Migratory Birds, Gnats And Ticks On Another Walk Near The Penn Forest Reservoir.

I decided to hike on the Bethlehem Authority lands  near the Penn Forest reservoir in Carbon County on Saturday. This wasn’t an easy decision. There are so many great trails in the State and local parks and private nature preserve here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I decided on the Penn Forest reservoir trails since it’s quiet and I have heard it’s a great location to look for the song birds migrating through our area in the Spring.

After parking my Jeep along the little trafficked Hell Hollow  Road I began my hike on the Pinoak Run road trail . This appears to be an old fire road  through the mostly oak and pitch pine woodlands.

I was immediately greeted by one of favorite Spring migrants, a black and white warbler.

I soon heard the familiar song of an eastern towhee and saw this in along the trail. These birds were very common in the woodlands near my home  in  Hazle Township, Luzerne County when I was a child. Their songs were often heard on our  hikes and  when we picked mushrooms and huckleberries.

A  great  crested flycatcher landed in a tree over the trail carrying material for a nest.

The woods were filled with  the songs of the  migrating bird, and  after  hearing send seeing  this Blackburnian warbler I knew I made a good decision to hike near the Penn Forest Reservoir.

It was mostly sunny, but windy and cold as  walked up a ridge on the trail through the lush green woodlands. All of the deciduous trees, including the oaks were covered in new leaves blending in  with the pitch pines., also  covered with a new growth of  light green new needles.

Yellow star grass flowers and,

sweet white violets bloomed along the trail.

Our State flower , the mountain laurel along the trail,  was getting ready to bloom. It wasn’t a perfect morning hike  however, in addition to the song birds large swarms of gnats attacked my eyes, nose and ears as I walked.

As I continued on the trail up a ridge,

I also saw what I came to see, a few migratory song birds. I love seeing and hearing these birds that travel thousands of mile to Florida,  the Caribbean Islands, and Central and even South America in  late Summer. I have been traveling  south in the Winter to see them in the forests there and enjoy welcoming back north in the Spring. I saw  a few chestnuts sided warblers,

prairie warbler,

hooded warblers

red eyed vireos

and a few more  great crested flycatchers.

I also saw this oven bird, it was the most common bird I saw and heard on my five mile hike.

The trail split at the bottom of a ridge and I continued on the Pinoak trail. The  strong May sunshine filtered through the new green leaves creating a magical scene.  I  like hiking these trails because of the quiet. And like  my last two hike I don’t see many  other people. . On this hike  I only saw a father and son on bikes and another older fisherman by the creek near the Penn Forest Reservoir.

I found a few  oak  apple galls on the ground. This “oak apples” are actually created by a wasp that lays it eggs on an oak leaf.  The wasp inject their eggs into  the oak leaf causing the gall to form and provide a perfect nest for the wasp larvae. Nature is amazing!

I also was keeping my eyes peeled for  oyster mushrooms which are found this time of year, I didn’t any on my hike but I did see a few platterful  mushrtooms.

I walked on the trail through the lush green  woodlands  and, as I approached Hell Creek,  large groves of rhododendrons now grew along the trail.

 I came to the Hell Creek and the waters of the creek were overflowing form the recent heavy rains.

I was hoping to see and hear the Louisiana water thrush  I saw on my last hike here. I didn’t but I did see a few beautiful birds near the fast flowing waters of the creek including a Baltimore oriole,

a female American restart,

 and this colorful male scarlet tanager.

I followed the  trail to another intersection.  To the left and north the trail followed a creek   up a  ridge. I wish I had the time to explore , but I took the Pinoak Road trail that led back down to the  Hell Hollow  Road.

The strong May sun warmed the cool morning air and also woke up the ticks.. This part of the trail was covered in grass and  I pulled  15 tick off of me, mostly the larger dog ticks.

but also a few of the small deer ticks that carry Lyme’s and other diseases.  I did not apply my tick repellent on this hike but  I sure will next time. 

I continued down the trail hearing the oven birds and other  song birds in the trees along the trail.

I also saw this black throated  blue warbler.

I hiked down to the Hell Hollow  Road and decided to walk down to the creek and wetland near the Penn Forest Reservoir.

I hoped to see the eastern phoebes and  blue  gray gnatcatchers I saw there on my last hike. It  was about a 1/4 mile hike to the creek and wetlands. I didn’t see the phoebe or gnatcatchers.

I did  saw some more wildflowers and plants near the creek including marsh blue violets and

common cinquefoil flowers both native to Pennsylvania.

There were also lush green skunk cabbages and

green false hellebore plants along the creek. 

I also saw one of my favorite Spring flower. pink azaleas blooming along the creek. My dad loved this flowers and he called them “honeysuckles” .

As the air warmed the gnats were gone  and I now saw some mother and butterflies including this spice bush swallowtail butterfly

It was about  1 1/4 mile hike back to my Jeep on Hell Hollow Road.  This road is almost like a trail. I only saw about 4 vehicles drive past me on my walk back under the canopy of leaves from the large trees along the road.

I saw an heard many of the birds I had encountered earlier and also saw a   pileated woodpecker and .   this veery  Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos  of the birds I saw on my 5 mile hike. Penn Forest Reservoir hike birds May 18 2025.

I came to Hell Creek again,

and saw some wild geraniums blooming near the creek.

 As I neared the end of my hike I came closer to the Penn Forest Reservoir. The reservoir is fenced and not open to the public, I could see the Blue Mountian and the Lehigh Gap through the trees here. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos  from  my 5 mile hike.  Penn Forest Reservoir hike May 18 2025.

I was glad I decided to hike  in this large unspoiled tract of land owned by the Bethlehem Water Authority. I just  learned about it last Fall but I know I will be spending a lot more time here. It is a great place to enjoy the beauty of nature.

The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us. Thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing. The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings our love.   John Muir