Animals (Animalia) – LIFE IN THE LOWER SUSQUEHANNA RIVER WATERSHED

December 21, 2025December 21, 2025

Photo of the Day

The first day of winter is the darkest day of the year. In the midst of the cold weather that accompanies it, one hardly thinks of looking for insect activity. But in subterranean environs where the temperature remains relatively constant, life goes on. We recently discovered this handsome Camel Cricket while performing some maintenance in our below-grade utility entrance. Worldwide in distribution, Camel Crickets, also known as Cave Crickets, Sand Treaders, and Spider Crickets, include hundreds of species in the family Rhaphidophoridae. Most are omnivorous residents of caves, mines, cellars, hollow logs, wood piles, wells, and other dark, temperature-stable situations where they feel their way around with their antennae while searching for food. Camel Crickets usually escape notice, keeping only nocturnal hours when venturing out from light-deprived cover and lacking the organs to produce the familiar “chirps” that call attention to other crickets during the breeding season.

December 10, 2025December 11, 2025

Observing Susquehanna Bald Eagles: A Chart for Determining Age

As part of an update to our “Hawkwatcher’s Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Diurnal Raptors” page, we’ve just added this chart for determining the age of the Bald Eagles you might observe on the lower Susquehanna River and elsewhere in coming weeks.

Bald Eagle age classes in late autumn in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed. — Bald Eagle age classes as they typically appear during late autumn in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed. (Click the image for a full-size PDF version of the chart)

Bald Eagles in each age class often retain their fall appearance through much of the winter. However, beginning January 1st, each bird is reclassified into the next in the series of chronological plumage designations. Consequently, during the early part of the new year until a new generation of eagles is hatched in late winter and spring, there are no birds in our area designated “hatch-year/juvenile”. After fledging, these youngest eagles, the new generation of juveniles, often show little change in appearance until after their first birthday, by which time they are already classified as second-year/Basic I immature birds. For birds other than the new generation of hatch-year/juvenile eagles, the majority of the molt that produces their new autumnal appearance each year occurs during spring and especially summer, when food is abundant and the bird’s energy needs for purposes other than growing feathers are at a minimum. Hence, by the time fall migration rolls around, the next in the successive progression of plumage changes is evident. For more details and year-round images of Bald Eagles, check out our “Hawkwatcher’s Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Diurnal Raptors” page by clicking the tab at the top of this page.

December 8, 2025

Cuisine to Crow About!

Red-shouldered Hawk and thigh of frog (cuisses de grenouille). — Our VIP guest, a discerning Red-shouldered Hawk, dining yet again on cuisses de grenouille (thigh of frog) at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters.

December 6, 2025December 6, 2025

Eagle Time At Conowingo Dam’s Fisherman’s Park

Wintering Bald Eagles are again congregating on the lower Susquehanna River, particularly in the area of Conowingo Dam near Rising Sun, Maryland. To catch a glimpse of the action earlier this week, we took a drive on U.S. Route 1 atop Conowingo’s impounding structure to reach Fisherman’s Park on the river’s west shore below the powerhouse.

Eagle Watching at Conowingo Dam — Scores of dedicated eagle watchers and photographers brave the raw weather to see and document the concentration of eagles that gather to feed and roost in the vicinity of Exelon Energy’s Fisherman’s Park.

Susquehanna at Conowingo Dam — The panoramic view of the Susquehanna from Fisherman’s Park offers excellent opportunities to witness Bald Eagle activity.

Immature Bald Eagles — When you arrive, it’s not unusual to hear the sounds of squabbling eagles immediately upon exiting the shelter of your vehicle. During our visit, we sighted probably 60 to 80 individuals of various age classes among the rocks and trees along the river shorelines below the dam.

Second-year (Basic I) Bald Eagle — Soon enough, we experienced a close fly-by from this second-year Bald Eagle.

Hatch-year (Juvenile) Bald Eagle — We were a little bit concerned to see only one hatch-year (juvenile) Bald Eagle among the birds at Fisherman’s Park. Perhaps the aggressive behavior of the large number of older and more experienced eagles in the area has these first-year individuals shying away. We discerned no third-year birds either, though they may certainly have been present.

Fourth-year (Basic III) Bald Eagle — A probable fourth-year Bald Eagle shows a white head with the remains of a dark line through the eye, a trait often more conspicuous in third-year birds often known as “osprey face” eagles.

Fifth-year (Basic IV) Bald Eagle — This probable fifth-year Bald Eagle has nearly lost the dark markings on the head and tail that differentiate immature birds from adults. A molt during the coming year will yield adult plumage and mark the completion of this bird’s sexual maturity.

Eagle Photographers at Fisherman's Park — Meanwhile, a little action gets the shutters clicking,…

Eagle Dogfight in the Incipient Stage — …a fourth-year Bald Eagle (top) is drawing the ire of an adult bird,…

Eagle Dogfight — …necessitating a reprisal for the taunting behavior.

To the delight of photographers at Conowingo, some of the eagles can be seen grabbing fish, mostly Gizzard Shad, from the tailrace area of the river below the powerhouse. But Bald Eagles are opportunistic feeders, and their feeding habits are similar to those of numerous other birds found in the vicinity of the dam at this time of year—they’re scavengers. Here’s a glimpse of some of the other scavengers found in the midst of this Bald Eagle realm…

Fish Crows are recognized by their nasal call. They’ll eat almost anything they can find including garbage, fish remains, discarded bait, lunch scraps, road kill, and more.

Visitors to Fisherman’s Park are warned to keep out of sight any food they may have stored in their cars. Black Vultures are known to peel rubber away from windows as they search for something to eat, a habit they possibly learned during productive forays to landfills where the edges of rubber coverings sometimes hide a freshly dumped buffet of potential sustenance.

During our stop at Conowingo Dam earlier this week, we saw only one Turkey Vulture, though more are certainly in the vicinity feeding on road kill and other carrion.

Like eagles, Ring-billed Gulls are opportunistic feeders, seen here looking for disoriented Gizzard Shad and other fish,…

Ring-billed Gull — …then quickly changing focus to check the humans along the shoreline for discarded bait or fumbled snack foods.

Juvenile Ring-billed Gull — Even young Ring-billed Gulls learn the value of watching people for activities that provide an opportunity to scavenge food.

While Ring-billed Gulls and other scavengers aren’t particularly fussy about what they eat, Double-crested Cormorants are;…

Double-crested Cormorant — …they’re targeting Gizzard Shad and other fish in the waters below the dam. Thus, we would categorize cormorants as predators, eating mollusks and other aquatic organisms as well.

