LIFE IN THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER WATERSHED – A Natural History of Conewago Falls

September 29, 2026September 30, 2026

The American Grass Spider

American Grass Spider Web and Funnel — The American Grass Spider (Agelenopsis species) builds a rather simple sheet-like web. These creations can sometimes be found attached to exterior walls, but they are more often seen draped across shrubs, brush, mature grasses, or ground covers such as ivy or myrtle. The most notable feature, a funnel, is weaved somewhere along its periphery to provide a shelter for the resident arachnid. Because it is by no means tacky like other webs, potential victims seldom risk entanglement in an American Grass Spider’s trap. Upon sensing a disturbance within their tightly drawn mesh, Agelenopsis species instead depend on exceptional speed to nab their prey.

September 22, 2026September 23, 2026

Equinox and Neotropical Migrants

In the Northern Hemisphere, the autumnal equinox marks the end of astronomical summer, the instant when the sun’s path, the ecliptic, crosses the celestial equator and enters southern skies. The days that occasion both the spring and the fall equinoxes are renowned for their equal periods of both daytime and night—12 hours each.

In the six months since last spring’s equinox in March, the period of daylight at latitudes to our north has been longer each day than those same periods at latitudes to our south. Many breeding birds have found improved success by taking advantage of these prolonged intervals of sunshine to nest. Extended daylight gives them a lengthened opportunity to collect for their nestlings the plentiful food produced by the prolonged hours of solar exposure provided during the growing season. This enhanced feeding regime shortens the length of time vulnerable young must spend in the nest before fledging. Long northern days can provide significant survival advantage for these birds that migrate to breed.

During the thousands of years since the retreat of the most recent North American glaciers, the birds we call Neotropical migrants have developed migration patterns to take full advantage of this phenomenon. As various ecosystems have edged their way north with the moderating climate, these birds have, with each successive generation, followed. They leave their tropical wintering grounds each spring to work their way north to find favorable habitats for efficient reproduction. Natural selection has given them specialized capabilities for recognizing when it’s time to move and how to find their way. In large part, we’re just beginning to understand some of these fascinating capabilities.

Right out of the nest, juvenile Indigo Buntings learn to recognize the rotation of the stars around Polaris, the north celestial pole. This faculty allows them to successfully navigate their way south to the tropics during their first autumn migration. Keep that North Star behind you during the fall flight!

Today’s autumnal equinox is the moment of change. For the coming six months, the period of daylight at latitudes to our south will be longer each day than those same periods at latitudes to our north. Neotropical migrants are fully aware of this change, and these survivors of the ages have already mobilized.

Seldom noticed during their nocturnal migrations through the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, Neotropical species including flycatchers, vireos, tanagers, orioles, and warblers like this Magnolia Warbler have been passing through on their way south by the thousands since August.

In the next week or two, most of the Neotropical migrants still to our north will pass us by. On a quiet night, you may hear their “chip” notes as they communicate with one another while flying overhead. In the mornings, a visit to a forest, a woodland edge, or a successional field may provide a chance for a good look at a migrant “fallout”.

A Common Yellowthroat in a thicket at daybreak.

Nocturnal migrants have acquired this nighttime flight behavior in large part to successfully escape the threat of predation. There are, however, some diurnal Neotropical travelers. These day trippers include birds possessing exceptional speed and maneuverability such as hummingbirds, swifts, and swallows, the latter two engaging in flocking behavior to further reduce the chances of becoming a raptor’s lunch.

During recent days, the bird that may be our most conspicuous daytime Neotropical migrant—the Broad-winged Hawk—has been putting on a show as it passes through the region. Itself a raptor, it has little to fear while flying in the daytime. In fact, thermal updrafts generated by solar heating under bright sunlight are the key to its energy-saving method of covering as many as 200 miles per day while migrating.

Broad-winged Hawks on Thermal Updraft — Broad-winged Hawks rising on a thermal updraft to gain altitude above the Rocky Ridge Hawk Watch.

Broad-winged Hawks Gliding — Broad-winged Hawks gliding in a southwest direction toward Houston, Texas, after gaining altitude on a thermal.

Counting Broad-winged Hawks — Volunteers spotting and enumerating high-flying Broad-winged Hawks above the counting station at Rocky Ridge on Saturday. The day’s “broad-wing” count: 2,704.

"Kettle" of Broad-winged Hawks — A large “kettle” of Broad-winged Hawks boiling skyward on a rising column of air.

More “broad-wings” streaming off to the southwest in the skies of the lower Susquehanna valley. Upon reaching eastern Texas, the entire population of North American Broad-winged Hawks will turn south along the Gulf Coast to make their way to the tropics for winter. Survivors will begin returning to our neck of the woods during April, several weeks after our spring equinox.

A "kettle" of migrating Broad-winged Hawks — Another large “kettle” of migrating Broad-winged Hawks above Rocky Ridge Hawk Watch.

Hawk migration and the movements of other sub-tropical and temperate bird species will continue throughout the fall. To find regional hawk-counting stations and to learn how to identify our local species, visit our “Hawkwatcher’s Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Diurnal Raptors” page by clicking the tab at the top of this page.

September 14, 2026September 14, 2026

Hat Trick at the Cape

During the past week, we’ve been on a road trip seeking to score a hat trick—records of three particular species of flying creatures best found in our vicinity on the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the Delmarva Peninsula. Our excursion led us to the seaside environs of Cape Henlopen State Park at the mouth of Delaware Bay.

So just what were these three species we so eagerly sought?

Were they the three gulls we found scavenging the beaches and marshes for the remains of some expired mollusk, crustacean, or fish?

Always fun to watch, but no, they weren’t the reason for our visit.

How about the four heron and egret species observed in the tidal marsh and at the park’s Gordon’s Pond; that’s even better than a hat trick, right?

Not bad, but nope, it wasn’t the herons and egrets.

Well, then it must be the shorebirds; yeah, it has got to be the shorebirds?

Left to right, a Willet (Tringa semipalmata), a Lesser Yellowlegs, and two Greater Yellowlegs.

Very nice, but it wasn’t the shorebirds either.

What about the three appearances of the Clapper Rail in the tidal marsh?

Now we’re reaching. No, it wasn’t the Clapper Rail’s numerous appearances.

The term “hat trick” has its origins in the game of cricket. A hurler upon retiring three batsmen with three consecutive balls was gifted a new hat. The three species we were seeking are, coincidentally, related to the insects called crickets. Our true goal was to track down the three species of annual cicadas known to emerge, sing, and breed during the late summer on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. None of these species are known to breed in the lower Susquehanna valley, but all are potential vagrants. We were quite fortunate to find all three singing in the vicinity of our temporary susquehannawildlife.net headquarters. During our numerous forays in the area, we were able to make sound recordings of each, and obtained photographs of two. It was an audio hat trick of sorts.

The Northern Dusk-singing Cicada (Megatibicen grossus), a species of southern oak forests…

The Coastal Scissor Grinder (Neotibicen latifasciatus), a species of subclimax maritime forests…

Davis’ Southeastern Dog-day Cicada (Neotibicen davisi), a species of long-needle pine forests…

To learn more about these and other regional cicadas, be certain to visit our cicadas page by clicking the “Cicadas” tab at the top of this page. Once there, you’ll now find sound recordings of thirteen species of periodical and annual cicadas regularly found in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed or adjacent portions of the Atlantic Coastal Plain including Delmarva. Take a listen.

The editor’s 50-year-old pup tent at our temporary headquarters among the Loblolly Pines and maritime dune forest of Cape Henlopen State Park in Sussex County, Delaware. He enjoyed these deluxe accommodations, but received no new cap.

September 11, 2026September 10, 2026

Photo of the Day

September 7, 2026September 10, 2026

Muddin’, Just a Harmless Pastime?

It looks irresistible—doesn’t it? To members of the gasoline and gunpowder gang and for exuberant youthful wannabes, this puddle alongside a forest road has “let’s go muddin'” written all over it. It’s an opportunity to rev ‘er up and slash on through to lay waste to those placid waters while draping the car, truck, cycle, or ATV with gobs of soggy slop. It’s an act of spectacular courage that afterward deserves a lap among one’s peers to display the cakes of dried muck worn as decorations of honor.

Rain Pool along Forest Road — A pool of rainwater along a forest road isn’t a mud puddle until subjected to the hedonistic impulses of a dopamine-craving operator of a motor vehicle of other conveyance. In many areas, these puddles often provide the only remaining ephemeral waters available to reproducing amphibians and other forms of life. Their presence along linear roads may help prevent population fragmentation, facilitating genetic mixture to eliminate inbreeding among otherwise isolated colonies of toads, frogs, and salamanders.

Gray Tree Frogs Eating Diatoms — In this pool, we found about four dozen Gray Tree Frog (Dryophytes versicolor) tadpoles feeding on tiny green clusters of diatoms. Diatoms are microscopic phytoplankton that grow in almost any water that contains the silica necessary for the formation of their cell walls. During photosynthesis, diatoms generate as much as half the world’s supply of oxygen and fix enormous quantities of carbon dioxide. They may make up half the biomass of global oceans. As rain rehydrates dried up puddles along forest roads, diatoms are frequently the first sign of life to return.

Sahara Dust Cloud Composed of Diatoms — The dust clouds that blow from the African Sahara to fertilize the Amazon Basin and the waters of the Caribbean are largely the silicate-rich remains of long-dead diatoms. (NOAA/GOES-19 image)

Daphnia and Anopheles — Tree frogs aren’t the only thing eating diatoms in the rain pool, Daphnia, seen here as rufous-brown specks, are a zooplankton often called “water fleas”. Their eggs are durable and can withstand periods when the puddle has no water. Another consumer of diatoms, and an ideal tadpole food, is mosquito larvae. They hatch within days of adults finding the pool and depositing eggs. Two worm-like Anopheles mosquito larvae are seen here, one in the water atop the upper middle portion of the leaf and the second floating to its upper right. In eastern North America, this genus of mosquitos includes the Anopheles quadrimaculatus complex, the Common Malaria Mosquitos from which the disease-causing Plasmodium parasites have been eradicated in our region.

