No Bears, But A Lot Of Other Critters On A Couple Of August Hikes In The Susquehanna Wetlands.

I returned to the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County last weekend.  This time I wasn’t looking for the bald eagles, river otters, wood ducks, migratory birds or many other critters that live in the wetlands along the ancient Susquehanna River. .  This time I was looking for a black bear. On a previous hike, two weeks ago,  I found  large piles of bear scat along the Beaver Trail in the wetlands.

I had only seen couple of bears in the wetlands since I started hiking here about 15 years ago. One of them was a beautiful cinnamon bear. I knew the chances of seeing one weren’t great but I was excited to try knowing one was in the area. It was cloudy with some fog when I arrive at he wetlands and stopped at the two Water Fowl ponds near the entrance road.

The ponds were covered with green duck weed and algae. There was a large flock of wood ducks on the other side of the ponds and a couple of great blue herons flew off as I approached.   I didn’t hear the northern yellow warblers, American redstarts and other migratory birds. I believe  they have already started heading south as the end of Summer approaches.  I did see this noisy gray catbird singing in the woodlands along the ponds.

I drove to the parking area and took my usual walk down to the banks of the Susquehanna River.

I didn’t see any bears but I was greeted by this whitetail deer,

this cottontail rabbit and

a few eastern chipmunks as I walked into the wetlands.

The large oak, red maple and sycamore trees were still lush and green in the wetlands,

but there were signs that it was mid Summer and the growing season was coming to end.  The  invasive nightshade,

and native arrowwood,

swamp dogwood.

Pokeweed plants produced their berries,

and the hazel lade  their cone-like seeds pods.

The many wildflower that bloomed in early Summer and Spring were gone, only a few wildflowers bloomed in the Summer heat under the shade of the canopy of trees, including the native slender yellow wood sorrel,

early goldenrod.

and daisy fleabane flowers.

It was much quieter in the wetlands now. There were no loud calls of the male red winged blackbirds, marking their territory. I didn’t see any woodpeckers or song birds either. 

I walked over to the Water Fowl ponds,

and here saw plenty of wood ducks on the one pond.  There were three separate groups of young duckling swimming on the green duck weed covered waters,

while this parent watched the ducklings perched on a  log in the pond.

The young ducklings swam quickly to the safety of the reeds along the edge of the ponds, and the older ducks flew off, when this red tailed hawk landed on a tree branch along the pond.

From the reaction of the wood ducks it would appear hey are on the menu of the red tailed hawks that live in the wetlands

I also saw this brown thrasher near the ponds.

 I love hearing them sing, especially in Spring, from a treetop.

There were also a few cedar waxwings,

and American robins in the trees along  the ponds.

I began my one mile walk to the river land area of the private nature preserve.

On the way I saw a few mushrooms growing on the trail,  including  these puffball mushrooms.

and this.  russula mushroom.

I also saw a few more wood ducks  perched on logs in the canal. There have always been a lot of wood ducks in the wetland. It is one of the reasons I visit so often. However, I think this was the most wood ducks and ducklings I have ever seen.

I walked back down to the river and followed the trail under the ancient oaks along  the river ,

to the new trails in the old farm fields and meadows.

Here I saw a Carolina wren ,

and a red bellied woodpecker.

There was not much insect activity in fields. I hoped to see some insects and butterflies here. However, the    leaves and grass were  still wet from some thunderstorms on Friday, and so would the wings of  the insects.  I did see some more signs Summer was advancing to it’s end, wild grapes,

and bitternut hickory nuts.

I continued on to the river lands as   the  sun broke through the clouds.

I walked along scenic Lake Took-A-While,

seeing only a few of the large flock of Canada geese that were here in the Spring and early Summer.   The young goslings  have fledged and can now fly of to feed in the nearby farm fields during the day.

It was now mostly sunny, and the still strong August sun quickly warmed up the moist air. I now saw a lot of dragonflies  darting and hovering on the lake, some, resting on the reeds growing on the shore, including,  blue dasher,

 common whitetail,

and  Halloween pennant dragonflies.

The cicada killer wasps were also still buzzing on the trail along the lake. I had more information on these interesting wasps in prior blog posts.

I walked on the trail between the lake and canal and followed it  to the other end of the almost mile long lake.

Near the center of the lake I found these sunflowers blooming that were planted beneath a flagpole.

It was now sunny and warm and the cicadas were singing in the trees  along the lake as I walked back to the wetlands.

The cicadas were louder in the wetlands,

where  I saw a few duck weed covered  painted turtles in he ponds and canals.

