Category: Chordates (Chordata)

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Photo of the Day…Again

Red-shouldered Hawk
Back for an afternoon visit on a limb above the pond, our surprise guest seems to find our dining experience irresistible.  During recent winters, the Green Frogs in the headquarters habitat have continued to be active through at least New Year’s Day.  If it appears we’re going to have a Red-shouldered Hawk lingering that long, perhaps we’ll be motivated to clean our windows so we might get an even better look.
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Photo of the Day

Red-shouldered Hawk
Earlier this morning, we photographed this adult Red-shouldered Hawk as it took a break from its southbound journey to eye up the Green Frogs in the susquehannawildlife.net headquarters pond.  Hunger must surely outweigh timidity because this bird persisted in its hunt despite the activity of a crew of contractors noisily grinding up asphalt in the street just 40 feet away!
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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.

Common Grackles
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 Crow
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.
Common Raven
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.
Common Raven
Ravens are frequently seen in small groups of just two to five birds.  During November however, they may assemble into playful bands of ten or more birds as they roam the ridges in search of suitable places to pass the winter.
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.
Red-tailed Hawk
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.
Osprey
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.
Bald Eagle
Flights right now consist primarily of Bald Eagles.
Bald Eagle
Updrafts created as strong autumn winds strike the slopes of local ridges are providing the lift needed for these birds to cover many miles per day with minimal energy expended.
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.
Bald Eagle
But nearly everyone’s favorite is the close approach of a Bald Eagle in definitive adult plumage.
Golden Eagle
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.

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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.
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Photo of the Day

Rusty Blackbird
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.
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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…

Northern Rough-winged Swallows
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.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
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.
Eastern Chipmunk
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!
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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.
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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.

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

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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.

Tennessee Warbler
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.
Yellow-throated Vireo
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.
Northern Parula
Not to be outdone, this Northern Parula joined in with a cheery tune from yet another Staghorn Sumac.
Black-throated Green Warbler
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.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird
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.
Broad-winged Hawks
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.
Broad-winged Hawks
While passing through the lower Susquehanna valley in fall, Broad-winged Hawks can be seen ascending to greater heights above almost any sun-drenched surface including large parking lots or barren fields.  But to get your best look, visit a ridgetop hawk watch where these birds circle on the rising air created by solar heating of the south-facing slopes.
Sharp-shinned Hawk
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.
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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
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”.
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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.
Shearness Pool
A map at Shearness Pool, the largest impoundment on the refuge, shows the location of other freshwater pools at Bombay Hook.
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
Semipalmated Plovers and Semipalmated Sandpipers arriving on a mudflat at Raymond Pool.
Short-billed Dowitcher
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
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.
Short-billed Dowitchers
Short-billed Dowitchers probe the mud with their sewing machine-like feeding style.
Short-billed Dowitchers
Seldom do they take a break long enough for an observer to their bill in its entirety.
Lesser Yellowlegs
A Lesser Yellowlegs arrives at Raymond Pool as a high-tide refugee.
Lesser Yellowlegs
Another Lesser Yellowlegs on a mudflat.
Greater Yellowlegs
A Greater Yellowlegs wades into shallow water to feed.
Semipalmated Plovers and Semipalmated Sandpipers
It’s difficult to estimate just how many Semipalmated Plovers and Semipalmated Sandpipers were seen.  There were at least 500 plovers, and they were very vocal.  The latter species was present in numbers measurable in the thousands.  We don’t think 10,000 Semipalmated Sandpipers is an overestimate.
Semipalmated Sandpipers
Searching through the Semipalmated Sandpipers, one could regularly find a very similar species among them.
Western Sandpiper
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.
Western and Semipalmated Sandpipers
A Western Sandpiper (top) photographed with a Semipalmated Sandpiper (bottom) in Bear Swamp Pool.
Snowy Egret
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 Egret
Great Egrets could be seen stalking small fish in the channels of the pools.
Green Heron
And a few Green Herons were found lurking in the vegetation.
Osprey
This Osprey briefly startled the shorebirds on Raymond Pool until they realized it posed no threat.
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