Gray Tree Frog Eating Daphnia — After starting life as primary consumers feeding upon diatoms, Gray Tree Frog tadpoles become secondary consumers, snapping up mosquito eggs and larvae as well as the plentiful Daphnia.

Gray Tree Frog and Daphnia — A Gray Tree Frog tadpole feeding on Daphnia, a minute crustacean sometimes known as a “water flea”.

The Gray Tree Frog tadpoles we found in this roadside pool will mature this fall to live an arboreal life among the trees of the forest. Next year, they may return to the same puddle ecosystems where they themselves were born to mate, lay eggs, and start a new generation. (United States Fish and Wildlife Service image by Sara Hollerich)

Knowing what you now know, how could you ever go crashing through a rain pool again? You wouldn’t want to leave your mother worrying that she raised an eternally adolescent jackass, would you? Or worse yet, a sociopath? After all, you’d never drive up on a sidewalk full of puppies, would you?

September 6, 2026September 6, 2026

A Friendly Little Fly

White-faced/Hornworm Tachinid Fly — While finding a fly alighting upon a putrefying piece of meat wouldn’t seem all that unusual, you may be surprised to know that this fly has no real attraction to dead and decaying animals at all. This adult tachinid fly, probably Archytas apicifer, is a nectar-feeding pollinator of flowering plants. And this rotting chunk of carne is just the editor’s wrist from which it is lapping up some salt and other minerals.

August 27, 2026August 27, 2026

Photo of the Day

Native Wildflower and Warm-season Grass Meadow — While not the showiest of the native wildflower and warm-season prairie grass meadows on the campus at Penn State’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, this Indiangrass dominated hillside is still eye-catching with its ripening seed plumes and interspersed collection of pollinator-friendly species including several varieties of coneflowers and milkweeds for butterflies. Indiangrass not only looks great, its root depth of five feet or more provides excellent drought resistance and assures soil stabilization even on the steepest of slopes. A single dormant-season cutting (with the deck raised) is applied annually to maintain this and numerous other meadow parcels around the hospital complex.

August 25, 2026August 25, 2026

What Happened to the Butterflies?

Uncle Tyler Dyer wants to know, “What happened to all the butterflies. Man, I’m worried. I’m seeing just one or two of the common species, but not in anywhere near the numbers we usually see by this time of year.” His question is a rhetorical one. He understands the contributing factors that have conspired to diminish, fragment, and even eliminate populations of butterflies and other insects throughout much of the lower Susquehanna valley.

Here at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters, we’ve observed but four or five species this year, and only several individuals of each. Despite our efforts to devote every square inch of available space in our gardens and pools to plants that benefit butterflies and other insects, we can only do so much. Much like other areas of the region, our compact parcel is surrounded by more and more pavement, manicured lawn, and properties planted with commercially produced ornamentals cultivated to look good, grow fast, and not attract “insect pests”. To butterflies, the land beyond our little border is a desert.

Among human habitations where there may sometimes be an effort to provide nectar for pollinators including adult butterflies, the surrounding landscape still remains largely composed mostly of asphalt, cement, mowed turf, and tanbark-covered ground that offers few if any host plants for butterfly eggs and caterpillars, and no winter cover for our resident species. In the farmlands, herbicide-tolerant crops treated with systemic insecticides are grown on ground sterilized against the emergence of any potential butterfly host species—no mustards, milkweeds, native grasses, violets, or indigenous legumes. Just look at that barren ag ground in January, no butterfly survives there.

Application of herbicides and insecticides is more widespread than you might think. Few plots of ground in proximity to human activity experience a year without use of at least one dose of a pesticide. Along the highway, in the field, on the lawn, in the trees, across the forest, in the soil, on the water, around the garden, about the house—it’s pure poison to insects and/or their host plants and they don’t survive it.

Great Spangled Fritillaries readily visit milkweed blooms for nectar, but by late summer, require violets upon which they can lay their eggs. As they overwinter on the remains of the violet, the eggs must remain undisturbed. Then, in spring, the caterpillars hatch to feed upon a fresh new growth of violet leaves.

This Zebra Swallowtail enjoys the nectar provided by flowering plants in a pollinator meadow along the Susquehanna River. However, when it comes time to reproduce, this butterfly relies on stands of its larval host plant, the Common Pawpaw, a small tree that grows mostly in the understory of riverine forests. Some of our local pawpaw habitats have already been destroyed by housing development and other construction both in low-lying terrain and in the river hills. Meanwhile, surviving groves of woodland pawpaw are threatened by Japanese Knotweed (*Reynoutria japonica)*, honeysuckles, privets, and other invasive species. Unfortunately, the host plants for many other butterflies face these same threats.

Here at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters, our most common butterfly this summer has been the Monarch. Considering the numeric loses this species has experienced in recent years, its good news for the Monarchs but not so great news for the butterflies we typically see in good numbers and have not.

While their wintering habitat in Mexico faces potentially catastrophic loses due to clandestine logging and other criminal activity, Monarchs do have an advantage once they come north to breed. While other butterflies mate and deposit eggs close to where they themselves were hatched and completed their metamorphosis into adults, each in the succession of each year’s several generations of Monarchs will roam widely in search of suitable stands of milkweed upon which they can lay their eggs.

Monarch Caterpillars Eating Butterflyweed — These are the fast-growing caterpillars hatched from eggs deposited by a pair of Monarchs that found our urban garden. Just yesterday, we discovered them munching away on the foliage of Butterflyweed, a species of milkweed. Other milkweeds in our micro-refuge include Common Milkweed and Swamp Milkweed.

Other than in the few scattered places where habitat is managed for them, butterflies and other insects don’t fare well in proximity to human activity. This is especially true in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed where an already neat and tidy culture has become obsessed with a cleared landscape and thus compulsively sprays, mows, whacks, and cuts away at the habitat critical to the survival of hundreds, maybe thousands, of species of these indispensable invertebrates. Take a walk or a drive and look around. Other than a hanging basket of flowers that may or may not have been treated with poisonous neonicotinoids, there’s no place for a butterfly, let alone its progeny, to survive. Just listen…that motorized, grinding racket outside is the sound of butterfly habitat being destroyed, April through November, day after day, year after year.

As for Uncle Ty, he’s putting in a little more effort. Scattered sanctuaries for butterflies aren’t going to save them from the wholesale fragmentation of their habitat that has been intensifying in recent years. Less than 1% of landowners actually rewild property or manage at the ecosystem level, so more must get involved. Uncle Ty asked us to pass along this guide to Butterfly Habitat Management from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. He’s used tips from the publication for years and highly recommends the list of host plants it includes.

Click this image to download the Butterfly Habitat Management bulletin from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Though this publication is a bit dated, the concepts remain sound and many of the programs listed for planning, funding, and construction assistance remain active.

An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail feeds on nectar while unknowingly pollinating wildflowers in a butterfly meadow. For this swallowtail species to survive, forests or wooded parkland with Yellow Poplar (Tuliptree) and other host plants must be provided nearby. Less than one in one hundred landowners actually go the extra step to implement ecosystem-level habitat management on their property. Butterflies and other wildlife won’t survive unless they have a lot more participation from a lot more friends.

August 19, 2026August 21, 2026

Annual Cicadas Singing at Last

Today, after a wait of about a month, we finally began hearing the belated trills, whines, and rattles of notable numbers of annual cicadas. During the day’s excursions, we identified the songs of each of the five species commonly encountered in the lower Susquehanna valley, but were especially surprised to photograph and make a sound recording of something we had previously failed to observe well enough to identify in detail.

"Engelhardt's Cicada" — This annual cicada found on the lookout at Second Mountain Hawk Watch on the border between Fort Indiantown Gap Military Reservation and State Game Lands 211 (St. Anthony’s Wilderness) in northern Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, didn’t appear to be anything too special. Perhaps it was one of the numerous Swamp Cicadas we had detected nearby as they droned. Then no, by the sound of this individual’s song, it seemed to be one of the more difficult to observe species, a Lyric Cicada (Neotibicen lyricen), an insect most commonly found among treetops in deciduous woods and mature suburban gardens. It was another case of identification by ear, but then again, we hear them well at lot more often than we see them well.

August 17, 2026August 17, 2026

Shocking News

Juvenile Osprey in Nest — The cackle of Osprey nestlings emanating from atop this communications tower adjacent to Wildwood Lake in the Susquehanna River floodplain in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, begins at sunrise and continues throughout the day. These fast-growing raptors are begging for food.

Osprey Searching for Fish — The adult birds respond by searching endlessly for enough fish to keep these hungry mouths full, though seldom silent.

Osprey Hovering — Upon sighting a potential catch, the mature Osprey hovers before plunging talons and head first to seize its prey. The parents supplying their offspring in this particular nest were hauling in mostly non-native species, especially small Common Carp, fish that are easily located as they roam the shallows of the lake and nearby river.

Juvenile Osprey — On recent afternoons, the oldest of the young has ventured off the nest into tree snags along the lakeshore where its cries for a meal in an attempt to intercept mom and pop before they have a chance to carry fish to its younger siblings in the nest.

Little do these raptors know that coming years may not prove so ideal for their reproduction here or elsewhere along this stretch of the Susquehanna. Within recent weeks, Northern Snakeheads, the dastardly demons that are decimating fisheries in the lower-most reaches of the river and its tributaries in Maryland, were reported in the Paxton Creek watershed in Pennsylvania—both at Wildwood Lake in Harrisburg and upstream in the impoundment at Susquehanna Township’s Boyd Park. The specimen at Boyd Park was caught by an angler on May 29th and destroyed. Upon being notified, biologists from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PF&BC) electrofished the lake on June 2nd and found no further evidence of non-native Northern Snakeheads there. Downstream at Wildwood Lake, county park staff reported sightings of a snakehead in the shallow waters of a flooded segment of the ruins of the Pennsylvania Canal on July 15th. The electrofishing crew from the PF&BC surveyed the area on the 17th and found no snakeheads. These reports follow an event in mid-October of 2023 when an angler caught a Northern Snakehead on the west side of the Susquehanna in an impoundment at Grantham Park on Trout Run, a tributary of the Yellow Breeches Creek. The angler, unfamiliar with snakehead identification, released the fish. After it was reported to PF&BC representatives, they and staff from Upper Allen Township, owners of the park, implemented “rapid response measures” to control the invasive pests.

