short distance  when I saw this prairie  warbler  fluttering in the scrub oak trees along the trail. prairie warbler on branch

It seemed like it didn’t notice me in the rain and flew  to  a nearby tree. It provided a beautiful contrast to the dark rainy weather. 

 I continued my  walk and headed  into the pine barrens that are located near the trail.  I was hoping to see some more migrating birds in  this pine, birch and scrub oak woodlands. Last year I saw a number of species of warblers in this patch of woods. This year  I didn’t see a single bird. wooded trail

It was still a nice walk among the trees now getting their  first leaves of the Spring. young birch leaves

I returned to  the trail as the rain slowed and eventually stopped.  It was a good decision to grab my camera. Not only was I able to photograph some of the first leaves and early signs of spring such as this wildflower, white wild flower on trail

I also encountered a number of different species of birds,  including a lot of our common robins. robin on tree branch

I continued on the seeing just the first hints of green on some of the trees.wooded trail

As I approached the picnic area near the Dreck Creek Reservoir, picnic area at reservoir

I saw a number of warblers migrating through are area including this beautiful pine warbler,pine warbler in tree

this black and white warbler andblack and white warbler on tree

a number of eastern towhees rustling in the underbrush,male eastern towhee on branch

A pair of them flew up on a scrub oak,male and female towhees on branch

and I was able to get a photograph of the more elusive female. female towhee on branch

 

I walked out about three miles, still with no rain, and I was getting quite warm in my rain gear. I wish I  could have hiked all day. but it was time to turn back. wooded trail

I saw a few more birds on the way including this phoebe, phoebe on branch

and oven bird. Here is a link to some more birds I saw on my hike. Rails to Trails Hike birds May 6 oven bird on ground 2018.

It wasn’t sunny but it was still a great day to be outdoors in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Here is a link to some more photographs from my hike. Rails to Trails May 6 2018.

 

“The world’s favorite season is the spring. 
All things seem possible in May.”
–  Edwin Way Teale

 

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