And while you’re on the lower Susquehanna, keep an eye on the sky. Common Mergansers winter on ice-free sections of the waterway and are now arriving in the vicinity of Conowingo and elsewhere.

Bald Eagles at Heron Rookery — But if perhaps winter isn’t your thing, don’t despair. These Bald Eagles came upon last year’s Great Blue Heron rookery on the island below the dam and it seems to be giving them some ideas. If you think like an eagle, spring is just weeks away!

November 28, 2025

Maybe They’ll Stay, Maybe They Won’t

Here are a few more late-season migrants you might currently see passing through the lower Susquehanna valley. Where adequate food and cover are available, some may remain into part or all of the winter…

During the summer, Ruby-crowned Kinglets nest in northern coniferous forests. Through the colder months, these petite songbirds can often subsist on tiny insects and other invertebrates found among the bark, limbs, and buds of leafless deciduous trees and shrubs. In our region, look for wintering kinglets in woodlands that include at least a small percentage of evergreens to provide protection from frigid nighttime temperatures.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is our shiest of woodpeckers. These migrants are still quite common among stands of deciduous and mixed woods, but local numbers will soon decrease as the majority of the population continues moving along to the forests of the southeastern United States for winter.

Migrating American Robins are still transiting region, but an abundance of wild fruits can prompt hundreds to linger through winter. Look for them near supplies of wild grape, Poison Ivy, dogwood, Virginia Creeper, hackberry, hawthorn, American Holly,…

In case you were wondering…Yes, the adult Red-shouldered Hawk continues to visit the garden pond at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters. Earlier today, we watched it plunge into the shallows after a Green Frog. We’re enjoying the privilege of having it around, so we hope it decides to remain for as long as the food supply is accessible.

November 24, 2025November 24, 2025

Photo of the Day

Among the last of the dragonflies to still be flying during late November is the Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum). Earlier today, we photographed this specimen as it basked in warm sunshine at Wildwood Lake in Harrisburg. Elsewhere in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, look for Autumn Meadowhawks near lakes and ponds located within or near woodlands and forest.

November 21, 2025November 21, 2025

Photo of the Day

Peak numbers of Fox Sparrows are now moving through the lower Susquehanna valley on their way south. Nearly as large as our Catharus thrushes, these native songbirds are among the last of our regularly occurring autumn migrants. In tangled dense thickets along the edges of fields and woodlots, small numbers may linger into winter eating berries and the seeds of herbaceous plants.

November 17, 2025November 17, 2025

Photo of the Day…Again

November 17, 2025November 17, 2025

Photo of the Day

November 6, 2025November 8, 2025

Windy and Dark November Skies

Those cold, blustery days of November can be a real downer. But there’s a silver lining to those ominous clouds, and it comes with the waves of black and mostly dark-colored migrants that stream down the ridges of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed on their way south at this time of year.

For protection from predators, blackbirds including these Common Grackles typically assemble into sizeable flocks numbering hundreds of birds following the nesting season. These noisy bands of passerines are currently being seen as they move south into the Piedmont and Atlantic Coastal Plain for winter.

American Crows are now working their way into the area. To avoid falling prey to owls and other predators during the night, they form often enormous roosts in well-lit urban areas. They spend their days fanning out across the landscape in search of food, primarily relying upon human-generated fare including road kill and scraps found among trash and litter for sustenance.

Formerly confined largely to remote mountainous terrain, the crow’s close relative the Common Raven has, during this century, become more widespread and tolerant of human activity.

Second Mountain Hawk Watch — Spending time at one or more of the regional hawk-counting stations during coming weeks will afford you not only the chance to see ravens, but many of our largest raptors as well. Their migration is just now reaching its peak.

Peak numbers of Red-tailed Hawks are migrating through the area right now. Though their population is in decline overall, they may appear very common along rural roadways and in suburbia during coming weeks as they try to find prey before continuing south. Inexperienced juvenile “red-tails” are particularly vulnerable to fatal traffic mishaps and other hazards during this time. Give them some room if you can.

Early November brings the last of the season’s Osprey down local ridges. Many, including this one seen earlier in the week, will fly right up until sunset to expedite their journey to warmer climes.

Bald Eagle — Always a crowd-pleaser among the observers on the lookouts are the eagles.

Juvenile Bald Eagle — Right now, migrating Bald Eagle numbers are often exceeding a dozen birds per day at local counting stations. They include those like this one in juvenile (hatch-year) plumage as well as the various molt sequences experienced by immature eagles prior to reaching maturity.

At present, Golden Eagle numbers are just starting to build. Look for the peak of their fall migration to arrive in coming weeks. Gusty days following passage of a cold front are often your best bet for seeing these regal raptors from local lookouts.

For more information on regional hawkwatching sites and raptor identification, click the “Hawkwatcher’s Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Diurnal Raptors” tab at the top of this page. And for more on Golden Eagles specifically, click the “Golden Eagle Aging Chart” tab.

November 5, 2025November 5, 2025

Photo of the Day

During these last mild evenings of fall, the trilling call of the Narrow-winged Tree Cricket (Oecanthus niveus) can still be heard among the withering growth of thickets, fields, and forest edges. As the temperatures plummet, the pulsating rate of this insect’s song slows proportionally. Below about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, there is silence.

November 4, 2025November 5, 2025

The Guiding Light

…will bring familiar nocturnal migrants like this Dark-eyed Junco to your garden, feeding station, or other favorite birding place by morning.

October 23, 2025October 24, 2025

Photo of the Day

Painted Turtles and Invasive Red-eared Sliders — Invasive populations of Red-eared Sliders (right) continue to grow and threaten numbers of native freshwater testudines including the Painted Turtles seen here to the left. Introduced primarily as unwanted pets, sliders are now freely reproducing throughout much of the lower Susquehanna watershed. Their ability to feed aggressively and grow to sizes significantly larger than those of our most-imperiled wetland species including the Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata), Wood Turtle, and endangered Bog Turtle make Red-eared Sliders a menace rivaling habitat loss and illegal collecting.

October 21, 2025October 21, 2025

Photo of the Day

Small numbers of Rusty Blackbirds are currently moving south through the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed. Look for individuals and small flocks feeding in damp woods and along lake and river shorelines. These uncommon birds nest far to our north in wet coniferous and mixed forests as well as willow thickets, often in muskeg or beaver pond-created habitat. Rusty Blackbirds spend the colder months in the wooded swamps of the southeastern and south-central United States. Loss of habitat has reduced their numbers dramatically, as has their misfortune to occasionally join flocks of foraging Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles on the wintering grounds where all of these species fall victim to avicide poisons placed on feedlots to eradicate European Starlings.