The latest map produced by the United States Geological Survey’s Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Program shows the range of the invasive, non-native Northern Snakehead. That range now includes the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed in Pennsylvania.

This news doesn’t mean the gig is up. Anglers should learn to identify Northern Snakeheads (see our “Fishes” page) and are required to dispatch them upon capture. It remains illegal to transport or possess live snakeheads. It is also forbidden to release/stock snakeheads or any other fish into Commonwealth waters without permission from the PF&BC.

Angler with Northern Snakehead at Conowingo Dam — Northern Snakeheads were imported from Asia as a food fish and escaped makeshift aquaculture attempts to become apex predators in numerous North American waters. They reproduce quickly as they expand their range and decimate both native and non-native fish populations. They are easily angled and excellent eating, but cannot be transported or possessed alive, so kill ’em when you catch ’em. Whether or not Osprey will be able to adapt to these altered fisheries remains to be seen. The presence of snakeheads could rapidly eliminate infested waterways from the nesting ranges of these and other piscivorous birds.

August 13, 2026August 13, 2026

Floodplain and Stream Restoration on the Conewago

Want to have a peek at the final phase of a conservation and pollution mitigation project that is restoring more than a mile of impaired stream and floodplain? Well, you’re in luck.

Legacy sediments, those nasty nutrient-loaded soils that accumulated as runoff behind the hundreds of man-made dams in the lower Susquehanna valley, are currently being removed from a segment of the Conewago Creek (east) along the border between Dauphin and Lancaster Counties. Work is presently underway just upstream of PA Route 230 adjacent to the trailhead for the Lancaster County Parks Conewago Recreation Trail. Much of this multi-stage project is located on Lancaster Conservancy property. We donned our safety vests and checked it out from roadside.

Legacy Sediment Removal on Conewago Creek (East) — Legacy sediments that for more than a century displaced storm waters into previously unaffected areas of the surrounding landscape are being removed along this stretch of Conewago Creek upstream from PA Route 230 between Middletown and Elizabethtown. Previously trapped between banks of eroding mud, the creek is being restored to a natural braided channel configuration that feeds overflow during storm events into adjoining wetlands that not only sequester nutrients, but return water to the aquifer.

The absence of soil conservation practices prior to the 1930s allowed all this nutrient-rich dirt to wash into and choke the floodplain. As it is excavated, the track-equipped dump truck uses the temporary bridge to cross the waterway and haul away legacy sediment, just one load at a time. It’s a big endeavor. Several years ago, more than one thousand loads were removed to restore the stretch of floodplain visible beyond the trees in the background. This phase of the project will do the same.

Legacy Sediment Removal — At roadside, nutrient-rich legacy sediment is transferred to road-worthy trucks for transport to a staging area or directly to a place for reuse. Soils recovered from earlier projects have been incorporated into athletic fields, community gardens, backstops at gun ranges, landfill reclamation, and reinvigoration of the farmlands from whence they came.

Legacy sediment removal and floodplain restoration can benefit the municipalities where these projects are implemented, helping them meet MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) stormwater regulations. During construction, outflows like the one seen here are withdrawn from the edge of the stream to instead use the floodplain’s wetlands to diffuse discharge energy and potentially purify and infiltrate the runoff.

Hyporheic Exchange — These projects do much more than just reduce the nutrient and sediment loads in waters that flow downstream to the Susquehanna and Chesapeake. For local aquifers and aquatic organisms, removing substrate-choking legacy sediment restores function to the hyporheic zone, the area that allows the bidirectional exchange of groundwater and creek water through porous stream substrates and the soils surrounding the waterway’s pools, riffles, and channels. (United States Geological Survey image)

Did you ever walk in a creek or river on a hot summer day and suddenly discover a spot where the temperature of the water feels much cooler than the water surrounding it? That’s a hyporheic upwelling. For their nests, trout, shad, and many other egg-laying fishes seek out areas of pebbly stream substrate where upwelling from hyporheic exchange provides stable temperature conditions and ample oxygen for embryogenesis. Legacy sediment removal that results in the restoration of hyporheic zones often benefits many species of breeding fishes, particularly those requiring coolwater and coldwater conditions for reproduction.

August 4, 2026August 4, 2026

Photo of the Day

Female Southern Spreadwing — While other damselflies hold their wings together in an upright position while pausing for a break, spreadwings are recognized by the way they rest their wings horizontally like a dragonfly while perched. Earlier this morning, this female Southern Spreadwing (Lestes australis) visited the vegetated pools at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters. It’s likely that she’s wandering widely to forage on flying insects during the couple of weeks needed to reach maturation before her move to a more sizeable lake or pond to find a mate and breed.

August 3, 2026August 3, 2026

Photo of the Day

Ringed or Sycamore Assassin Bug — The Ringed Assassin Bug (Pselliopus cinctus) is an ambush predator that stalks its victims on flowering plants in gardens, meadows, and forest margins. It disables its prey by injecting it with digestive juices before consuming the liquefied internals like a milkshake through a straw. Wait, wasn’t that the plot for one of those low-budget 1950s horror flicks? Yeah, I remember it now; they were peddling grasshopper shakes at the snack bar during the intermission and the sales were through the roof. Well, maybe not. Although the Ringed Assassin Bug sometimes takes a pollinating insect like a leafcutter bee, its most frequent targets are flies, aphids, leafhoppers, and various caterpillars. Pselliopus cinctus is sometimes called the Sycamore Assassin Bug, though you’re not likely to ever find them on these lowland trees.

July 30, 2026August 1, 2026

Meet the Beetles

No, this is not an account chronicling a British invasion, especially during the month we celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary of its separation from commonwealth rule. This is instead a short introduction to some of the numerous regional insects of the order Coleoptera.

Globally, there are somewhere between 300,000 and 2 million or more species of beetles, depending on who’s doing the enumerating. A commonly settled upon number is 400,000, which makes beetles account for about 40% of the known insect species and 25% of the animals in the world. In the United States, there are almost 30,000 species.

Morphological variation among individuals in a population of beetles is easily observed. These differences often manifest into adaptations that provide a survival advantage and speciation. It therefore comes as no surprise that beetles were among the life forms studied by Charles Darwin as he pondered natural selection and preparation of The Origin of Species.

Beetle Display at North Museum — During the nineteenth century, Professor Samuel Stehman Haldeman and other members of the Linnaean Society of Lancaster City and County made sizeable collections of beetles. Haldeman mentored society treasurer Simon S. Rathvon’s interest in the insects and he in turn curated the 12,000 beetles in the society’s holdings. The beetle case seen in the photograph is on display at the North Museum on the campus of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster. Many of the Linnaean Society of Lancaster City and County’s specimens were moved from the custody of the college to the museum upon its opening in 1953. (For more on the Lancaster Linnaeans, see our post from February 25, 2018, titled “A Century of Extinction” or, better yet, visit the North Museum.)

If it’s organic, living or dead, a beetle has probably become specially adapted to fill the role of reducing it or consuming it. Beetles are indispensable members of the ecosystems they inhabit. Many function as scavengers, breaking down dead plants or animals into the basic nutrients that renew life. There are those that consume rotting wood, dung, and carrion. Sometimes they eat these things when people would rather they didn’t—such as moist wood that’s part of a house. Then there are species of beetles that are herbivores, consuming parts of the plants that get their energy directly from the sun. There are beetles that eat stems, roots, leaves, buds, flowers, nectar, sap, seeds, and fruit—many specializing in particular plant species or families. Some of these herbivorous primary consumers come to our attention because their populations explode in response to our creation of monocultures of their favored food, but many more act as pollinators for plants critical to human survival. Linnaean Society treasurer Rathvon made these herbivore-plant relationships the focus of many of his nineteenth-century writings, particularly as they affected agriculture. On the upper trophic levels, there are the predatory beetles that feed on herbivores or other carnivores. Many of these species have narrowed their choice of prey to one or fewer species. For example, there is a beetle that feeds only on the subterranean nymphs of cicadas.

Beetles and Trophic Levels — Beetles occupy numerous trophic levels within the food chain. Staghorn or stag beetle (Lucanidae) larvae are reducers that feed on rotting wood. Meanwhile the adults, which are sometimes attracted to man-made lights, consume sap. A herbivorous primary consumer, the Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus), a member of the long-horned beetle family (Cerambycidae), feeds exclusively on Common Milkweed. Ladybird beetles (Coccinellidae), also known as ladybugs, are secondary consumers and favorites of gardeners due to their appetite for aphids throughout most of their lives. (Click the image for a larger version)

Ladies and gentlemen, the beetles…

The Dogbane Beetle (Chrysochus auratus) is one of the leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae), a family which includes numerous agricultural pests. However, as its name suggests, this beetle feeds on dogbane (Apocynum species), a milkweed-like plant of woodland edges and early successional habitats, so it poses no threat to crops or ornamentals.

May Beetles or Junebugs — The large family of scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae) includes dung beetles and other important detritus-feeding decomposers. The may beetles, also known as junebugs, seen here are probably of the genus Phyllophaga, but species-level identification typically requires lab examination.

May Beetle or Junebug — Adult may beetles feed on a variety of leaves throughout the night. The larvae consume the roots of grasses and other plants. Neither life stage does significant damage, but skunks have a passion for digging in lawns to find the larval grubs.

Big Brown Bats are the only commonly encountered flying mammal remaining in the lower Susquehanna valley. To provide the nutrition and energy they need to raise young and store up reserves for hibernation, Big Brown Bats consume large quantities of night-flying scarab beetles (including Phyllophaga species) throughout the summer and fall. In addition, their survival relies in large part upon the availability of adequate summertime birthing roosts in places like warm attics. Later in the year, their needs shift to wintering sites in caves, mines, and quiet old cellars where they don’t need to share space with colonies infected by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the pathogen that causes White-nose Syndrome (WNS), a fatal disease that has wiped out 95% of the bats in some hibernacula. (United States Fish and Wildlife Service image by Pete Pattavina)

Adult Green June Beetles, also known as June Bugs, are often most evident in July. These diurnal herbivores normally consume fruit like this watermelon only after it begins rotting or has been damaged by some other animal. The larvae are mostly detrivores, specializing in consuming mold and humus, especially among the roots of plants that lie beneath layers of mulch or thatch. The grubs are preyed upon by skunks, birds, and moles.