I also saw these American robins sharing a bath with a gray catbird in a puddle along the trail.

I also  found a few more mushrooms including this old man of the woods bolete.

I finished my five mile hike,

and saw this groundhog as I was leaving the wetlands. I also saw some folks who told me there were three bears visiting the wetlands, a large male and a female with a cub. I was excited and planned to return and see the bears.  Here is a link to a gallery  on my blog web page with some more photos from my hike in the wetlands and river lands. Susquehanna Wetlands  August 8 2026.

And I did  return  early Sunday morning.  I was excited and  hoped  to encounter one of the bears who have been roaming in the  wetlands. It was partly sunny, humid and warm in the wetlands when I arrived at the ponds near the entrance. Temperatures were in the low 70’s.  Once again, I saw the large flock of wood ducks on the far side of the pond. A great blue heron also flew off  the pond as I approached.

 I drove into the wetlands and followed the same path as the pervious day, walking down to the river,

and into the wetlands.

Here I saw ths  amanita mushroom.  I had seen it  the previous day on my hike when it was much smaller. This is a photo I took  on  Saturday.

and this one I took Sunday  showing  how much it “mushroomed” in one day.

I also saw a few more boletes growing nearby.

Like on Saturday there wasn’t many birds on my walk to the Water Fowl Pond. However, because of the warmer  temperature  and sunshine, the cicadas were already active and filling the wetlands with their high pitched singing.

At the pond,

There were  even more families of wood ducks then the previous day,  the young  duckings,  which still can’t fly, swimming in the green waters,

while the parents kept a watchful eye on the nearby logs.

I also saw a few song sparrows,

an eastern blue bird,

an eastern wood pewee,

and an eastern kingbird in the wooods along the ponds. I haven’t seen many  eastern kingbirds in the wetlands and I am guessing they are already migrating south. I remember the first time I saw these birds while visiting thew dry forest in southern Puerto Rico.

I walked through the sultry wetlands,

seeing a few more of the many wood ducks that  nested here this year.

I followed the same path as I did on Saturday , walking down to, and along the river,

and  on to the new trails in the old farm fields and meadows.

This time, because of the sunshine and warmer temperstures I did see a lot of insect activity, many bees and wasps visited the goldenrod, snapweed and teasel flowers in the fields, and there were a lot of butterflies, including   eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly,

a silver-spotted skipper butterfly,

and a spice bush swallowtail buttterfly, all visiting invasive cutlleaf teasel flowers.

I also saw this  eastern comma butterfly. Here is a link to a gallery  on my blog web page with some more photos of the insects and other critters   I  saw on my hikes in the wetlands and river lands. Susquehanna Wetlands   insects and critters   August 8-9  2026.

A  northern flicker flew in the tree tops before I left the fields.

I  walked into the river lands again, and along Lake Took-A-While.

I again saw the many dragonflies and cicada killer wasps  I had seen on Satuirday.   This time I walked  past the lake,

and followed the Warrior Trail.

I was hoping to see the indigo bunting before they migrated south.  They have been nesting here for the 10 years I’ve been visiting the wetlands.  And I did see a male singing in a tree top along the trail.

I also saw a male northern cardinal here.  Here is a link to a gallery  on my blog web page with some more photos of the birds   I  saw on my hikes in the wetlands and river lands. Susquehanna Wetlands   birds  August 8-9  2026.

I didn’t take my usual early morning walk before I drove to the wetlands so I wanted to get a few more mile in.  I walked through a trail along acorn field,

an  on the River Trail for about another mile,

before walking back into the river lands,

and then  the wetlands.   It was near noon when I finished my hike. I had walked  over 7 miles.  I was hungy and thirsty.  Although I was a little disappointed not seeing one of the bear, I still enjoyed my hike.  And once again I saw many  criiter, plants, mushrooms and wildflowersin the  the wetlands and riverlands.  I love the peace and quiet of the woodlands and I enjoy sharing some of what I see here on my blog. Hopefully, on my next hike in the wetlands it will include some close photos of a black bear.Here is a link to a gallery  on my blog web page with some more photos from my hike in the wetlands and river lands. Susquehanna Wetlands  August 9 2026.

I was rich, if not in money, in sunny hours and summer days.” – Henry David Thoreau

“The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer… like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning… The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring… but the first week of August is motionless, and hot… These are strange and breathless days, the dog days, when people are led to do things they are sure to be sorry for after.”  Natalie Babbitt