October 18, 2025October 28, 2025

Robinson’s Invasion

As we begin the second half of October, frosty nights have put an end to choruses of annual cicadas in the lower Susquehanna valley. Though they are gone for yet another year, they are not forgotten. Here’s an update on one of our special finds in 2025.

During late June of 1863, the beginning of the third summer of the American Civil War, there was great consternation among the populous of the lower Susquehanna region. Hoping to bring about Union capitulation and an end to the conflict, General Robert E. Lee and his 70,000-man Army of Northern Virginia were marching north into the passes and valleys on the west side of the river. The uncontested Confederate advances posed an immediate threat to Pennsylvania’s capital in Harrisburg and cities to the east. Marching north in pursuit of Lee was the First Corps of the Army of the Potomac, the lead element of the 100,000-man Union force under the direction of newly appointed commander General George G. Meade.

Upon belatedly learning of Meade’s pursuit, Lee hastily ordered the widely separated corps of his army to concentrate on the crossroads town of Gettysburg. As the southern army’s Third Corps under General A. P. Hill approached Gettysburg from the west, they were met by Union cavalry under the leadership of General John Buford. Dismounted and formed up south to north across the Chambersburg Pike, Buford’s men held off Confederate infantry until relieved by the arrival of the Union First Corps. As he deployed his men, the First Corps’ commander, General John F. Reynolds of Lancaster, was struck by a bullet and killed.

General John C. Robinson Monument at Gettysburg — During the first day’s fighting at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, the northernmost position in the Union First Corps’ line was held by its Second Division commanded by General John C. Robinson. His men would defend their right flank against attacks from Confederate General Richard S. Ewell’s Second Corps as they arrived from the north to face off against the Union Eleventh Corps which had arrived to take positions north of the town. During the afternoon, upon becoming outnumbered and overwhelmed, the Union forces would retreat south through the town to take up positions on Cemetery Hill by nightfall. Deployments extending south and east of Cemetery Hill would ultimately prove victorious for Union forces during the battle’s final day on July 3.

Lee's 1863 Invasion of the North — John C. Robinson’s Second Division “invaded” Pennsylvania as one of Meade’s lead elements charged with intercepting Lee’s Confederate Army. (National Park Service image)

If you visit the Gettysburg battlefield, you can find the General John C. Robinson monument at the site of his division’s first-day position along Doubleday Avenue at Robinson Avenue near the Eternal Light Peace Memorial. But that’s not the Robinson we went to Gettysburg to see.

Following up on our sight and mostly sound experiences with some Robinson’s Cicadas, an annual species of singing insect we found thriving at Gifford Pinchot State Park in York County, Pennsylvania, during late July, we spent some time searching out other locations where this native invader from the southern United States could be occurring in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed.

During mid-August, we stumbled upon a population of Robinson’s Cicadas east of the Susquehanna in the Conewago Creek (east) watershed in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County, and made some sound recordings.

After pondering this latest discovery, we decided to investigate places with habitat characteristics similar to those at both the new Londonderry Township and the earlier Gifford Pinchot State Park locations—successional growth with extensive stands of Eastern Red Cedar on the Piedmont’s Triassic Gettysburg Formation “redbeds”. We headed south towards known populations of Robinson’s Cicadas in Virginia and Maryland to look for suitable sites within Pennsylvania that might bridge the range gap.

Our search was a rapid success. On State Game Lands 249 in the Conewago Creek (west) watershed in Adams County, we found Robinson’s Cicadas to be widespread.

Robinson's Cicada Habitat — Eastern Red Cedar, a probable host tree for Robinson’s Cicada nymphs, among successional growth on State Game Lands 249. Cedar thickets often become established on shallow or depleted soils on lands originally cleared for farming. They provide excellent cover as well as much needed breeding and feeding areas for birds, mammals, insects, and other wildlife.

Following our hunch that these lower Susquehanna Robinson’s Cicadas extended their range north through the cedar thickets of the Gettysburg Basin as opposed to hopping the Appalachians from a population reported to inhabit southwest Pennsylvania, we made our way to the battlefield and surrounding lands. We found Robinson’s Cicadas to be quite common and widespread in these areas, even occurring in the town of Gettysburg itself.

Robinson's Cicada Range in Central Pennsylvania — Populations of Robinson’s Cicadas (red) in the lower Susquehanna valley and adjacent areas of the Potomac watershed near Gettysburg. The Triassic Gettysburg Basin is shown in white with intrusions of igneous Triassic-Jurassic diabase in dark green. (United States Geological Survey base image)

Robinson's Cicada Habitat on Gettysburg Battlefield — Robinson’s Cicadas are common on much of the Gettysburg National Military Park property, particularly in the southern reaches where outlying areas are dense with Eastern Red Cedar growth to within several miles of the Mason-Dixon Line. In these tall walnuts and cedars along Confederate Avenue (that’s Little Round Top and its diabase boulders in the background) we recorded the following sound clip of a singing male.

Robinson’s Cicada probably extended its range into the lower Susquehanna valley in much the same way General John C. Robinson and the rest of the Army of the Potomac marched into Pennsylvania to meet Lee’s Confederates, by following the terrain of the Triassic Gettysburg Basin. Got a big stand of cedars near you? Be sure to have a listen for Robinson’s Cicadas next summer! (United States Geological Survey base image)

October 10, 2025

Changes Following the Season’s First Frost

Having experienced our first frost throughout much of the lower Susquehanna valley last night, we can look forward to seeing some changes in animal behavior and distribution in the days and weeks to come. Here are a few examples…

Unlike their close relatives the Tree Swallows, which include berries as well as invertebrates in their diet, Northern Rough-winged Swallows are strictly insectivores and will find it necessary to promptly move south to assure a frost-free environment where they can secure an adequate supply of food. Their one alternative: find a local sewage treatment plant where warm water attracts populations of flying insects through the remainder of autumn and maybe into winter.

Warblers too are insect eaters. Look for most of our dozens of species to evacuate the area in coming days and leave behind only the Yellow-rumped Warbler, another bird with a fondness for berries during cold weather. Into the winter months, they remain in small numbers in habitats with an abundant supply of berries like Poison Ivy, holly, wild grape, bittersweet, and Eastern Red Cedar. For lingering Yellow-rumped Warblers, thickets of cedars and other evergreens provide essential protection from frigid nighttime winds.

This Eastern Chipmunk will soon feel the pinch. Instead of eating the sweet, fruity portions of Mile-a-minute Weed berries, it’ll have to get serious about stocking its den with larger seeds, acorns, hickory nuts, and other foods to snack on through the winter. Better get busy, little friend!