Striped Skunk — Skunks digging among grasses are often harvesting the larvae of many different species of scarab beetles.

Eastern Bluebird Eating Mealworm — Mealworms are the commercially raised larvae of the Yellow Mealworm Beetle (Tenebrio molitor), a species of darkling beetle in the family Tenebrionidae. Perpetual pests in food storage, the grubs are now raised for research and as food for humans and insectivorous animals like this Eastern Bluebird supplementing its winter diet at our headquarters feeding station.

Click beetles (Elateridae) have an articulating prothorax that snaps and propels the insect into the air as a protrusion resembling a spine “clicks” into a furrow on its ventral surface. These sudden launches can help the click beetle escape a potential predator.

Like the previous individual, this click beetle was attracted to man-made light. The larvae consume small rootlets, seeds, and tubers in soil and among decaying organic matter.

Another member of the click beetle family, the Eyed Elator (Alaus oculatus) mimics the head of a snake or other predator to avoid assuming the role of victim. The larvae feed among the stumps and roots of dead and dying forest trees consuming the larvae of wood-boring insects.

The Six-spotted Tiger Beetle (Cicindela sexgutata) is a familiar sight on sun-dappled forest paths. It is a fast-running predator, consuming ants, spiders, and other small arthropods. The larvae ambush hunt from the entrance to their burrow, quickly snagging prey as it passes by.

The aquatic larvae of the Giant Water Scavenger Beetle (Hydrophilus triangularis) are voracious predators consuming snails, other invertebrates, tadpoles, and even small fish. In some waters, they may contribute to the control of mosquitos. The adults are herbivores and scavengers. Some, like this one, are attracted to lights at night.

Photinus Firefly — Fireflies, also known as lightning bugs, are renowned for their ability to produce a flash of light to attract a mate on a warm summer evening. Both sexes of fireflies in the genus Photinus (seen here) produce pulses of yellow light through the chemical reaction known as bioluminescence. Their larvae feed mostly on earthworms. The genus Photuris includes the Pennsylvania Firefly (Photuris pennsylvanica), the keystone state’s official insect, but a beetle that is not particularly plentiful in the commonwealth. Photuris flashes are greenish in color and begin a bit later, usually after dark. Their larvae are scavengers, consuming fallen insects and fruits. A third genus, Pyractomena, flashes amber light. Its larvae consume snails and can be seen ascending vegetation above damp soil along the shorelines of quiet segments of the lower Susquehanna River at nightfall.

Photinus pyralis, the Common Eastern Firefly, is the most widespread and numerous “lightning bug” in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed. Want to see more fireflies around your place next summer? It’s easier then you might think. Just turn out the lights, skip the the lawn treatments, and let more space rewild to tall, mature grass and herbaceous growth, then watch the magic. The star-like twinkles of glowing beetles will be signaling, “I want to hold your hand,” throughout your private firefly refuge.

Male Common Eastern Firefly "Dipping" — Because the male Common Eastern Firefly dips downward then makes an upward swing while illuminating, the species is also known by the common name Big Dipper Firefly.

July 23, 2026July 23, 2026

It’s a Toss-up

Uncle Tyler Dyer is a bit of a numismatic. He’s not invested in anything particularly valuable, but he enjoys filling books with examples of each year’s newly minted specie. Earlier this month, he was perusing his fifty-year-old collection of coins from the bicentennial year of 1976, as well as his book of state and other commemorative quarters issued earlier this century, when he realized he hadn’t acquired a set of semiquincentennial metal. After visiting a local dealer, he stopped by to show us the latest additions to his albums. We found this five-cent piece to be particularly interesting…

2026 Buffalo Nickel — Uncle Tyler Dyer’s latest addition to his nickel folder.

Uncle Ty said he had never before come across a coin that was so well balanced—it’s ideal for tossing. He purchased some extras to share and told us they’re great to carry around in case you’re ever wondering whether or not you’re keeping sufficient distance between yourself and the wildlife you encounter. Just give the coin a tumble skyward and heads or tails, it always yields sound guidance. And that’s no pile of buffalo chips!

July 15, 2026July 16, 2026

Smoke on the Horizon

This fire temperature enhancement of this morning’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite image of remote areas in western Ontario shows numerous large wildfires (indicated in red) burning north of Lake Superior. Ablaze is an area of taiga, the boreal conifer and mixed forests that cover much of interior Canada. The trees that grow in these wilderness areas are adapted to the large fires that regularly incinerate vast swaths of timber. Two of the conifers, Black Spruce (Picea mariana) and Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana), require fire for regeneration and are often among the deciduous White Birch (Betula paptrifera) and Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) that first recolonize burned acreage. As succession proceeds, these pioneer species are followed by growth of Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) and Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis), both of which succeed Tamarack (Larix laricina) and Black Spruce in the sphagnum bogs there. (Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration image)

Kirtland's Warbler in Jack Pine — Just to the south of the area currently being impacted by wildfire, the Kirtland’s Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii) nests only in young stands of Jack Pine in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ontario. During much of the twentieth century, this Neotropical migrant was in endanger of extinction, taking refuge during the breeding season in several areas of Michigan where large fires had cleared away climax forest and Jack Pines were allowed to regenerate. Prescribed fire and block timber harvesting techniques now manage some lands specifically for Kirtland’s Warbler habitat. The species was delisted from endangered status in 2019. (United States Fish and Wildlife Service image by Vince Cavalieri)

Naturalized Northern White Cedar Growing in Rock — The Northern White Cedar is most familiar to residents of the lower Susquehanna valley as the arborvitae, an evergreen landscape tree that includes numerous cultivars and hybrids derived from the wild taiga conifer. In suburbia, this tree is abused, planted in rows to create a fast-growing but short-lived windbreak or privacy screen. How about mixing it up a little bit by adding some variety to those hedgerows? Then, think about using these beautiful trees where they’ll thrive. Northern White Cedar grows like a bonsai artist’s dream among boulders, an inspiration for mimicking their appearance in miniature, and will sometimes naturalize in this rocky terrain under mesic (moist) conditions. Northern White Cedar is a bog species in its native range to our north, so you can give strong consideration to planting scattered specimens in the wet soils of your rain garden, riparian buffer, or other soggy spot. Scatter some around, put a few in clumps, and enjoy the pizazz they can add to a dreary winter day!

White Spruce and Northern White Cedar — A look at Northern White Cedars in the susquehannawildlife.net headquarters tree nursery and, in the foreground, a White Spruce (Picea glauca), another common conifer of the boreal forests. In our area, a miniature cultivar of P. glauca known as “Dwarf Alberta Spruce” is routinely planted as a landscape specimen. On occasion, these compact plants will revert to their “wild” form and grow full-size branches to begin looking more like their ancestral parents.

The visible satellite image from just before 9 AM shows haze from the Ontario fires streaming into the northeastern United States and the Susquehanna basin. The dense, river-like band of brown smoke seen barreling through New York and New England will shift south into our region during the remainder of the day, so slow down and take it easy. How long will these fires burn? Due to the zero-fire forest management strategies of the twentieth century, some areas of taiga haven’t experienced a burn for over 100 years. The highly combustible fuel load of dry logs, limbs, and needles accumulates in these parcels with each passing year, adding to the threat of a greater frequency of explosive, far-ranging, catastrophic infernos. To reduce the proliferation of fuels and to get the boreal forests back on the every-decade-or-so natural fire regime that keeps these biomes healthy and thriving, blazes in remote wildlands that haven’t been subjected to regeneration by fire for many decades are primarily contained to protect people, infrastructure, and unique native assets, but are mostly allowed to burn. (Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration image)

July 6, 2026July 6, 2026

Are Ants Invading your Summertime Picnic? Not in Our Neck of the Woods

If sprinkles of pepper are the only black specks you care to find in your potato salad, and if the only thing you want in your pants is you, then having a swarm of ants visit your outdoor feast is out of the question. During our recent multi-day foray afield, ants were just a cupcake’s throw away, but none dared to scurry out from their hiding place to invade our spread. Fortunately for us, the local anteater was on duty, snatching them up whenever they came into sight—and sometimes before.

We’re all familiar with the Pileated Woodpecker, the prehistoric-looking, pterodactyl-like denizen of the forest whose appearance alone reminds us that birds are the surviving dinosaurs.

Carpenter Ants — Carpenter ants (Camponotus species) don’t eat wood, but instead excavate extensive nests called galleries in damp and rotting timber. Considered both predators and scavengers, they get most of their nourishment by harvesting nectar from flowering plants, by extracting the gooey tissues and liquids from dead insects, by using their antennas to coax honeydew from the aphids they farm, and by carrying away sweet treats unwittingly provided by humans. The Pileated Woodpecker’s long anteater-like tongue is an adaptation for feeding on these ants and other creepy crawlies. Carpenter ants often make up a majority of a Pileated Woodpecker’s diet, particularly during the warmer months of the year. They are one of the first foods young woodpeckers can easily locate and consume on their own. During the colder months, when ants can be harder to find, Pileated Woodpeckers seek out overwintering beetle grubs and other larvae while also foraging for energy-replenishing berries including Poison Ivy, wild grape, and bittersweet.

July 4, 2026July 5, 2026

This Independence Day, Don’t Fall Victim to the BOMBs

Bicentennial Flag Display — It’s the 50th anniversary of the American Revolution Bicentennial.

The gasoline and gunpowder gang’s biggest holiday of the year is once again upon us, so we’ll take this opportunity to pass along the same advice we offered last year…

“This Independence Day weekend, don’t let the celebration turn to tragedy. Keep a garden hose or fire extinguisher at the ready to dowse any hot embers or other potential troublemakers. Fill a bucket with water for use as a trash receptacle for your hot sparkler rods and other pyrotechnic waste. Have non-combustible lids or covers handy to smother any flare ups while you’re grilling. Don’t forget, they’ll be plenty of testosterone and adrenaline circulating to keep the festivities exciting, so skip the alcohol and energy drinks if you’re driving or lighting off fireworks; things don’t need to be any more explosive. And remember, the anthem’s lyrics say, “…the rockets red glare, bombs bursting in air…”, not burning your neighbor’s garage down, so maintain a safe distance with your grills, camp fires, and July 4th displays, won’t you please?”

