It’s Been A Mild January But Still Ice, And Some Snow, At The PPL Wetlands

I decided to hike on one of my favorite trails this morning,  the PPL Wetlands in Salem Township.  Most years,  in January, I would find thick ice on the ponds and canals  and a deep snow cover  on the trails but  we  had  unseasonably mild weather here in Northeastern Pennsylvania, so I found no snow and only a thin layer of ice on the ponds and canals. 

Some of the ponds actually had open water which is very unusual for January. 

And the canals still had some green patches of duck weed growing beneath the ice, again an indication of the mild weather. 

And most  surprising was what  find in the partially  frozen ground, the emerging sheaths of the skunk cabbage. Usually the first plants to emerge, in early March,  I have never found them growing in January before. I hope it is a sign of early Spring but it also may be proof our climate is changing. 

It was cloudy, and the temperatures were seasonable, in the low 30’s , this morning as I walked along the trails and canals.  For the first few miles I did not see or hear a single bird or animal. Not a crow, squirrel, chipmunk or sparrow.  Clearly it was January since it is hard to walk a few feet in the Spring, Summer or Fall without seeing or hearing some type of wildlife.

And there was only a few signs of plant life too. The duck weed I mentioned above, and some frozen, but still green,  and  very much alive, ferns.

There were many ghost of last seasons growth, found in the dead or  dormant remains of last seasons plants, such as these berries from the green brier that grow along the canals. 

Or the thorns on this tree.

Or these twisted vines. 

I walked into the river lands section of the nature area and found. like I did in my last visit, a flock of white throated sparrows. These birds stayed close to the ground under the brambles and green brier vines but I was able to photograph this one resting in a tree branch. 

Like  my last visit, I also found a number of other birds traveling with the sparrows,  including  this cardinal. 

And this flicker high in a tree top.

And this downy or hairy woodpecker .

On my walk back I also encountered a few flocks of the northern or black eyed juncos scrambling on the ground looking for food, the main activity of all wildlife during the cold Winter months. I was surprised to only see one mammal, a gray squirrel, during my five mile hike. 

On my way back I did get a  reminder that it is still Winter, a light, gentile snowfall. 

By the time I got back near my car at the parking area the canals and ponds were again looking more like Winter from the new snow. 

I decided to walked along the Susquehanna River for a bit  and took a few moment to sit and  watch the ice slowly flowing downriver. I find watching  it very relaxing since I first observed the ice on the Susquehanna River  a few miles down river in the Bloomsburg town park when I was a freshman at Bloomsburg College many years ago. Here is a link to a video of the ice flow on the river  I uploaded to Youtube. 

The light snowfall continued, covering the paths and ice on the canals and creating  some nice scenery.  I knew it was also making the 25 miles of roads I had to drive to my home icy and dangerous  so I decided it was time to leave the newly created winter wonderland, knowing, God willing, I can always return tomorrow. Here is a link to some more photographs from my walk today. https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/photographs-2017/nggallery/photographs-2017/PPL-Wetlands-hike-January-14-2017-

“Natures beauty soothe my eyes,
Refreshes my soul,
Helps in imagination…”
― Debolina