October 4, 2025

Photo of the Day

Peak time for the fall migration of Monarch butterflies is here. Look for them gliding by on gentle autumn breezes or feeding on nectar-rich flowers.

September 27, 2025

Photo of the Day

Juvenile Rose-breasted Grosbeaks — These juvenile Rose-breasted Grosbeaks are among the last big southbound push of Neotropical migrants we’ll see moving through the lower Susquehanna valley in coming days. Be certain to get outside and have a look.

September 22, 2025September 22, 2025

Migrants Seeking Shelter to Weather the Storm

Less than ideal flying conditions can cause some of our migrating birds to make landfall in unusual places. Clouds and gloom caused a couple of travelers to pay an unexpected visit to the headquarters garden earlier today.

Here in our urban oasis, this Northern Parula was our first warbler of the season. We noticed it gleaning small insects from the leaves and stems of the taller trees.

It was joined by this Red-breasted Nuthatch near a trickle of water at one of the ponds.

Our resident Carolina Chickadees made good foraging companions for our temporary guests.

Be sure to keep an eye open for visiting migrants in your favorite garden or park during the overcast and rainy days ahead. You never know what might drop by.

September 12, 2025September 12, 2025

Tropical Treats and an Early Surprise

Crisp cool nights have the Neotropical birds that visit our northern latitudes to nest during the summer once again headed south for the winter.

Flying through the night and zipping through the forest edges at sunrise to feed are the many species of migrating vireos, warblers, and other songbirds.

A Tennessee Warbler peers from the cover of a Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina), a small native tree which is not, as many assume, a poisonous plant. Staghorn Sumac is in fact an excellent wildlife species with brilliant autumn colors.

Though its breeding season has come to an end, this southbound Yellow-throated Vireo was found singing its heart out in the limbs of a Staghorn Sumac early this morning.

Black-throated Green Warblers are particularly numerous right now. To see them, visit a ridgetop forest clearing at sunrise.

As the nocturnal migrants fade into the foliage to rest for the day, the movement of diurnal migrants picks up the pace.

Southbound flights of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are reaching their peak this week with chilly temperatures hustling them along. Remember to keep your feeders clean and your nectar fresh through at least early October; they may really need the supplemental energy.

Migrating Broad-winged Hawks, sometimes traveling in large flocks known as kettles, seek out thermal updrafts to gain altitude before gliding away on a southwest heading bound for Houston, Texas. Once there, they’ll make a turn to the south and follow the gulf coastline toward the tropics for winter.

While on the crest, you might notice that the Neotropicals aren’t the only bird species heading through. Migrants like this Sharp-shinned Hawk are beginning to show up in increasing numbers with a peak expected in about two to three weeks.

To find a hawk-counting station near you, check out our “Hawkwatcher’s Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Diurnal Raptors” page by clicking the tab at the top of this page. And plan to spend some time on the lookout during your visit, you never know what you might see…

Second-year Golden Eagle — This very early Golden Eagle surprised observers at Second Mountain Hawk Watch in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, this morning. It appears to be an immature, more specifically a second-year bird beginning molt (replacing its innermost primaries), so it may not have traveled all the way to the eastern population’s breeding areas in northern Canada for the summer. Instead, it may have wandered the vast wilderness hundreds of miles further south. Expect to see these regal eagles more regularly when adults and hatch-year juveniles from the nesting region start passing through our area, primarily during the period between Halloween and Thanksgiving. In the meantime, you’ll have time to check out our “Aging Golden Eagles” page by clicking the tab at the top of this page.

August 28, 2025

The Nighthawks and the Hummers

Chilly nights and shorter days have triggered the autumn migration of Neotropical birds. You may not have to go far to see these two travelers. Each is a species you may be able to find migrating through your neighborhood.

Common Nighthawks are large insect-eating nightjars. Watch for them feeding and migrating overhead during the late hours of the afternoon and continuing through nightfall. While skies above the Susquehanna and large tracts of forest or grassland offer the best viewing opportunities, even city residents may witness their evening flights during the coming weeks. Though nighthawk numbers appear to be in decline, as many as a hundred or more are currently being seen nightly at Pine Grove Furnace State Park along South Mountain in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. For daytime roosting during their southbound movements, nighthawks seem to be attracted to deep shade in areas of vast forest. They will often seek sanctuary and become concentrated in “islands of darkness” like Michaux State Forest on South Mountain after passing over light-polluted urban areas such as Harrisburg and the adjoining metroplex of the Great Valley during the previous night.

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird — Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are now moving south. It’s time to be extra vigilant about keeping your sugar-water dispensers clean and filled with fresh nectar mixture. For tips on feeding hummingbirds safely, check out our post from August 5, 2022, “Two Feeders Are Better Than One”.

August 10, 2025August 18, 2025

Migratory Shorebirds on the Freshwater Impoundments at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

It may seem hard to believe, but the autumn migration of shorebirds and many Neotropical songbirds is now well underway. To see the former in what we hope will be large numbers in good light, we timed a visit to the man-made freshwater impoundments at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Smyrna, Delaware, to coincide with a high-tide during the mid-morning hours. Come along for a closer look…

Bombay Hook NWR tour road at Shearness Pool — Along a large portion of its route, the tour road at Bombay Hook N.W.R. sits atop the man-made dikes that create several sizeable freshwater pools (left) along the inland border of one of the largest remaining salt marsh estuaries in the Mid-Atlantic States (right).

Tidal Creek at High Tide — Twice daily, the rising tide from Delaware Bay flows along the tidal creeks to flood Bombay Hook’s extensive marshes.

High Tide in the Bombay Hook coastal estuary. — At high tide, mudflats in Bombay Hook’s coastal estuary become inundated by salt water, forcing migratory shorebirds to relocate to bay side beaches or other higher ground to rest and feed for several hours.

Shearness Pool — At Bombay Hook, migratory shorebirds, waterfowl, and waders can find refuge from high tide in the freshwater impoundments created by capturing water along the inland west side of a system of earthen dikes.

Water Level Control System — Mechanical or stacked-board gate systems are used to control water depth in the impoundments. Levels can be adjusted seasonally to manage plant growth and create conditions favorable for use by specific groups of birds and other wildlife.

Shorebirds on Raymod Pool — A mix of mudflats and shallow water on Raymond Pool provides ideal habitat for a variety of shorebirds forced from the vast tidal marshes by the rising tide. For us, a mid-morning high tide places these birds in perfect light as they feed and loaf in the pools to the west of the tour road located atop the dikes.