Perhaps you don’t consider yourself part of the gasoline and gunpowder subculture and think yourself immune from the threat of fire this weekend. Well, think again. The period coinciding with the Independence Day observance during 2026 has the potential to see more fires started by BOMBs (Battery Operated Motorized Bikes) and other lithium-ion powered conveyances, tools, and electronics than ever before. The popularity of these fast-charging devices has placed them in almost every home and workplace in the region. As more and more of them come into daily use, the frequency of battery failures resulting in sometimes catastrophic fires is escalating.

Lithium-ion Batteries — (United States Fire Administration image)

Recharging lithium-ion powered bikes and other devices inside of occupied buildings (or garages and sheds attached to occupied buildings) is risky business. Never charge or store an e-bike in a doorway, stairway, hallway, or other egress route within a structure. When not in use, consider keeping and re-energizing these conveyances in buildings or designated places detached from occupied spaces, preferably in non-combustible surroundings. The London Fire Brigade offers these helpful tips for charging e-bikes and e-scooters.

E-bikes can be incendiary. Avoid storing and recharging BOMBs among combustibles in dwellings and elsewhere. (United States Department of Transportation/National Highway Administration image)

The United States Fire Administration provides these quick tips to improve safety when using lithium-ion powered devices…

Recycle or dispose of faulty batteries properly. (United States Fire Administration image, click for animation)

Don’t overheat your batteries. (United States Fire Administration image, click for animation)

Practice the same caution when recharging them too. (United States Fire Administration image, click for animation)

Charging on a Tile — Our charging station at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters consists of a ceramic tile repurposed from our days in the lab, but any piece of flat stone or tile will do. It allows the device good air flow to dissipate heat while re-energizing. To act as a heat sink, the non-combustible tile itself stands on short feet above the table upon which it rests. This setup works great for tablets, phones, and other small devices. If we were to recharge an e-bike, e-scooter, or other BOMB, it would either be located outdoors or in the garage on a concrete floor beneath the automatic fire sprinklers.

Remember: while you’re recharging them, treat lithium-ion powered electronics like food on the stove—never sleep or leave them unattended.

Be safe and have a memorable weekend!

June 27, 2026June 28, 2026

Swarms of Sulfurs

Balmy evenings and rising stream temperatures are yielding some sizeable flights of mayflies collectively known as sulfurs. These nuptial displays are most conspicuous as swarms attracted to bright lights near the waterways where the aquatic nymphs spent the past year or more before emerging to take wing for their brief period of adulthood. During the past two nights here at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters, we’ve noted what appear to be three different species of these tiny sulfurs gathering on the walls and doors below entry lamps. Each is referred to by anglers using the common name “Pale Evening Dun”.

Sub-adult (Subimago) Leucrocuta aphrodite — Flat-headed mayflies we believe to be Leucrocuta aphrodite, this one a subimago (sub-adult) yet to undergo its final molt, continue their emergence for a third week.

Adult (Imago) Leucrocuta aphrodite — Just one of many imago (adult) Leucrocuta aphrodite mayflies seen paying us a visit.

Sub-adult (Subimago) Leucrocuta minerva — Though similar in size to the prior specimens (about one half inch in length), this flat-headed mayfly subimago (sub-adult) may be a different species, possibly Leucrocuta minerva. We first noticed the arrival of these mayflies early last evening.

Adult (Imago) Leucrocuta minerva — A possible imago (adult) Leucrocuta minerva.

Sub-adult (Subimago) Ephemerella dorothea — Like the preceding mayflies, this sulfur is also referred to as the “Pale Evening Dun”, though you’ll notice it has three tails instead of two and is noticeably larger, approaching one inch in total length. Unlike the flat-headed mayflies (family Heptageniidae) which possess compressed bodies for clinging to rocks and other substrate in the riffles and pools of high-gradient streams, this spiny crawler mayfly (family Ephemerellidae) inhabits lower-gradient waters where it not only clings, but crawls and swims as a means of locomotion. The subimago (sub-adult) seen here is a member of the genus Ephemerella, probably the species E. dorothea. To many fly-tying anglers, it is also known as the “Pale Morning Dun”, the “Little Sulfur Mayfly”, or the “Summer Mayfly”.

June 26, 2026June 26, 2026

Photo of the Day

What happens when a single native plant species like this Oxeye (or False Sunflower) becomes exceptionally common in a forest margin? Well, that stand of Oxeye becomes vulnerable to a runaway infestation of sap-sucking insects like these colorful Dusky-tailed Sunflower Aphids (Uroleucon obscuricaudatum). Because each of our many native aphid species specialize to feed on only one species, genus, or family of plants, these localized aphid booms seldom threaten the overall population of the host. Aphids target soft new growth, so plants that escape infestation in the early part of the growing season have a chance to harden off and thereafter flower, seed, and mature unscathed by these little suckers. After all, if a specialized feeder like the Dusky-tailed Sunflower Aphid wiped out all of the sunflowers and false sunflowers in its range, Dusky-tailed Sunflower Aphids would cease to exist. Look at it this way, aphids do a little thinning to help promote plant diversity in their landscape.

June 14, 2026June 16, 2026

Fishwatching on a Coldwater Stream

What better way to pass a bright, sunny afternoon than to beat the heat by loafing atop a bridge spanning a small coldwater stream? We just lingered in the shade cast by an overarching tree and watched to see what might come by…

The Eastern Blacknose Dace is the most widespread and usually the most numerous minnow in coldwater streams throughout the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed. Sightings from our lookout at a crossing on the East Branch Standing Stone Creek, a tributary of the Juniata River, were in accordance with this generalization.

Tessellated Darter and Eastern Blacknose Dace — The presence of these Eastern Blacknose Dace in close proximity to a male Tessellated Darter’s nest has him unfurling his flag-like dorsal fins in an attempt to intimidate the much larger minnows.

Tessellated Darter — Satisfied the invaders are gone, at least for now, he secures his sails, but continues to stand watch over the eggs, which are probably concealed beneath the boulder on the right.

As it searches for invertebrates and other sources of food along the bottom of East Branch Standing Stone Creek, a juvenile White Sucker stirs up organic material derived chiefly from fallen leaves and other plant matter. Draining exclusively from dense woodlands in Rothrock State Forest, this waterway collects minimal quantities of water-polluting nutrients and sediments. The substrate is mostly sand, gravel, and cobble among boulders of various sizes.

Except for some stormwater runoff from forest roads in its headwaters, the first significant source of thermal pollution on East Branch Standing Stone Creek as it tumbles toward the Juniata is a recreation impoundment at Greenwood Furnace State Park. This Rainbow Trout, which was probably stocked there for angling earlier this spring, is already showing the effects of warming water. As lake temperatures rise into and above the mid-seventies, trout become stressed and are especially susceptible to other factors that can prove fatal. These include parasites, poor nutrition, bacterial and fungal infections, and predation. Because they require well-oxygenated water to survive, trout are especially vulnerable to diminishing oxygen levels in warming and/or polluted waters, so hypoxia is a real concern. From our lookout just upstream from the lake, we watched as this struggling Rainbow Trout, apparently seeking refuge from the mid-day conditions in the sun-drenched impoundment, ascended the cold stream and took cover in some shade.

Juvenile Brown Trout — In waters up the creek from the lake, trout with smaller proportions than those typically stocked for angling have been able to not only survive year-round, they are reproducing there. From our perch over East Branch Standing Stone Creek, we quietly observed this juvenile Brown Trout, a descendant of non-native individuals introduced in an attempt to establish a population of “wild trout” in the waterway.

Juvenile Brook Trout — A population of the Susquehanna watershed’s native salmonid, the Brook Trout, lives and reproduces in East Branch Standing Stone Creek as well. This juvenile began life in much the same way and at about the same time of year as the non-native Brown Trout with which it will have to compete for survival. However, we noticed that this fingerling’s change in physical appearance is not as expedient as that of its introduced competitor. While telltale signs of an adult “brookie” are starting to show, the vertical “parr marks” of a young trout are still quite apparent, and will likely remain visible throughout its first year and beyond. Later in the summer, the dorsal surface of this fish will darken and the vermiculations of an adult Brook Trout should become evident. Most Brook Trout reach sexual maturity during their second year of life, so if all goes well, this could very well be one of next year’s breeders.

Greenwood Furnace State Park and East Branch Standing Stone Creek are located within Rothrock State Forest in northeastern Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania—just over Stone Mountain north of Belleville and the Kishacoquillas Valley on PA Route 305. To identify fish and other aquatic life in clear waters, you’ll need only a pair of close-focus binoculars or a camera with a telephoto lens. Polarized sunglasses really help penetrate the surface glare and shimmer, particularly on breezy days, making them a great fishwatching accessory for spotting your subjects of study.

June 13, 2026June 14, 2026

Photo of the Day

Adult Male Five-lined Skink — Even while posturing with legs and feet held along his flanks so as not to scorch his sensitive little toes on the hot, sun-drenched log, this adult male Five-lined Skink is master of his domain, allowing no other adult males to enter his protectorate. Only juveniles and adult females sporting bright blue tails earn his forbearance and are permitted within his realm. With a diet consisting almost entirely of arthropods including insects, Five-lined Skinks are valuable residents around the garden and farm but are seldom found there due to their extreme sensitivity to the use of pesticides including both insecticides and herbicides.

June 12, 2026July 2, 2026

Good News and Bad News

Axanthic Eastern Garter Snake — The good news is that following a forty-year period without seeing this rarity, we were delighted to finally have the opportunity to observe one again. The bad news is that it was found flattened like a pancake on a street next to a construction site. What is it? To find out, go to our reptiles page by clicking the “Reptiles” tab at the top of this page, then scroll down until you find this same photograph there.

