March Comes In Like A Lion, But Still A Few Signs Of Spring At The Susquehanna Wetlands

March “Comes in like a Lion, goes out like a Lamb.”  I have heard this saying or proverb  many times   since I was a young child.  We were told  if March starts out with cold or bad  weather it will end with mild or nice weather and vice versa.  I did a little  research and learned  one possible  origin of the phrase may have been astrological and not weather related. . March begins  with the sun in the constellation  Leo, the lion, and ends in Aries, the goat.  One of the earliest weather  related origins I found  is  attributed  to Thomas Fuller’s  in 1732.

Whatever the origins of the proverb,  March, in my opinion, came in like a lion this year. . It was a frigid 17 degrees with a strong northwesterly wind when I arrived at the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County. early Sunday  morning. The brilliant March sun was shining in mostly clear skies.  The access road to the wetlands was still closed so  I parked by the two ponds near the gate. One was  still covered in ice.   We had some warm weather this past week and there was some open water on the other pond. I looked for ducks and geese on the water but didn’t  see  any.

However, I heard the loud honks of a a flock of Canada geese as they flew over the ponds.  It was a very cold Winter and the ponds were frozen since December. These were the first Canada geese I  saw in weeks.

I  walked into the wetlands on the access road

where I usually see a lot of bird activity in the trees along the road. It was quiet Sunday. The only bird saw on my walk to the parking lot was this tufted titmouse.

At the parking lot I took my usual walk down to the Susquehanna River ,  one of the oldest rivers on our planet. I explored this past Summer from it’s source on Lake Otsego  in New York, to it’s end in Havre de Grace in Maryland.  There was ice floating on the river on my last visit but it was now ice free. I didn’t see any ducks  or  geese on the river either.

I walked back up to the trail head into the wetlands, under the large trees along the river,

and then into the wetlands. It was so quiet this time of year. I came to the old canal and found it was still completely  frozen. I was hoping there would be some or water on the canal. I have seen muskrats, beavers, minks and river otters here when they still some ice and open waters.

As I continued my hike I did hear a sign of Spring on this cold March morning. The harsh calls of the male red winged blackbirds echoed in the wetlands. They have returned and were perched in the tree tops already establishing their mating territories.

I also saw a couple of our year round residents, black capped chickadees, feeding on seeds along the trail.

I slowly walked to the Water Fowl pond, hoping to see some ducks on the open water.

And I did. A flock of ring necked ducks swam on the pond,

and, as I was photographing them, a flock of mallards flew off the other side of the pond. The return of the ducks was another sign Spring was near.

I now began my one mile walk to the river lands area of the private nature reserve. I was looking for another sign of Spring, the skunk cabbages. They are usually pushing through the snow or frozen ground by now. But is was a cold Winter and I didn’t see any yet. It won’t be long until I do.

I continued my hike thunder the tall ancient trees in the wetlands

and saw  a few some more birds as the strong March sun warmed up the frigid morning air. I first saw this Winter wren chirping along the trail.

Then I saw a few American robins,

and this white breasted nuthatch in the trees.

On the ground I saw a few song sparrows,

and this northern flicker. Most northern flickers migrate south in the Winter and this was the first one I saw. In the wetlands since last Fall.

Two of their relatives, a downy woodpecker and ,

a hairy woodpecker were searching for food on the trunks of nearby trees. They remain here in Northeastern in  the Winter.

I walked into the river lands, and into a strong wind. The temperature was in the 20’s now but the wind made it fells much colder.

I walked along Lake Took-A-While , its waters reflecting the deep skies.

This part of the lake wasn’t completely frozen and I saw a large flock of common mergansers,

swimming on the lake,

until they saw me and flew off. These birds are usually on the river during the Winter months.

I also saw a small flock of hooded mergansers. I don’t see these birds here to often, and another sure sign of the approaching Spring. .

I walked along the lake, it’s actually a couple small connected lakes and found the further lakes frozen solid.

Here I saw an interesting sight a crow in the ice. I have never seen this before. I watched as it flow off of the ice, circled overhead, and landed back on the ice.

I saw it circling this black object on the ice, and, zooming in with my camera, realized it was a dead crow. I’m thinking it was the mate of the other bird.American crows mate for life. I believe it was mourning the loss of its loved one.

I began my hike back to the wetlands.

A few clouds obscured the sun, but what a difference walking into the sun , with my back to the wind. It now felt much warmer and Spring like. I loved the brilliant sunshine.

And I got a special treat on my hike back,

a juvenile bald eagle flew overhead. Seeing one of these majestic birds always makes any hike a special one.

I was back in the wetlands and it became eerily quiet again. I didn’t hear or see any birds or wildlife. It was now after 11 a.m and I believe no matter the weather or time of year most birds rest in the middle of the day.

I continued my hike through the wetlands, hoping to see a mink, river otter , another eagle or some interesting bird.

The only wildlife I would see was a small flock. of American tree sparrows. These pretty sparrows are here only in the Winter, they will be migrating north to their breeding grounds soon.Here is a link to a gallery on my website with some more photos of the birds I saw on my  cold and windy five mile hike. Susquehanna Wetlands birds March 2 2025

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II walked back to the Water Fowl [ond, hoping to see the ducks  there, or maybe the mink ot river otters. There was no wildlife but I did enjoy the beautiful sunshine and scenery.  I ended my 5 mile hike reflecting on what I had seen. We were now just a littel over two week until Spring and I could feel the first stirrings of life in th wetland. And I knew I would see a lot more on my next hike Here is a link to a gallery on my website with some more photos from  my  cold and windy five mile hike. Susquehanna Wetlands birds March 2 2025.

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, 1861