Shorebirds arrive on Raymond Pool during high tide. — Migrating shorebirds arrive on Raymond Pool to find refuge from the rising tide to the east. Showing a single ring around their breast, many Semipalmated Plovers can be seen here among the Semipalmated Sandpipers, the latter the most abundant shorebird presently populating Bombay Hook. Feeding in deeper water in the background are Short-billed Dowitchers. All of these birds consume a variety of invertebrates they find both in and on the mud.

Semipalmated Plovers and Semipalmated Sandpipers arriving on a mudflat at Raymond Pool.

A Short-billed Dowitcher glides in from the salt marsh to visit the shallows of Raymond Pool for a couple of hours.

Short-billed Dowitcher and other Shorebirds — A Short-billed Dowitcher feeding among Semipalmated Plovers and Semipalmated Sandpipers.

Short-billed Dowitchers in water almost too deep for the Semipalmated Sandpipers in their company.

Black-bellied Plover and Short-billed Dowitchers — A lone Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) among the abundance of Short-billed Dowitchers.

A Lesser Yellowlegs arrives at Raymond Pool as a high-tide refugee.

A Greater Yellowlegs wades into shallow water to feed.

Searching through the Semipalmated Sandpipers, one could regularly find a very similar species among them.

We identified the longer-billed and slightly larger Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) and found the species to be present possibly by the hundreds among the masses of thousands of Semipalmated Sandpipers. These seem to be unusually high numbers for this more western species, but who’s complaining?

Western and Semipalmated Sandpipers — As we sifted through these groups of tiny shorebirds known as “peeps”, we found Western Sandpipers (top) regularly distributed among the multitudes of Semipalmated Sandpipers (bottom) we encountered.

Of course, shorebirds aren’t all there is to see at Bombay Hook. More than 100 Snowy Egrets were found on the freshwater pools alongside birds like this Semipalmated Plover.

Great Egrets could be seen stalking small fish in the channels of the pools.

And a few Green Herons were found lurking in the vegetation.

Shorebirds Feeding on Mudflat during Receding Tide — By early afternoon, we noticed the tide beginning to retreat from the saltwater marsh and mudflats opposite Shearness Pool. As shorebirds began returning there to feed, we decided to make our way to Raymond Pool to watch the exodus.

Shorebirds Depart Raymond Pool — With the high tide receding from the coastal estuary back into Delaware Bay, shorebirds promptly departed their concentrated environs on Raymond Pool to spread out over thousands of acres of salt marsh to feed.

Black-bellied Plovers and other Shorebirds Leaving Raymond Pool — More shorebirds exit Raymond Pool en route to the adjacent tidal areas to feed. This outbound group includes two Black-bellied Plovers (top center and four birds to the right).

Shorebirds Entering the Saltmarsh Estuary at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge — These migrants have just begun their autumn journey from breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska to wintering areas located as far south as southern South America. For them, Bombay Hook and other refuges are irreplaceable feeding and resting locations to help them refuel for their long journey ahead. For them, a little vacation along the coast is a matter of life and death.

White-tailed Fawn — A goodwill ambassador bids us farewell at the end of our visit to Bombay Hook. Remember to support your National Wildlife Refuges by purchasing your annual Federal Duck Stamp. They’re available right now at your local United States Post Office, at the Bombay Hook visitor’s center, or online at the United States Fish and Wildlife Service website.

Planning a visit? Here are some upcoming dates with morning high tides to coax the birds out of the tidal estuary and into good light in the freshwater impoundments on the west side of the tour road…

Tuesday, August 19 at approximately 07:00 AM EDT

Wednesday, August 20 at approximately 08:00 AM EDT

Thursday, August 21 at approximately 09:00 AM EDT

Friday, August 22 at approximately 10:00 AM EDT

Saturday, August 23 at approximately 11:00 AM EDT

August 7, 2025August 7, 2025

Photo of the Day

A teneral Eastern Scissor Grinder and exuvia. — Having emerged from the soil overnight, this pale-colored teneral (soft-bodied) Eastern Scissor Grinder has shed its exuvia (left) and is currently pumping blood throughout its extremities to expand its size and unfurl its wings. During the remainder of the morning, the wings and exoskeleton will darken in color and harden in preparation for flight. As an adult, this cicada then has just weeks to complete its courtship and breeding cycle before facing inevitable doom. To see images and listen to sound clips of this and other annual species, visit our cicada page by clicking the “Cicadas” tab at the top of this page.

July 26, 2025October 18, 2025

A Sixth Species of Annual Cicada in the Lower Susquehanna Basin: Neotibicen robinsonianus

Just as we were very pleased last month to have the opportunity to hear the sounds of the rarest of the Periodical Cicadas—the Little Seventeen-year Cicada—in the Conewago Hills of York County to thus provide our only record of the species during the Brood XIV emergence in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, we were this week delighted to find and record a population of what may be the valley’s rarest cicada experiencing annual flights—the Robinson’s Cicada—just a few miles away at Gifford Pinchot State Park.

Like the Little Seventeen-year Cicada, Robinson’s Cicada (Neotibicen robinsonianus) is a species found more commonly in the southern United States, occurring with scattered distribution in a range that extends west into Missouri, Kansas, and Texas. They are of rare occurrence in the lands of the Chesapeake drainage basin in Virginia and Maryland.

Populations of Swamp Cicadas, also known as Morning Cicadas, are presently in the midst of their yearly courtship rituals. Their songs are easily heard in woods, edge habitat, and suburbia throughout the region during the AM hours. It was while recording the sounds of these common insects in the Conewago Day-use Area at Gifford Pinchot State Park that we noticed a very unique song from high in the oaks, hickories, and other hardwoods along the lake. Listen to this sound clip featuring a group of serenading male Swamp Cicadas. In the background, a Robinson’s Cicada’s song consisting of a pulsing series of raspy buzzes, each about one second in duration, can be heard, particularly starting at 00:40.

The Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, and Gifford Pinchot State Park in particular, may currently represent the northern limit of the geographic range of the Robinson’s Cicada. If you’re in the area during the coming weeks, drop by the park and have a listen. And don’t forget to check out our “Cicadas” page for sound clips of all the species found in our area.

July 21, 2025July 21, 2025

Sunny Swarms of Insects

It begins on a sunny morning in spring each year, just as the ground temperature reaches sixty degrees or more…

Eastern Subterranean Termites emerge in unison from a nest located in the soil beneath a log. Each of these swarming “alates” is a potential king or queen seeking to find a location with an ample supply of fallen timber to provide food for establishment of a new colony. They are escorted to the surface by a soldier (lower center) equipped with powerful jaws for protecting the existing nest. Similar-looking worker termites tend the nest, the queen, her eggs, and their siblings, but usually remain hidden from view. The workers feed upon wood, hosting cellulose-digesting protozoa and bacteria in their guts to break down the fibers. This symbiotic relationship is an important mode of decomposition in the forest, the process that turns wood into the organic matter that enriches soil and helps it to retain more moisture.