June 11, 2026June 28, 2026

Mayflies and Hitchhikers

Month-by-month and week-by-week changes in water temperatures and other stream parameters trigger the date-specific emergence of flights of particular species of mayflies from the lotic waters where they spend a year or more feeding and growing as substrate-dwelling nymphs. For each individual mayfly, these nuptial flights are only days in duration and include a molt from the sub-adult (subimago or dun) stage to the adult (imago or spinner) stage. Mayflies do not feed during these flights, their sole intention is to mate and reproduce. Conspicuous transitions of large numbers of nymphal mayflies into flying sub-adults are often referred to as “hatches”. So, what’s hatching right now? As local streams reach the upper sixties and seventies, we’ve noticed this mayfly gathering on walls and windows illuminated by man-made light, sometimes a half mile distant from the waterway where they spent the past year or more as a nymph before first taking flight…

A subimago Leucrocuta aphrodite — A possible subimago (sub-adult) Leucrocuta aphrodite, a flat-headed mayfly sometimes called the “Pale Evening Dun”, a common name applied primarily by fly-fishing anglers to several not-so-closely-related genera of mayflies also collectively known as sulfurs. Flat-headed mayflies (family Heptageniidae) are adapted to nymphal life in stream riffles where their low profile helps them cling to the rocks where they feed.

Leucrocuta aphrodite Exuvia with a phoretic mite. — Soon after taking flight, the sub-adult (subimago) Leucrocuta aphrodite molts into a second flying stage, that of the breeding adult (imago), leaving behind its final exuvia. This particular exuvia has a stranded hitchhiker on the abdominal section. Phoretic mites (Acariformes, in part) are thus named because they practice phoresy, attaching to hosts for no other purpose than transportation. Just how small is this little, red-brown mite? Well, the entire mayfly, including tails, is only about one-half-inch long.

June 10, 2026June 10, 2026

Sunfishes of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed

Throughout the lower Susquehanna basin, four commonly encountered Lepomis sunfishes are gathering in the shallows of lakes and ponds and in the pools of the regions streams and rivers to spawn. As water temperatures surge into the upper sixties and seventies, you’ll see them from the shoreline as the colorful male sunfish clears a nest depression to attract and court one or more egg-laying females. After the eggs are laid and fertilized, the male relentlessly guards the nest against trespassers, which can include other males protecting their scrapes located just a few feet away. A colony of nesting sunfish can include multiple species—hybridization does occur.

So grab a pair of close-focusing binoculars or a camera and go take a look. Because they generally thrive in clean, warmwater streams, you might be able to find all four of these Lepomis sunfishes in the waters near you.

Lepomis Sunfishes of the Lower Susquehanna — **Fishwatching 101-** These four species of Lepomis sunfishes are found throughout the lower Susquehanna watershed. The Pumpkinseed and the Redbreast Sunfish, both natives to the river and its tributaries, may be the most beautiful fish found in our region. Click the image to see an enlarged version marked with key field identification points.

While you’re searching for sunfish, don’t be surprised to find Largemouth Bass, another native transplant introduced from the Mississippi River drainage basin, lurking in the shallows. Their spawning period began as water temperatures reached the low sixties. Soon, they and their young will be feeding on the newly-hatched sunfish produced in nearby nests.

June 5, 2026June 5, 2026

Photo of the Day

Great Crested Flycatcher — Just when we thought the northbound migration of Neotropical songbirds had come to an end, we spotted this mid-morning arrival atop the Eastern Hemlocks in the urban susquehannawildlife.net headquarters garden: a Great crested Flycatcher. Its visit was momentary, the paved parking areas, busy streets, and treeless lawns surrounding our little oasis giving it little reason for lingering. But it was, nevertheless, a reminder of the Yogi’s words of wisdom, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.”

May 19, 2026June 5, 2026

The Stewards of Inland Shorebird Habitat

As they travel between coastal wintering ranges and breeding territories in Canada and Alaska, vast numbers of shorebirds pass through the lower Susquehanna region each spring and fall—though few stop here to rest, feed, and provide us with an opportunity to observe them. Prior to the construction of man-made dams and other alterations on our lotic (flowing) waterways including the river, shorebirds took advantage of lateral bars, stream deltas, and other alluvial deposits as places to loaf and re-energize. Before they were drained and filled, some of the valley’s wetlands probably included sparsely vegetated flats where shorebirds could drop in for a brief visit. Previous to their extirpation from our region, North American Beavers were the primary providers of quality habitat for shorebirds and other migrating waders on our lotic waters. Their widespread network of dams, pools, and marshes maximized floodplain function by keeping streams thoroughly connected to their wetlands, nurturing plant communities that not only provided food and shelter for the beavers and other wildlife, but provided superb buffering against erosion while protecting against sediment and nutrient imbalances in lower Susquehanna waterways.

Beaver Dam and Lodge — Beaver dams need not be large, particularly on low-gradient streams where a structure like this is sufficient to create a pool with depth adequate for building and maintaining a lodge and transporting leafy branches and other food items by water.

A beaver lodge assembled in a pool with less than three feet of water, deep enough to provide the family with a measure of protection against terrestrial predators.

Beaver Pool — Beaver pool ecosystems provide homes for hundreds of species of plants and animals, including migrating shorebirds and other waders.

Mud flats in the margins between emergent shrubs and herbaceous plant growth attract migrating shorebirds like this Solitary Sandpiper to the abundance of invertebrate life. Seasonal movements of migrating shorebirds regularly coincide with the reductions of water levels in beaver pools which typically occur between May and September each year.

During its southbound migration in September, a Least Sandpiper searches for arthropods and annelids as it visits a food-rich puddle along the periphery of a beaver pool.

A Pectoral Sandpiper feeds in shallow water near a stand of Common Cattails in a beaver pool.

During migration, rails including the Sora are attracted to dense emergent vegetation in beaver pools. Some will nest in these rodent-managed refugia.

Green Herons visit beaver pools during migration and, due to the reliability of the food supply, will often nest in their vicinity.

So how did this happen? How did the North American Beaver become a keystone species—an animal upon which the majority of other life forms within its ecosystem are so reliant? Well, it’s largely due to the fact that our beavers aren’t particularly fond of a constant stream of noise. More specifically, they don’t like the sound of running water in places where they intend to build and maintain a lodge. And so, as they begin to place sticks, mud, limbs, stones, and other materials within a noisy riffle on a stream, they create a dam, and behind it a pool—a pool that is particularly advantageous for protecting their home and providing a means of conveyance for their construction materials and food supplies.

Cascading Series of Beaver Pools — On a high-gradient segment of stream, beavers will create a cascading series of pools. Because water filters through a beaver dam instead of spilling over it, the work of these meticulous rodents soon silences the sounds of water changing altitude. No more sonorous riffle.

Beaver Dam — **Quiet please.** High seasonal stream flow and damage from storms may create areas where water begins to erode the structure of the dam. Where this condition persists, an adult beaver will soon mend the breach, just to quiet things down. Why would beavers demand such a hush upon their domain? Well, they have poor eyesight, but their hearing is excellent, and they rely upon it to detect danger.

The Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), one of our earliest-arriving warblers, nests in forests along clear, high-gradient streams. In mid-April, we found this individual and three others squabbling over a breeding territory adjacent to the series of cascading beaver pools shown in the previous images.

Brook Trout and Blacknose Dace — Native denizens of coldwater streams, neither the Brook Trout nor the Eastern Blacknose Dace has any difficulty finding its way through the voids in beaver dams to ascend and descend the sequence of pools.

Beaver Dam and Pool on Low-gradient Stream — On a low-gradient segment of stream, a dam just over a foot in height may be sufficient to create a beaver pool of considerable size. Resembling the water-logged muskeg of the far north, well-established beaver pools form boggy habitats familiar to migrating shorebirds.

Water levels in the pools usually drop along with the stream’s base flow as soon as the effects of the spring thaw and rain showers subside. Feeding areas in shallow water and on muddy ground are often revealed just in time for northbound shorebirds and other waders to stop by in late April and May. These conditions often persist through the growing season and the fall migration of these birds which begins as early as late June and sometimes extends into October.

Tree Swallow at Natural Cavity — Where the pool inundates standing timber such as Red Maple and other species not used by beavers, the dead snags provide vital feeding areas for birds and other wildlife. Cavity nesters like this Tree Swallow seldom find suitable natural housing elsewhere.

Eastern Newts Among Alderfly Exuvia — The mosaic of marshlands and braided stream channels within the beaver pool complex supports an abundance of aquatic life including these breeding Eastern Newts, seen here surrounded by the exuvia left behind following a massive hatch of alderflies (Sialinae). Alderflies are a stream inhabitant during their larval stage and are indicator of clean water conditions.

**A modern-day example of the way fully functional stream floodplains used to look in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed.** Though the pools may appear pond-like during the cooler and wetter months of the year, by summer the water levels behind the beaver dams recede as the base flow of the stream wanes. Now the true nature of the marsh, shallow pool, and braided stream complex is revealed. Unlike most man-made dams that set a fixed pool elevation regardless of flow by discharging water over the top of the structure or through a spillway or gate, beaver dams merely throttle the flow through their porous construction. Unless the beaver begins plugging small leaks as fast as the stream flow ebbs, the water level in the pools will drop. So they’re not left high and dry, lodges are located in the deepest pools, usually in close proximity to the dam and/or one of the stream courses. Though not inundated during the dry season, the soil in the pool complex is almost always damp and plants grow vigorously there, sequestering nutrients and retaining sediments in beneficial deposition patterns that actually inhibit erosion of the riparian landscape. These streams and floodplains retain their hyporheic zone and freely exchange water with the underlying water table and aquifer. It’s the ultimate floodplain management system, and the beavers don’t even know their doing all the work. (Google Maps base image)

Where another high-gradient segment of stream enters the main pool complex, beavers have created an additional series of cascading pools. The impoundments created by these dams help diffuse stormwater energy and process more nutrients and sediments within the floodplain’s wetland vegetation system. (Google Maps base image)

Sandhill Cranes in Beaver Pool — Beaver pools often refill as stream flows increase following autumn rains. The stockpiles of vegetative foods that grew within the beaver’s domain through the summer then become flooded and are a prime source of nutrition for not only the beavers, but waterfowl during both their autumn and spring migrations. Gleaning and probing Sandhill Cranes often find these habitats to their liking as well.

