Warmer Temperatures And Some Familiar Sights And Sounds At The Susquehanna Wetlands.

It felt, smelled and sounded like Spring when I took my 2 mile walk through my neighborhood  in the early morning twilight Saturday.   It was 54 degrees  and the robins, cardinals and Carolina wrens were singing loudly in the treetops. . I was looking forward to the sunrise and warm temperatures and a hike in the Susquehanna Wetlands. It was supposed to reach the 70’s.

So I finished my hike and took the 35 minute , 24 mile drive to the wetlands in Salem Township, Luzerne County.  The wetlands are only 10 miles from my home in Hazle Township as the crow flies. On the way clouds moved in and a light rain fell.  I wasn’t happy when I found it was 48 degrees and cloudy at the wetlands. I only wore a light hoodie, and I was cold.  The gate to the wetlands trail head lot was still closed for the Winter so I parked by the two ponds  near the gate.

I walked to the ponds and scared off a couple of wood ducks. They were the only water fowl on the pond. Last week there was a large flock of Canada geese and ring neck ducks.  I did see this critter swimming in the Water Fowl pond, I  think it is a muskrat  but it could be a beaver.

It was another quiet walk on the road to the parking lot and trail head. I  heard a few northern cardinals but I didn’t see any other birds. I often see sparrows, woodpeckers, black capped chickadees, nuthatches and titmice here on my walks in the Winter months.  It was quiet Saturday morning.

There  were a lot more garlic mustard,

Dame’s rocket,

and wild garlic growing  along the road. All three of these plants are invasive but edible.

As usual, I walked to the parking lot and down to the ancient Susquehanna River,

and then into the wetlands, finding a tree had fallen across the entrance to the trail since my hike a week ago.

I was very quiet when I approached the Beaver Trail along the canal. I often see wood ducks here but they see me first and fly off before I can photograph them.  Not this time, I was able to get a couple of photos,of a pair of wood ducks,

before the flew away. It was a good start to my hike.

It was still cloudy and cold as I walked along  the trail  and  the red maple trees which were covered in their red buds.

I saw this downy woodpecker and

a flock of rusty blackbirds,

these birds usually are only passing through the wetlands on their migration north. I have not seen any here in the Summer.

There were a lot of male red winged blackbirds singing in the tree tops but I also saw this female feeding on the red maple buds.

I walked to the Water Fowl pond  but there were no water birds or any birds there, not even on of the 100’s of  tree swallows I saw here last week.

The clouds continued to obscure the strong March sun, keeping the temperature in the 40’s. I had no glove or hat and a light hoodie and I was cold.

I walked back to the  Beaver Trail where I saw the many skunk cabbages unfurling now their leaves.

and producing their strange flowers. They are the first native flowers to appear in late Winter.

I walked along the canal toward the river lands area of the private nature preserve.  I heard some more wood ducks and some mallard ducks , too, but didn’t see them.

I did finally see some of the eastern phoebes I have been hearing perched high atop a tree. They are the first migratory flycatchers to return in the Spring.

I also saw a song sparrow,

and a male northern cardinal.

There were some breaks in the clouds allowing some sunshine to warm up the cool wetlands. As it did I heard a few  Spring peepers, small frogs, beginning to sing their Spring song. I walked into the river lands,

where I saw a flock of dark eyed juncos foraging along the trail.

 It was partly sunny and a lot warmer when I walked to Lake Took-A-While.  It was the beginning of fishing season and it  was a youth fishing day. The lake was lined with young fishermen and their parents and grandparents.  It was nice to see so many youngsters enjoying the beauty of the lake.

In addition to the fishermen there was a large flock of double crested cormorants on the lake.

I watched as they swam in unison, with some flying off,

circling the lake and rejoining the flock.

I walked along the lake,

seeing a few more red winged blackbirds in the trees near the lake.

As is my usual routine I walk to the  end of the lake,

and begin my hike back to the wetlands. It was warm  now, temperatures were in the 60’s.

So, when I returned to the wetlands I saw a lot of turtles,

crawling onto to logs or  up on shores of the ponds and canals, some small,

and some big. I am not sure if they are native painted turtles or invasive red  sliders.  

And I heard the wonderful chorus of the Spring peepers. It is one of my favorite sounds. A sure sign Spring is  here.

Walking in the wetlands I saw another sign of Spring,  the brown headed cowbirds returned.

As I neared the end of my five mile hike, the skies clouded up again and a warm rain began to fall.  I saw a few more birds on my hike some American robins, 

and this northern flicker,

a pair of Canada geese,

and a sharp  shinned hawk, I think, soaring high overhead. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web site with some more photos of the birds I saw on my 5 mile hike. Susquehanna Wetlands birds March 28 2025.

I finished my hike in the warm Saturday morning, knowing that every week now, when I visit the wetlands, I’ll see more leaves, flowers, birds, frogs, turtles , insects and a lot more flora and fauna . I love Spring! Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web site with some more photos from  my 5 mile hike. Susquehanna Wetlands  March 28 2025.

“If you are afflicted with melancholy at this season, go to the swamp and see the brave spears of skunk-cabbage buds already advanced toward a new year,” – Henry David Thoreau