Fungi on Fallen Log — Termites are among the numerous arthropods that join fungi and a variety of microbes to decompose dead wood and other plant matter into the nutrients and organic materials used by living plants to thrive and grow.

Green Frog Stalking a Eastern Subterranean Termite — Soon after lift off, the majority of swarming termites are consumed by swallows, swifts, and other birds, but some are discovered at ground level.

Green Frog Eating Termites — A lightning-fast strike with its tongue and this Green frog has snatched up yet another termite. Those that slip by the dragnet of terrestrial and aerial predators can sometimes start a new colony in the ground beneath a dead tree or in a vulnerable house or other wooden structure. To keep a small clan from invading your home, be certain the wood elements of your building(s) are kept dry and are not in contact with dirt, soil, bark mulch, etc. Regular inspections for evidence of their presence can head off the long-term damage termites can inflict on the stuff we construct with tree skeletons.

Of course, termites aren’t the only groups of insects to swarm. As heated runoff from slow-moving thundershowers has increased stream temperatures during the past couple of weeks, there have occurred a number of seasonal mayfly “hatches” on the Susquehanna and its tributaries. These “hatches” are actually the nuptial flights of newly emerged imago and adult mayflies. The most conspicuous of these is the Great Brown Drake.

Seen here with a much smaller and more typical regional mayfly to its left, the Great Brown Drake was for several years infamous for swarming the lights and creating traffic hazards on bridges spanning the Susquehanna. During the past two weeks, nighttime flights of these giants have ventured out to gather at well lit locations in housing and business districts more than a dozen miles from the river. Earlier this century, this proclivity to wander probably led the Great Brown Drake to first invade silty segments of the Susquehanna as a colonizer from its native range in the Mississippi watershed.

Swarms of another storm-related visitor are being seen throughout the lower Susquehanna valley right now. Have you noticed the Wandering Gliders?

Throughout the month, swarms of Wandering Gliders, the most widespread dragonflies in the world, descended on areas hit by localized slow-moving thundershowers. Large numbers of these global travelers are known to get swept up within the thermal air masses that lead to these storms. In suitable terrain within the path of the downpours, they linger to search for flooded places where they can mate and deposit eggs. Wandering Gliders frequently mistake large parking lots at shopping malls, grocery stores, etc. for wetlands and will be seen in these areas depositing eggs upon the hoods and roofs of shiny motor vehicles, surfaces which appear puddle-like in their eyes.

Mating Common Green Darners — More dragonfly swarms are yet to come. Adult Common Green Darners are presently in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed mating and depositing eggs within vegetated ponds, lakes, and wetlands. Beginning in August, adult Common Green Darners and other migratory species including Black Saddlebags, Carolina Saddlebags, Wandering Gliders, and Twelve-spotted Skimmers will begin swarming as they feed on flying insects (including lots of mosquitos and gnats) and start working their way toward the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Along the barrier islands by September, concentrations of southbound dragonflies can reach the thousands, particularly at choke points like Cape May, New Jersey, and Cape Charles, Virginia. So be sure to keep an eye on the sky for swarms of dragonflies during coming weeks. And don’t forget to check out our “Damselflies and Dragonflies” page by clicking the tab at the top of this page.

July 15, 2025July 15, 2025

It’s Prime Time for Hummingbirds

Ruby-throated Hummingbird at Scarlet Bee Balm — Now that the nesting season is drawing to a close, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are a bit less fussy about where they spend their time. Even in urban settings, gardens with an abundance of nectar-producing flowers like this Scarlet Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) have a good chance of attracting them. Hummingbirds will be wandering the landscape and starting to drift south during the coming two months, so keep your feeders clean and filled with a fresh blend of sugar water to keep them energized and happy. If you’re feeding hummingbirds, or thinking about feeding hummingbirds, be sure to review the helpful tips contained in our post from August 5, 2022, “Two Feeders Are Better Than One”. Their health and your peace of mind may depend on it.

July 11, 2025July 25, 2025

With Periodical Cicadas Gone, Here Come the Annual Cicadas…Right on Schedule!

Eastern Scissor Grinder — As the choruses of Brood XIV Periodical Cicadas fall silent for another seventeen years, the sounds of the more widespread annual Neotibicen cicadas are starting to be heard throughout the lower Susquehanna valley. These latter insects have a more abbreviated life cycle, spending just two to five years in the subterranean nymphal stage before appearing during mid-summer to breed. The emergence of these annual insects is not synchronized into broods, so some adults are found taking flight, singing, and mating every year. Over the centuries, male annual cicadas that emerged and commenced courtship songs earlier than July have certainly failed to successfully reproduce during Periodical Cicada years. So to avoid competition with the overwhelming drone of the seventeen-year cicadas that may emerge along with them, natural selection has delayed the maturation of the annual species until just after the periodicals have gone quiet. To see pictures and hear the sounds of our five (now 6 as of July 24th) species of annual cicadas, click the “Cicadas” tab at the top of this page.

July 6, 2025

Sorry, But We Have No Steamed Crabs Today

Earlier today, we collected some mint leaves from the garden to make a batch of iced tea. Just prior to plunging them into boiling water, we noticed this Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia) hiding in the foliage.

June 28, 2025June 28, 2025

Brood XIV Periodical Cicada Wrap Up

While the heat and humidity of early summer blankets the region, Brood XIV Periodical Cicadas are wrapping up their courtship and breeding cycle for 2025. We’ve spent the past week visiting additional sites in and near the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed where their emergence is evident.

We begin in York County just to the west of the river and Conewago Falls in mostly forested terrain located just southeast of Gifford Pinchot State Park. Within this area, often called the Conewago Hills, a very localized population of cicadas could be heard in the woodlands surrounding the scattered homes along Bull Road. Despite the dominant drone of an abundance of singing Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas, we were able to hear and record the courtship song of a small number of the rare Little Seventeen-year Cicadas. Their lawn sprinkler-like pulsating songs help mate-seeking males penetrate the otherwise overwhelming chorus of the Pharaoh cicadas in the area.

The Little Seventeen-year Cicada’s (Magicicada septendecula) thorax is black between the eye and the origin of the wings. It is the rarest of the three species of seventeen-year cicadas.

