Wood Ducks And Woodpeckers: A Hike Along The Weissport Canal

We got some more much-needed rain Sunday  morning here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The heavy rain stopped around 9 a.m. I decided to drive  to the old Lehigh Canal in Weissport, Lehigh County for my Sunday hike. 

It was cloudy, warm and humid when I began my hike along the waters of the old canal. I  soon encountered a pair of mallard ducks sleeping on the water.

I never saw ducks sleeping before. They just floated and spun around in the breeze. 

I also encountered a family of Canada geese walking on the trail. 

As I continued my walk I noticed an abundance of a variety of different fruits and berries growing along the trail, including false Solomon’s seal

wild raspberries, I ate a lot of these, and 

many other types of berries. 

Berries are a primary source of good for the birds that live in our area in the Summer and I saw quite a few on my hike, including this scarlet tanager, 

this cardinal 

and this young woodpecker.

I watched the woodpecker as it enjoyed the abundant berries on this tree. 

The trail was also crowded with many folks walking and biking during the break from the rain. There were also an endless stream of rafts, kayaks and canoes on the nearby Lehigh River. 

I love this hike. Like the PPL Wetlands in Salem Township, Luzerne County, there is so much    to see. The trail is situated between the old canal and the Lehigh River making it an attractive home for a variety of wildlife. I was fortunate to see a family of wood ducks. 

These beautiful birds are usually very elusive but I was able to get some photographs of this mother duck and her ducklings,

 before she swam with them to the safety of some overhanging shrubs along the canal. 

I walked out to the railroad bridge along the trail. 

I once again encountered a flock of black and white warblers.I saw a few in this area of the trail  earlier in the Spring. 

As I began my walk back, the sun broke through the clouds, warming it up. Many  dragonflies now appeared along the canals.

I also found a patch of wild garlic growing on the trail.

I tried a clove and it was tiny, but tasty. 

I saw some more mallard ducks, Canada geese, cardinals and this mourning dove,

and this catbird on my return walk. Here is a link to some more photographs of the birds I saw on my hike. Weissport Hike birds July 22 2018.

As I neared my car the clouds returned and the rains started again just as I ended my hike. It was a perfectly timed hike. I was treated to a wide variety of Nature’s beauty. And, I was glad to see the rain. It makes it more likely I’ll be finding some wild mushrooms soon. Here is a link to some more photographs from my hike. Weissport hike July 22 2018. 

We ought to take outdoor walks, to refresh and raise our spirits by deep breathing in the open air. ~Lucius Annaeus Seneca