It’s Hard To Believe, My Last Hike This Spring In The Susquehanna Wetlands

I haven’t done a lot of  hiking in the Susquehanna Wetlands and Riverlands this Spring.   And  Spring is almost over. I usually am there at least once a week.  However, I did a lot of traveling this year and we had a lot of rain here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I was here last Thursday and it rained every day since then. There was a break in the rain on Wednesday afternoon so I drove back  to this wetlands in Salem Township, Luzerne County to take advantage of the sunshine.

I arrived at my  favorite hiking trail around 2 p.m.  As usual I stopped and  first checked out the ponds near the entrance road.  Large cumulus clouds floated  over the ponds. There is usually some water fowl activity here in the warm months and I saw a family of wood ducks swimming on the far side of the pond. These are the parents, the ducklings swam to the safety of the vegetation along the shore.

Like on my last visit I saw a few migratory birds in the woods along the ponds. I first heard, and saw, this usually elusive  male American restart and was able to get some photos.

I also was surprised first hear the loud chatter,  and them saw, this belted kingfisher land in a tree across the pond. I usually see them in the river lands area of the nature preserve and  park.

After watching the kingfisher I started walking back to my Jeep and saw a female  white tail deer , and then her fawn,  run out from the woods. It was already a  nice hike.

I walked toward my Jeep and  I saw this gray catbird in the trees,

and then saw this northern flicker. All of these birds are migratory and will be flying south  in late August and September.

I drove to the parking lot in the wetlands and, again , as usual, I walked down to the Susquehanna River. The river was still high  from the rains.

I then walked  into the wetlands and under the large sycamore, oak and maple trees.

I saw what may be the last Dame’s rocket flowers blooming  along the trail. This invasive flowers are common here and bloom earlier in the Spring. (Their young leaves  are also edible and delicious}.

Not many wildflowers bloom this time of year in the shade of the trees in the wetlands. There were a lot of  native blue-eyed grass flowers along the trail, this one visited by, I think, a hover fly.

There were still some blackberry flowers blooming too,

but most of the blackberries had bloomed and are already producing fruit. They will ripen in August.

Raspberries were just about ripe now. They always remind me of Summer. My  paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather had them growing in their yards and I spent many a Summer day and evening feasting on them. Both the blackberries and raspberries are native to Pennsylvania.

The once lush skunk cabbages,  one of the first  green  plants to appear in  Spring, where starting to decay and will soon disappear in the new vegetation of Summer.

 The trails were  wet and muddy from the rains.

I walked to the Water Fowl Pond  and saw the wood ducks again. Dark clouds appeared in the skies.  There was rain in the forecast do later in the day but the clouds looked threatening.

I walked back toward the wetlands parking lot  thinking I may have to wait the rain out in my Jeep.

On the way I saw  a lot of birds. I wondered if they knew the rain was coming. There were a few male red winged blackbirds singing in the trees,

this juvenile robin,

an eastern wood peewee,

and a warbling vireo. These birds are all migratory. 

I also saw this red bellied woodpecker,

and a few song sparrows. year long residents in the wetlands.

I was right about the rain. I shouldn’t  have stopped to photograph the birds.   A torrential downpour began and I was soaked before  I got very far.  I had a plastic  bag to cover my phone and camera so I just walked in the warm warm. It didn’t last long and the sun soon  came out again and shone on the lush green late Spring vegetation.

I saw this painted turtle taking advantage of the muddy ground by laying her eggs along the trail. I marked the spot to check out the nest on my return hike,

I also saw a few more birds who were also caught in the rain, this tufted titmouse,

and this female common yellowthroat. They were sitting in the sun drying their wings.

Puddles formed on the trails from all of the rain,

and I saw a few frogs swimming in them. I think this is a green frog.

There were also a couple furry critters drying out form the rain, this eastern cottontail rabbit,

and this gray squirrel,

both scampered away as I approached.

I also saw another family of wood ducks. these a lot closer than the ones I saw on the ponds. They were in a canal as I walked past and quickly swam into the thick  vegetation . The mom or dad swam the opposite way and was calling our in the reeds. I couldn’t get a photo but the parents often do this to draw predators way from the ducklings.

I walked into the more open  trails in the river lands,

and here saw some late Spring and Summer flowers blooming again including spotted knapweed flowers, this one visited bumblebee,

and St John’s Wort flowers.

Native Philadelphia fleabane also bloomed.

Along the canal in the river lands I saw  this turtle nest. I hope the eggs hatched and the young turtles made it to the water and  weren’t eaten by a predator.

I walked along Lake -Took-Awhile and finished my hike half way  on the long lake. It was a pleasant afternoon  but it was getting late and I was getting tired and hungry. 

I headed back to the wetlands,

  seeing this colorful yellow warbler on the way.

In the wetlands I was greeted with the song of one of my favorite migratory birds, a  rose breasted grosbeak.

I enjoy seeing this birds at my feeders in my back yard in the Spring although I didn’t see any this year. They are beautiful birds.  It landed above me and  began singing. It would be the last bird I would see in the  wetlands this Spring.   Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web site  with some more photos of the birds I saw on  my hike.  Susquehanna Wetlands hike  birds June 18 2025.

I walked past the area I saw the painted turtle laying her eggs. I thought she  may still be there, or the nest would be covered and hidden. They are very good at camouflaging  their nest. However, I found the nest uncovered  and no turtle. I also saw a large garter snake slitter past the nest site. I believe the turtle sensed the danger and decided to relocate her nest. I would see a couple more garter snakes but they were too quick for my camera.

I saw one more critter before I finished my four mile hike, this young eastern cottontail rabbit. I hope it avoided the large garter snakes I was seeing. .

It was  late afternoon when I finished my hike. As I did I realized this would be my last hike in the wetlands this Spring. It’s is hard to believe. It seems it was just February and we we anxiously waiting for the Spring to arrive. The years go quicker as I grow older. Soon the leaves will be falling from the trees and the birds will be returning  to their Winter homes. It will come quick, but until then I hope to enjoy as many days as I can in the wetlands and the other  trails here in Northeastern Pennsylvania . Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web site  with some more photos from my hike.  Susquehanna Wetlands hike June 18 2025.

“The hour of spring was dark at last,
sensuous memories of sunlight past,
I stood alone in garden bowers
and asked the value of my hours.
Time was spent or time was tossed,
Life was loved and life was lost.
I kissed the flesh of tender girls,
I heard the songs of vernal birds.
I gazed upon the blushing light,
aware of day before the night.

So let me ask and hear a thought:
Did I live the spring I’d sought?
It’s true in joy, I walked along,
took part in dance,
and sang the song.
and never tried to bind an hour
to my borrowed garden bower;
nor did I once entreat
a day to slumber at my feet.

Yet days aren’t lulled by lyric song,
like morning birds they pass along,
o’er crests of trees, to none belong;
o’er crests of trees of drying dew,
their larking flight, my hands, eschew
Thus I’ll say it once and true…

From all that I saw,
and everywhere I wandered,
I learned that time cannot be spent,
It only can be squandered.”
― Roman Payne,