From the Conewago Hills we moved northwest into the section of southern Cumberland County known as South Mountain. Here, Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas were widespread in ridgetop forests along the Appalachian Trail, particularly in the area extending from Long Mountain in the east through Mount Holly to forests south of King’s Gap Environmental Education Center in the west.

Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas along the Appalachian Trail on South Mountain, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Like the cicadas we visited last week on the east side of the Susquehanna, this population is surviving on lands with a history of timber harvest and charcoal production to fuel nearby iron furnaces during the nineteenth century.

While on South Mountain, we opted for a side trip into the neighboring Potomac watershed of Frederick County, Maryland, where these hills ascend to greater altitude and are known as the Blue Ridge Mountains, a name that sticks with them all the way through Shenandoah National Park, the Great Smoky Mountains, and to their southern terminus in northwestern Georgia. We found a fragmented emergence of Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas atop the Catoctin Mountain section of the Blue Ridge just above the remains of Catoctin Furnace, again on lands that had been timbered to make charcoal to fuel iron production prior to their protection as vast expanses of forest.

A Pharaoh Periodical Cicada on Catoctin Mountain near Catoctin Furnace south of Thurmont, Maryland. These cicadas are not part of a Brood XIV emergence, but are instead a population of Brood X (2021) stragglers.

Back in Pennsylvania, we’re on our way to the watersheds of the northernmost tributaries of the lower Susquehanna’s largest tributary, the Juniata River. There, we found Brood XIV cicadas more widespread and in larger numbers than occurred at previous sites. Both Pharaoh and Cassin’s Periodical Cicadas were seen and heard along Jack’s Mountain and the Kishacoquillas Creek north of Lewistown/Burnham in Mifflin County. To the north of the Kishacoquillas Valley and Stone Mountain in northernmost Huntingdon County, the choruses of the two species were again widespread, particularly along the forest edges in Greenwood Furnace State Park, Rothrock State Forest, and adjacent areas of the Standing Stone Creek watershed.

Tymbal on the male Pharaoh Periodical Cicada — A view of the sound-generating tymbal on a male Pharaoh Periodical Cicada at Greenwood Furnace State Park. Rapid vibration of the tymbals by a set of specialized muscles generates the distinctive calls and courtship songs of the various cicada species. When handled, these tymbals can produce a harsh “panic call”. This distress sound could startle a would-be predator and provide the cicada with an opportunity to escape.

Tymbal on a Cassin's Periodical Cicada — The sound organs comprised of ribbed tymbals and specialized muscles on the male Cassin’s Periodical Cicada generate a “panic call” as well as the distinctive calls and songs used to penetrate the droning choruses of the more numerous Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas with which it shares a seventeen-year flight.

Cassin's Periodical Cicadas — Using their specialized sound organs, Cassin’s Periodical Cicadas generate a courtship song that usually includes buzzy phrases and ticking notes (first sound clip). The buzzing and ticking helps the male Cassin’s cicada penetrate the songs of the more numerous Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas in the area (second sound clip). When synchronized into a chorus that surges in volume, the songs of Cassin’s Periodical Cicadas can overcome the overwhelming drone of the nearby Pharaoh cicadas (third sound clip).

Pharaoh Periodical Cicada Depositing Eggs — After mating and before the lives of these seventeen-year cicadas draw to a close, the females need to deposit their fertilized eggs into the small end twigs of suitable trees. On a small hawthorn tree (Cretaegus species) along the edge of the forest at Greenwood Furnace State Park, this Pharaoh Periodical Cicada is using her ovipositor to make a slit in a twig and place her eggs.

Cassin's Periodical Cicada Ovipositing — Simultaneously on the same little hawthorn tree, this female Cassin’s Periodical Cicada is depositing her fertilized eggs.

Within the last 48 hours, we visited one last location in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed where Brood XIV Periodical Cicadas have emerged during 2025. In the anthracite coal country of Northumberland County, a flight of Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas is nearing its end. We found them to be quite abundant in forested areas of Zerbe Run between Big and Little Mountains around Trevorton and on the wooded slopes of Mahanoy Mountain south of nearby Shamokin. Line Mountain south of Gowen City had a substantial emergence as well.

Foliage with Evidence of Ovipositing — Brown leaves reveal the end twigs where female Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas have deposited eggs during the last several weeks. During July, the larvae will hatch and drop to the ground to start a new generation of Brood XIV cicadas. As subterranean nymphs, they’ll spend the coming seventeen years feeding on small amounts of xylem sap from tree roots. In 2042, during the next Brood XIV emergence, these nymphs will come to the surface and take flight as adults.

Dead Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas — Accumulations of deceased Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas on Line Mountain.

Fallen cicadas that show any sign of life are being snatched up by predators such as this Eastern Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis). Meanwhile, the remainder of the biomass is picked apart by scavengers or is left to reducers for breakdown into fertilizer and organic matter for the forest. Nothing goes to waste.

To chart our travels, we’ve put together this map plotting the occurrence of significant flights of Periodical Cicadas during the 2025 emergence. Unlike the more densely distributed Brood X cicadas of 2021, the range of Brood XIV insects is noticeably fragmented, even in areas that are forested. We found it interesting how frequently we found Brood XIV cicadas on lands used as sources of lumber to make charcoal for fueling nineteenth-century iron furnace operations.

The furnaces at Greenwood Furnace State Park required the daily cutting of one acre of timber to make enough charcoal to fuel the iron-making process. Did keeping thousands of acres in various stages of forest succession to supply the charcoal needs of these operations aid the survival of earlier generations of Periodical Cicadas on these lands? Or, after the furnaces converted to coal for fuel, did the preservation of many of these parcels as state, federal, and private forests allow the cicadas to find refuge from the widespread impacts of agriculture and expanding urbanization in adjacent lands? Maybe it’s a little of both. We always bear in mind that annual insects and other animals are more than one hundred generations removed from the negative or positive impacts of the early years of the industrial age, but only about ten generations have passed since populations of seventeen-year Periodical Cicadas were directly influenced by these factors. What do you think?

Well, that’s a wrap. Please don’t forget to check out our new Cicadas page by clicking the “Cicadas” tab at the top of this page. Soon after the Periodical Cicadas are gone, the annual cicadas will be emerging and our page can help you identify the five species found regularly in the lower Susquehanna valley. ‘Til next time, keep buzzing!

June 16, 2025June 20, 2025

Brood XIV Periodical Cicadas in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed

Here are some sights and sounds from the ongoing emergence of Brood XIV Periodical Cicadas in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed.