While North American Beavers have returned to the region, most live as “bank beavers”, residing in the river and larger creeks of the valley where they excavate shelters among the roots of Black Willows and other shoreline trees and shrubs. Floodplain encroachment, legacy sediment deposits, and just plain human intolerance have all conspired to prohibit North American Beavers from performing their magic on smaller local streams. For migrating shorebirds, this continued absence of beaver dam ecosystems has turned much of the lower Susquehanna valley into “flyover country”. Those travelers that do stop to rest and feed concentrate at the few favorable locations such as the lateral bars and the hydroelectric dam-created delta at the Conejohela Flats on the river in Lancaster County. But centralization has its drawbacks. Migrants spending time at concentration points may have a greater chance of contracting and spreading disease. Protracted heavy foraging can degrade these habitats. And over time, features such the lateral bars and delta deposits, including those on the Conejohela Flats, transition into other habitats—riparian forests. A more widespread selection of favorable stopover points for shorebirds, waders, waterfowl, and other migrants is certainly desirable.

IMITATION IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY

Until public sentiment sways in favor of the North American Beaver, wildlife managers are mimicking some of the attributes of their sound-inspired installations.

New Impoundment at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area — Created by excavating a depression in heavy clay soils, this new impoundment at the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area collects water directly from rainfall and from surface runoff. Its depth at no point is greater than about two or three feet. During the driest times of the year, this space will be a mudflat, and a haven for migrating shorebirds.

Shallow-water conservation impoundments designed, constructed, and managed for migratory waterfowl and waders including shorebirds are not what we typically refer to as ponds—though they are lentic (still) waters. Similar shallow freshwater impoundments at our National Wildlife Refuges are referred to as pools by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, but smaller versions like this example at Middle Creek very closely resemble the prairie potholes created by glacial scour in the north-central United States and adjacent portions of Canada. Many populations of migratory birds are familiar with pothole ecosystems and, like the beaver pools and marshes, have relied upon them as waypoints along their journeys for centuries.

Pond and Lake Zonation — Impoundments most beneficial to migrating waterfowl and waders including shorebirds are shallow in depth. They lack the deeper waters of a pond or lake and thus have no limnetic (open water) or aphotic zones. Managed throughout as a littoral zone, impoundments grow plants in shallow water or on damp soil through the summer months to chew up nutrients accumulated in waste deposited by visiting birds. This vegetation is then flooded from late fall through early spring as forage habitat for migratory waterfowl. The timing of the fluctuations in water levels approximates those of the beaver pools and marshes on lotic (flowing) waters.

Impoundment Gate — A gate assembly is a water control structure installed to provide seasonal management of the water levels in a conservation impoundment. More than once, beavers have heard the sounds of tumbling waters inside these types of devices and tried to dam them up!

You’ve heard the line, “If you build it, they will come.” Well, it’s true. Here is a sample of the activity witnessed during the past two weeks at the new impoundment completed just several months ago at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area along the tour route just beyond the “Stop 3” overlook.

The ubiquitous Snow Geese were among the first migratory occupants of the new impoundment. A few are currently lingering in the vicinity.

Ducks soon followed. These Blue-winged Teal were among the last to pass through earlier this month.

Wilson's Snipe — Wilson’s Snipe were among the first species of migratory shorebirds to visit the new impoundment at Middle Creek…

…as were Killdeer, a species which nests nearby.

Then, earlier this month, flocks of shorebirds including these Least Sandpipers were arriving to feed and rest.

Least Sandpiper and a Semipalmated Sandpiper — A Least Sandpiper (left) and a Semipalmated Sandpiper (right).

White-rumped, Least, and Solitary Sandpipers — Here’s a Solitary Sandpiper (right) feeding alongside a Least Sandpiper (center) and a White-rumped Sandpiper (left).

Least Sandpiper and a White-rumped Sandpiper — A Least Sandpiper (left) and a White-rumped Sandpiper (right).

Rare in our area during spring, the White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) flies north using the central flyway, then heads south along the Atlantic flyway in the fall, when it tends to be more regular here.

Rocking and teetering along as it looks for food, the Spotted Sandpiper may be one of the easiest of shorebirds to identify.

Chunky little Dunlin (Calidris alpina) with their conspicuously down-curved bills are another easy-to-identify species, particularly in the spring when their breeding (alternate) plumage includes a black belly.

Black-bellied Plovers acquire a handsome set of plumage in the spring as well.

The Semipalmated Plover doesn’t have nearly the flair for ornament its close relatives the Killdeer do; these little shorebirds wear only one ring around their neck instead of two. Think this plover is cute?,…

Speaking of legs, here’s one of dozens of Lesser Yellowlegs that visited the new impoundment during their recent northbound travels.

Though less numerous than the smaller Lesser Yellowlegs, a Greater Yellowlegs seldom goes unnoticed when dropping by the man-made pothole habitat.

Wilson's Phalarope — Everyone likes to see something unusual every now and then, and this impoundment delivers. Just yesterday, we photographed this migrating Wilson’s Phalarope (top center) among two Least Sandpipers (top left and right), a Lesser Yellowlegs (left and slightly forward of the phalarope), and a White-rumped Sandpiper (foreground).

Species of wildlife in addition to shorebirds and waterfowl have already found the new impoundment favorable…

Pairs of breeding Spot-winged Gliders (Pantala hymenaea), seen here in tandem while ovipositing, were swarming the impoundment after arriving earlier this week. These dragonflies are ofttimes unpredictable nomads and are similar in appearance to the usually more numerous Wandering Gliders. To recolonize seasonal portions of their range, both are famous for hitching a ride en masse on storm systems. They share the behavior of finding ephemeral and new bodies of water favorable for egg laying due to their low density of aquatic predators.

We watched this Snapping Turtle arrive to apparently find the newly created waters to its liking. Snapping Turtles are important consumers in a wetland ecosystem. Larger specimens may fill the role of an upper trophic level or apex predator, eliminating vulnerable mid-level consumers including other Snapping Turtles.

Because it bounces its tail up and down like a Spotted Sandpiper, you may at first glance mistake an American Pipit for a shorebird. Long known as the Water Pipit, these songbirds have been visiting the impoundment while migrating north and stopping to feed in nearby croplands.

Seen here with Least Sandpipers is a visiting Glossy Ibis.

Western Cattle Egrets visiting Middle Creek this spring have been frequenting the new impoundment.

Western Cattle Egret — With still little in the way of insects such as grasshoppers available in the surrounding landscape,…

…cattle egrets are looking to find prey like this Green Frog.

Managing saturation levels in shallow-water impoundments to resemble the seasonal variations in beaver pool and marsh systems can create lush growth and wildlife-rich environments. Take a look at some images from a project in a headwaters area of a tributary to Conewago Creek (west)…

Well-established Shallow-water Impoundment — By late July, southbound shorebirds were already using these mudflats to feed and rest. Other sections of the impoundment were dense with emergent and aquatic plants, the latter kept hydrated in deeper pools of the project by the inflow from several captured springs that supplement direct rainfall and sheet runoff to supply its water. During a seasonal drawdown, the exposure of the impoundment’s soils to direct sunlight can provide a measure of disinfection to reduce the chances of disease transmission among its populations of visiting birds and other animals.

Water Lily Growth — In the deeper pools of the impoundment, water lilies and other aquatic plants grow in lush mats to provide cover and feeding areas for resident populations of breeding reptiles and amphibians.

Immature Little Blue Heron — …and this immature Little Blue Heron, a wanderer typical of more southern latitudes.

While walking the road among tall grasses in the supporting landscape surrounding this impoundment, we were at first startled when these Sandhill Cranes strode by going the other direction. We quietly kept moving,…

Sandhill Cranes with Colt — The hatching of this colt is testimony to the vital role wetland ecosystems play in the lives of hundreds of species. Whether they be beaver pools and marshes on lotic waters or man-made shallow lentic waters, each of these habitats is filling a void that left floodplains and other critical lowland biomes faltering. While they can’t replace the full-function floodplain management provided by an active beaver colony, shallow-water impoundments can provide relief for habitat-starved populations of the animals and plants that rely upon them. A constellation of these projects on lands public or private across the lower Susquehanna watershed could help provide refuge for many of our flora and fauna with the most desperately fragmented of ranges.

So that you can relax while observing the comings and goings at a pair of the lower Susquehanna valley’s man-made impoundments, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has erected two viewing pavilions for public use on its lands…

The Haldeman Island observation pavilion is located on State Game Lands 290 just upstream from the Juniata River’s mouth on the Susquehanna at Clark’s Ferry in Dauphin County.

Haldeman Island Pavilion — It overlooks not only the island’s man-made shallow-water impoundments and neighboring grasslands, but the hacking tower used in the 1970s to reintroduce Bald Eagles from Saskatchewan to the lower Susquehanna. Interpretive signs explain the conservation stories of habitats and the eagle reintroduction program.

Middle Creek W.M.A. Observation Pavilion — The observation pavilion at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area is of similar construction to the one at Haldeman Island. It is accessed from the parking pull-off along the tour road at its intersection with Chapel Road, just before the right turn and incline that leads to the “Stop 3” grassland overlook.

It too includes numerous interpretive signs to help visitors understand impoundment management.

During the next two weeks, the exodus of migrating shorebirds now staged and feeding upon Atlantic Horseshoe Crab eggs on Delaware Bay will commence. During the evening of their departure from the bay, many of these birds cross portions of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, particularly east of the river. Stormy weather and other climatic conditions may force some of them to seek a place to put down temporarily, so keeping a close eye on the new pothole-like impoundment at Middle Creek may be a prudent move. After that, waders known as “post-breeding wanderers” can show up at any time. Then, beginning as early as late June, shorebirds begin moving south on a migration that can provide us with viewing opportunities into September and beyond. See you out there!

