Sparrows And Mussels On A Short, Dreary And Rainy November Hike At Leaser Lake In Lehigh County.

I was  planning on hiking at the Jersey shore in Cape May, and not at Leaser Lake in Lehigh County on Saturday morning. I had booked a hotel for the weekend  and I was hoping to see colorful  harlequin ducks and other water fowl near  the jetties and  along the beach.

However I was still having some  stomach issues related to my recent travels in India.  I was concerned about complications from the dengue fever I had got in India which could be serious. .  So to be safe I   stopped at the ER at the Lehigh Valley Hospital on the way to Cape May. They admitted me and did a lot of tests.  They released me with some medications and   a follow up with a gastroenterologist. It was  after 3 p.m. and  too late for me  to take the drive to Cape May. I didn’t wasn’t to drive through Philadelphia traffic in the dark.  So I drove back home. I was told to take it easy , so , when I awoke on Saturday I decided to take a short hike along the shore of Leaser Lake.  I knew I wouldn’t see any colorful  harlequin ducks  but I might see some  wood ducks, mallards and maybe a bald eagle.

It was overcast and chilly with a temperature in the mid 40s as I drove the 40 minutes to Leaser Lake from my home in Hazle Township in Luzerne County.  The low cloud cover made for a somber late autumn scene when I arrived. I don’t believe I’ve hiked here in November before.  It was much different than my usual hikes in the Spring when I come down to look for the purple martins when they from their Winter homes in South America.

The lush green leaves of  Spring and Summer we’re gone and the browns, yellows and grays of Winter surrounded the lake. I usually park at the North Shore Boat Launch and hike 5 miles around the lake.

On Saturday I parked at the West Shore Boat Launch since I was only going to hike couple of miles.  I thought the best chance I had to see wood ducks and water fowl was the shallow  arm of the lake with a lot of wet lands. Leaser Lake is a 117 acre lake  opened in 1971 and managed by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. It is is named after American patriot Frederick Leaser, who helped transport the Liberty Bell from Philadelphia to Allentown  during the Revolutionary War in September 1777.

In the Spring and Summer  they shores of the lake are crowded with fishermen.   There were none on Saturday. Many small fishing boats are also on the lake in the warmer months. There was only one on Saturday. I began my hike heading north on the Leaser Lake Loop Trail. The trail was muddy and slippery from the rain we had overnight.

I was surprised there was no bird activity since I knew there were a lot of trees, shrubs and plants that would produce seeds and berries for the birds in the Winter months including, autumn olive berries,

multiflora rose hips,

hazel alder tree  catkins,

milkweed pod seeds

poke berries

and, I believe Siberian crab apples. I was surprised there were no  Winter resident birds in these woodlands  enjoying these many treats.   there was no bird activity at all at the start of my hike.

I continued on the trail and came to the wetlands, They looked far  different then when I hike here in the Spring and Summer. Not only had  the lush green vegetation turned brown, the water level in the wetlands had lowered considerably.  The shore along this arm of the lake was exposed.

There were no wood ducks or other water fowl on the waters here. And there was very few green colors  along the trail, only some of the autumn olive shrubs,

and some common mullein growing along the trail.  It was a dreary brown, gray and yellow scene. 

 I followed the trail to the end of this arm of the lake.  I love the large weeping willow trees here were a small creek enters the wetlands. In the  Spring the buds on the trees are a bright yellow.  On this dreary November morning they were leafless adding to the dreary appearance of the  lake.

The trial continued on other side of the arm of the lake and the wetlands. There was a family of four hiking ahead of me and two woman walked past.

the trail took me back to the center of the lake, and I now realized how low the water level in the lake was.

The shore was exposed and I saw hundreds of mussels  in the mud.

I tried to identify the species and learned there are over 50 native species of mussels in Pennsylvania. I had no idea. There are also some invasive species.  My research told me that the mussels living in lakes and large rivers aren’t edible.

I walked along the shore of the lake and now had a view of the scenic and historic Blue Mountain in the distance.

There were many  cattails along the lake,

and here I finally saw some bird activity , a flock of white throated sparrows were feeding on the seeds of the Summer plants along the trail including goldenrod and milkweed seeds.

And as if often the case different species of birds feed together and I soon saw a flock of American goldfinches, and

black-capped chickadees

As I continued on the trail I saw a large flock of song sparrows and,

a few swamp sparrows feeding in the woodlands along the shore of the lake.  I also saw a few northern cardinals and Carolina wrens but, of course, as I just started to see the bird activity it started to rain. It was a light rain at first but  I decided to head back. I was only out about a mile but I didn’t have my rain gear on and didn’t want to get soaked after my recent illness. And, of course, it rained harder as I made my way back and I did get drenched.

As I walked in the rain I saw a pair of ring-billed gulls on the lake.  I wondered if they came to tease me because I didn’t make it to Cape May and the ocean or whether they were telling me to head back down next  week. I think the later and the trip is being planned. Here is a link to a gallery on my web page with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hike at Leaser Lake. Leaser Lake birds November 22 2025.

I walked back quickly in the rain which slowed down after I had gotten drenched. I didn’t see any more birds in the rain ,

but as I walked along the wetlands,

I noticed this lone flower, a brave hairy aster blooming in the cold and dark of November. It will probably be the last wildflower I see until next Spring.

I finished my dreary hike back at the boat launch,

and stopped in to see the informative placards of the fish,

and birds that can be seen at Leaser Lake. I was reflecting on the big changes I saw at Leaser Lake when seeing the fallen maple leaves along the trail. I look forward to the Spring and when the new buds appear. I will be back looking for the migratory song birds and purple martins. Here is a link to a gallery on my web page with some more photos from my hike at Leaser Lake. Leaser Lake November 22 2025.

“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” — Vivian Greene