PPL Wetlands And Riverlands. Plenty Of Wildlife And History.

Last night the warm weather we had here the past few days brought out the welcome chorus of the spring peepers.  These tiny frogs emerge in the spring and the calls  of the male frog fill the night air on the first warm nights of spring.  It also is a signal for me to visit the PPL Wetlands were many species of frogs and all kinds of wildlife can be found this time of year.

These wetlands and riverlands are situated uated along the Susquehanna River near the PPL Power Plant, and maintained by PPL, are homes to many species of water fowl, beaver, muskrats, fox , deer, turtles, snakes, frogs and even bear. I love roaming the abandoned canals of  the old North Branch Canal.  Construction of the canal began in 1826 and the red highlighted link is to an interesting article about the opening ceremonies. And have enjoyed watching, and photographing , many different animals. Last year I encountered the cutest red fox pups.  And a few years ago I ran into a rare cinnamon bear. In a few weeks  hundreds of turtles can be seen on a sunny day basking on logs in the sunshine. 

Today I saw a number of wood and mallard ducks, three great blue herons, two kingfishers and many songbirds. All of these critters were too quick for me to photograph but I still enjoyed getting to see them in there natural environment. I managed to get a few photos of a hawk, some cormorants and an unidentified species of duck. Also heard some different species of frogs in the many swamps of the wetlands. Here is a link to some of their beautiful choruses. https://youtu.be/izL4oJbUodo Also  spotted the first skunk cabbages of the year. These plants are one of the first to appear in the Spring.

There are a number of trails in the area, connecting the Wetlands to the River lands. My favorite is the one that follows the old Native American trail along the Susquehanna River, the Great Warriors Path. This trail is under  towering ancient trees some of which may have been alive when the trail was used by the Native Americans. I often think of the Native American families who hiked this ame path on their yearly migrations in search of game and other wild foods. So much history in this area including Council Cup,  where the treaty giving up the rights of the Native Americans was signed. So if you want a place to get close to nature, have a great chance to see some wildlife and explore some local history the PPL Wetlands and Riverlands are a great places to visit.  Here is the link to some more of the photos I took on my hike today.  https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/photographs-5/nggallery/blog-photos/ppl-wetlands-april-4-2015

“Unexplored paths lead to undiscovered treasures”
― Constance Chuks Friday