We begin in the easternmost spur of the lower basin where a sizeable emergence of cicadas can be seen and heard in the woodlands surrounding the headwaters of the Conestoga River in Berks County north of Morgantown. This flight extends east into Chester County and the French Creek drainage of the Schuylkill River watershed on State Game Lands 43 north of Elverson and consists of Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas (Magicicada septendecim), the most common species among 17-year broods.

Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas exuvia — Exuvia of a recently emerged Pharaoh Periodical Cicada.

Pharaoh Periodical Cicada singing — Soon after landing on a perch, a male Pharaoh Periodical Cicada will usually announce his presence by singing. It’s an attempt to quickly attract potential mates that may be in the vicinity.

Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas singing chorus — Gatherings of thousands of singing male Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas create a distinctive droning chorus.

Chestnut Oak Hosting Cicadas — After mating, female cicadas make slits in the end twigs of selected trees into which they lay their eggs. The process of egg-laying and larval emergence will usually wilt and kill end growth on the affected branches, causing little harm to healthy trees. It’s similar to the trim you might give to a bonsai plant to keep it stout and sturdy.

A deceased Pharaoh Periodical Cicada at the Fire Tower Parking Area at French Creek State Park. This specimen and a chorus on the hill’s forested south slope were the northeastern-most evidence of Brood XIV Periodical Cicadas we could find for the population cluster in portions of Berks, Chester, and Lancaster Counties around Morgantown.

Second-year Mississippi Kite Feeding on Cicadas — The abundance of Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas on State Game Lands 43 in Chester County has attracted numerous raptors, particularly wandering one-year-old birds that aren’t quite mature enough to nest. Among the sightings have been Red-tailed Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawks, Broad-winged Hawks, and at least three Mississippi Kites, a rarity on the Piedmont this far inland from the coastal plain. (See the post from June 5, 2021, for details on the occurrence of Mississippi Kites in northernmost Delaware during the Brood X emergence.)

From Route 82 north of Elverson to the west through the forested areas along Route 10 north of Morgantown and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, we found an abundance of Cassin’s Periodical Cicadas (Magicicada cassini) calling among the Pharaohs. This mix of Pharaoh and Cassin’s Periodical Cicadas extends west along the north side of the turnpike into Lancaster County and State Game Lands 52 on Black Creek north of Churchtown.

Cassin's Periodical Cicada — A Brood XIV Cassin’s Periodical Cicada at State Game Lands 52 is identified by the all-black margin between the eye and the wing root and…

Cassin's Periodical Cicadas singing chorus — To penetrate the sounds of the more common Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas, male Cassin’s Periodical Cicadas gather in large concentrations to generate a loud, oscillating chorus. Its surging volume will usually exceed that of the Pharaohs singing in the vicinity.

Cassin's Periodical Cicadas mating — The underside of copulating Cassin’s Periodical Cicadas.

Further west in Cornwall, Lebanon County, a Brood XIV emergence can be found on similar forested terrain: the Triassic hills of the Newark Basin—rich in iron ore and renowned for furnace operations during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas were the only species heard among this population that extends from Route 72 east through the woodlands along Route 322 into the northern edge of State Game Lands 156 in Lancaster County.

On the west side of the Susquehanna, yet another isolated population of Brood XIV Periodical Cicadas can be found in Perry County, just south of Duncannon on State Game Lands 170 on the slopes of “Cove Mountain”, the canoe-shaped convergence of the western termini of Peters and Second Mountains.

Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas dominated this Perry County chorus,…

…but we did detect at least one Cassin’s Cicada trying to find a mate.

Not to say they aren’t present, but we have yet to detect the rarest species, Magicicada septendecula, the “Little Seventeen-year Cicada”, among the various populations of Brood XIV Periodical Cicadas emerging in the lower Susquehanna valley. For the coming two weeks or so until this brood is gone for another 17 years, the search continues.

For more on both annual and periodical cicada species in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, be sure to click the “Cicadas” tab at the top of this page!

June 14, 2025June 15, 2025

The All-American Dad

Just in time for the Flag Day/Father’s Day weekend, the Jordanella floridae we raise here at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters to help control hair algae in our planted aquaria are beginning to spawn.

Jordanella floridae Courtship — A male Jordanella floridae displaying for a prospective female mate. A receptive female will nip the fins of a courting male prompting him to chase her.

In the wild, Jordanella floridae inhabits a variety of vegetated tropical wetlands and backwaters on the Florida peninsula. The species was first described there on Lake Munroe in 1879 by George Brown Goode and Tarleton Hoffman Bean, both of whom spent time working for the Smithsonian National Museum and the United States Fish Commission, the latter a forerunner of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Goode and Bean collaborated frequently, chronicling the occurrence of freshwater species like J. floridae as well as marine ichthyofauna. In 1896, the duo published Oceanic Ichthyology, an extensive study of pelagic and deep-sea fishes. Each experienced a prestigious career and has had numerous fish species named after him.

Nineteenth-century ichthyologist Tarleton Hoffman Bean (1846-1916) was born along the shores of the Susquehanna below Conewago Falls in Bainbridge, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He became a renowned expert on methods of fish culture. (Public Domain image)

To the female, the breeding colors of the dominant male Jordanella floridae are irresistible. To us, the star-spangled banner pattern of this native killifish (more specifically a pupfish) justifies the species’ oft-used common name: American Flagfish.

American Flagfish Courtship — After being chased by the male, the female American Flagfish turns pale in color, indicating to the male that she’s ready to mate. The pair then face each other and begin dancing around the nest site which has been prepared by the male. The dance often consists of the female maneuvering so as not to again face in the direction of her partner.

American Flagfish Spawning — Once the male is successful and the female is receptive, spawning quickly ensues and the pair swims sideways in a tight circle around the center of the nest site…

Male American Flagfish Guarding Nest — Female American Flagfish lay fewer than two dozens eggs, so the male must diligently guard the nest from potential outside threats to his progeny including snails, dragonfly nymphs, and other fishes. Periodically, he’ll use his fins to fan a current across the eggs to clear them of debris and assure an exchange of fresh water through the nest.

Male American Flagfish Tending Nest — For the male American Flagfish, obsessive patrol of the nest site and care of the eggs continues day and night. The American Flagfish, a dandy that dresses for his role as an All-American Dad.

June 12, 2025

Photo of the Day

Along a quiet forest road, a Great Spangled Fritillary visits Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) to feed on nectar.

June 10, 2025June 10, 2025

Photo of the Day

We came across this photo from a dive we did back in 1999 and thought it timely. Here a large non-native Common Carp churns up a cloud of nutrient-charged sediment as it roots its way through a bed of American Eelgrass and Water Stargrass in the Susquehanna below Conewago Falls. (Vintage 35 mm image)