May 10, 2026May 13, 2026

Scenes from a Managed Grassland Ecosystem

Pretty pictures…

Veery — Photographing Neotropical migrants as they arrive to nest in our local forests can be frustrating under closed canopies and diffused light conditions. We instead decided to focus our efforts and lenses on the grassland species at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area where, earlier this week, several prescribed fire burns were wrapping up the spring treatments for 2026.

Warm-season grassland — Managed warm-season grassland habitat at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.

Already tending nests containing eggs and young, Tree Swallows are scattered around the refuge’s grasslands to welcome newly arriving migrants, and human visitors!

Middle Creek is probably the best place in the lower Susquehanna valley to see ground-nesting Grasshopper Sparrows.

Grasshopper Sparrow and Tree Swallow — It’s a behavior that occasionally puts the newcomer Grasshopper Sparrow in conflict with a well-ensconced Tree Swallow guarding its nest box.

Eastern Bluebirds squeeze in among the Tree Swallows to find a vacant nest box within which they can raise their young.

Song Sparrows may be present year-round in grasslands with interspersed growth of early successional shrubs and briars, however the populations at a given location changes as birds migrate in and out of the area seasonally. Those individuals observed nesting here in the spring and summer are not usually the same birds seen during the late fall and winter.

As a species, the Savannah Sparrow, like the Song Sparrow, may be represented in the grasslands throughout the year, though the individuals vary with the changing seasons. Unlike the Song Sparrow which nests in shrubs, the Savannah Sparrow nests on the ground among thick grasses.

Still munching on the seeds of last year’s wildflowers, American Goldfinches are pairing up around the grasslands waiting for thistle down and other fibers to be available for nest construction. They will then build a small cup within the upper limbs of a small to medium-sized tree to shelter their eggs and nestlings.

Eastern Kingbirds are arriving from tropical wintering grounds to nest in grasslands and pastures throughout the lower Susquehanna region. They are a tyrant flycatcher that will ambush insects from a perch atop a tree, shrub, or tuft of tall grass.

Northern Mockingbirds are considered a resident species, though there may be some southward movement during severe winters when foods such as berries become scarce. At Middle Creek, some of these evacuees have returned to nest along the interface zone between the grassland and early successional shrub habitats.

Nesting Horned Larks apparently take advantage of the interface between the managed grasslands and nearly bare soils in spring-planted croplands at Middle Creek. They may be one of the few, possibly the only, species of bird life to take advantage of no-till farming for nesting on the ground.

Red-winged Blackbirds not only construct nests in cattails and other marsh growth, but in dense grasses and shrubs in and near grasslands and pastures. The males are easily seen displaying their plumage as they sing from a small tree, shrub, or a cattail seed spike.

Female Red-winged Blackbird — Less frequently seen is the female Red-winged Blackbird. She spends the majority of her time in the nest, but will periodically come out to join the ruckus when an intruder is being scolded into leaving the premises.

Another member of the blackbird family is the Eastern Meadowlark. It too is an energetic singer during the breeding season. Meadowlarks build their nests on the ground, often in pastures of cool-season grasses where harvests prior to August are fatal to eggs and young. Middle Creek’s managers delay harvests to allow the birds enough time to complete their reproduction cycle.

Another blackbird is the Bobolink, an obligate grassland specialist and a Neotropical migrant. One of its few uses for trees and shrubs is as a place to burst into display and song, though it will also perform these rituals on the wing and among the grass.

Bobolinks — As the males arrive, competition for suitable nesting sites among the grasses becomes intense, even before a female is anywhere in sight.

Did you know the Baltimore Oriole is a blackbird? Well, it is.

Baltimore Orioles — Competition for these ideal sites can get quite animated.

Western Cattle Egrets and Geese — It’s an unusual experience, watching Western Cattle Egrets feeding in a field of cultivated cool-season grasses alongside Snow Geese, though they certainly aren’t looking for the same thing.

We’ll have more on the Western Cattle Egrets and other interesting migrants at Middle Creek in an upcoming post. Check back soon!

May 8, 2026May 8, 2026

New Floodplain and Stream Restoration Projects 4U2C

The majority of floodplains in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed are, to put it mildly, dysfunctional. They are frequently disconnected from the lotic (flowing) streams and rivers that created them and are no longer capable of absorbing, purifying, and infiltrating high water during rain and snow-melt events. They are an ongoing source of nutrient and sediment pollution that impairs both our local waterways and Chesapeake Bay. For the plant and wildlife species that rely upon them for survival, their loss has been catastrophic.

Mill dams once impounded nearly every mile of low-gradient streams in the lower Susquehanna region. During the century or more of their existence prior to the implementation of soil conservation practices during the 1930s, sediments consisting mostly of nutrient-loaded clay, silt, and sand eroded from sloped terrain in storm runoff and accumulated behind these dams, filling many to the brim with mud—six, eight, ten, sometimes twelve feet deep! As the dams fail or are removed, the stream is left channelized, incising a path through a floodplain choked with these “legacy sediments”.

Legacy Sediments — **That’s it, a fresh layer of topsoil oughta do it-** Landowners have become so accustomed to legacy sediment pollution and channelized creeks, they think it’s how a natural stream and floodplain ecosystem looks and operates. They’ll even replace washed away legacy sediment with dirt, rocks, cinder blocks, old sidewalks, and other construction debris to “shore things up”. It’s a delusional approach to managing a space that functions as a place to store, treat, and percolate precious water.

Disconnected Stream — Legacy sediments not only displace flood waters into historically unimpacted lands, they clog the hyporheic zone, the area below and alongside the flowing stream where water is exchanged with the aquifer. (United States Geological Survey image)

Legacy Sediment Layer — Restoration of creeks and floodplains impacted by legacy sediment pollution includes the removal of the layer of nutrient-loaded sand, silt, and clay deposited atop the historic stratum of wetland and stream substrates. These lower layers are frequently gray in color and contain gravel from the former stream beds. Within the organic matter contained in this historic layer, seeds of native wetland plants have rested dormant for more than one hundred years. Some are still viable and will germinate upon liberation from the overlying legacy layer.

Legacy Sediments Removed from Swarr Run Floodplain — Stockpiles of legacy sediments and larger fill items await transport to upland sites for reuse following removal from the impaired floodplain during a stream restoration project completed during the past year on Swarr Run, a tributary of Little Conestoga Creek in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This excavation, part of the project’s phase-two plan, was preceded in 2020 by similar construction completed as phase one on a segment located just upstream.

Swarr Run has been returned to a meandering stream course in a floodplain cleared of nutrient-rich legacy sediments. How are legacy sediments repurposed? Those from previous projects in the lower Susquehanna valley have been used to create a community garden, as a top coating on athletic fields, as a safety backstop at a shooting range, and as topsoil on some of the croplands from whence they came all those years ago.

Functional Hyporheic Zones — Restoring pool and riffle or meandering stream flow regimes also restores water exchange in the adjoining hyporheic zones. (United States Geological Survey image)

Before and After Legacy Sediment Removal — Removing legacy sediment accumulations from the floodplains of impaired streams allows re-establishment of historic flow regimes and reconnection of the waterway to the nutrient-sequestering functions of fluvial wetlands. In addition, flow into and from the water table is restored.

Swarr Run Stream and Floodplain Restoration — Question: Do you know why nearby businesses have ATMs? Answer: Because there are no longer any banks on this segment of Swarr Run.

For a closer look at the Swarr Run renewal, including early map and aerial photograph views of the site, take a peek at this synopsis illustrating phase one of the project as presented to the North American Association of Wetland Managers by Justin Spangler of LandStudies, designers of the restoration. While perusing the material, be sure to review the significant reductions in nutrient and sediment loads discharged from these sites following the restoration work.

Stormwater Discharge — Floodplain restorations that include legacy sediment removal are often designed to reduce the impact of stormwater from sheet runoff, piped discharges, or conveyances such as eroded and excavated ditches like this one. Projects that restore floodplain functions including storing, filtering, and percolating runoff effectively can sometimes help municipalities and property owners meet regulatory stormwater requirements, including those under the Environmental Protection Agency’s MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) program.

Little Conestoga Stream and Floodplain Restoration — This floodplain restoration was completed during the past year along a segment of Little Conestoga Creek in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Here the stream receives a heavy dose of stormwater runoff from shopping malls and other commercial properties with acres upon acres of paved parking space. Because they lack connection to any retention or detention systems, storm drains pipe runoff directly from the pavement into the creek from many of these properties.

Little Conestoga Reconnected to Floodplain — Legacy sediment removal eliminates the steep banks along the channelized creek. Braided stream courses were added to again connect the Little Conestoga to its historic floodplain and a complex of wetlands to help store, treat, and infiltrate stormwater.

Removing legacy sediments brings an end to their practice of forcing detrimental high waters out to roam adjacent neighborhoods, putting floods back in the floodplain where they belong.

Conoy Creek Stream and Floodplain Restoration — Completed last year in conjunction with replacement of an aging sanitary sewer interceptor (buried to the right), this floodplain restoration removed legacy sediments and returned Conoy Creek in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to a natural, braided stream course.

Cocalico Creek Stream and Floodplain Restoration — Following restoration, a braided stream design reconnects Cocalico Creek in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to its floodplain wetlands along this 3,867-foot segment near its headwaters. As part of the construction process, twenty-five acres of invasive growth was treated prior to the planting of 12.7 acres of native riparian buffer species. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) project summary, annual pollutant load reductions resulting from this restoration are calculated to be 862,980 pounds of Total Suspended Sediments/year, 1,641 pounds of Total Nitrogen/year, and 426 pounds of Total Phosphorus/year.

Hammer Creek Stream and Floodplain Restoration — **Hammer time-** Now under construction: after years of planning and preparations, a floodplain and stream restoration on Hammer Creek near Buffalo Springs in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, returns this low-gradient segment to a meandering flow regime. Instead of a ditch between fields, it’ll once again be a creek connected to a nutrient-reducing wetland buffer.

Have an impaired stream and a floodplain full of legacy sediments on your land or in your neighborhood? Consider encouraging your municipality, volunteer watershed group, or county conservation district to investigate the possibilities of planning and installing one of these projects. They’re a great enhancement for recreational fisheries, a private refugium, or a community-owned passive park system. Funding assistance may be available, particularly when regulatory or conservation goals can be met by completing restoration.