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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
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.
Eastern Subterranean Termites
Within moments of emerging, swarming “alates” ascend a tree trunk or other vertical surface from which they can take flight.
Eastern Subterranean Termites
Eastern Subterranean Termite “alates” gather atop a stump before launching skyward.
Eastern Subterranean Termites
Termites swarm in massive numbers in an attempt to overwhelm the predators that are inevitably attracted to their sudden appearance.  The few “alates” that survive to find a source of rotting wood in which to begin a new colony are the only hope for continuing their king and queen’s legacy.
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.
Green Frog Eating Termites
A Green Frog wearing its breakfast.  Its next chance for a termite feast may come during the autumn when the Drywood Termites (Kalotermitidae) swarm.

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.

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?

Wandering Glider
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.
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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.
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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.

Little Seventeen-year Cicada
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.
Little Seventeen-year Cicada
The underside of male (left) and female (right) Little Seventeen-year Cicadas shows narrow orange edges on the abdominal segments.

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
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.

Pharaoh Periodical Cicada
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.
Pharaoh Periodical Cicada
A female Brood X Pharaoh Periodical Cicada straggler on Catoctin Mountain.  The website “cicadamania.com” notes, “Experts (Gaye Williams, State Entomologist of Maryland, John Cooley of UCONN) have confirmed that there will be no Brood XIV cicadas for Maryland.”

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.

Pharaoh Periodical Cicada
A Brood XIV Pharaoh Periodical Cicada near Zerbe Run west of Trevorton, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania.  The following sound clip features the fading chorus of these cicadas and some of the nesting birds that may actually be preying upon them: Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Red-eyed Vireo, and Northern Cardinal.   
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.
Foliage with Evidence of Ovipositing
Evidence of egg deposition among foliage on Line Mountain at State Game Lands 229.
Dead Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas
Accumulations of deceased Pharaoh Periodical Cicadas on Line Mountain.
Eastern Gartersnake
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.

Greenwood Furnace
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!

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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.

Tarleton Hoffman Bean
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)
American Flagfish
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 Courtship
.To get into spawning position alongside his mate, the male flagfish must commence a series of rolling turns.
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…
American Flagfish Spawning
…as the eggs are deposited and fertilized.
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.
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Photo of the Day

Common Carp
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)
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Common Carp: A Menace Meant for the Dinner Plate

One of the earliest non-native fish species to be widely released into North American waterways was the Common Carp.  Stocks brought to the United States were likely sourced from populations already naturalized throughout much of western Europe after introductions originating from the fish’s native range in Eurasia, probably including the Danube and other watersheds east through the Volga.  In western Europe, the species promised to be an abundant and easily cultivated food source.  Under the same premise, carp were transported to the United States during the early 1800s and widely introduced into streams, lakes, and rivers throughout the country.

Common Carp thrive in nutrient-rich waters, particularly those subjected to sewage discharge and agricultural runoff, conditions which were already prevalent during the Common Carp’s initial introduction and have remained widespread ever since.  Within these polluted streams, lakes, and ponds, introduced carp feed aggressively on benthic organisms and plants, stirring up decaying organic matter (mulm) from the substrate.  This process raises turbidity in the water column and releases excessive amounts of the nutrient phosphorus resulting in unusually large algal blooms.  Algal blooms can block sunlight from the longer-lived oxygen-producing vascular plants that grow in submerged environs.  Growing beneath a dense cloud or blanket of algae can compromise the vigor of oxygen-producing vascular plants and disable their biochemical functions within the aquatic ecosystem.  As the short-lived algae die, the bacteria that decay them begin to place increased oxygen demands on the water.  With less oxygen being produced by both the vascular plants and the algae, and with oxygen consumption increased by the activity of decomposers, conditions can become fatal for fish and other organisms.  This process is known as eutrophication.  Because Common Carp are among the species most tolerant of eutrophic conditions, they tend to thrive in the conditions they create while the native fishes perish.

Common Carp spawn in the spring, usually from late April through June, when the water temperature is as low as 58 degrees and as high as 83 degrees Fahrenheit.  This activity is often triggered by a rapid increase in water temperature.  In a small lake, this may be brought on by a string of sunny days in late April or May.  On larger streams and rivers, the temperature spike that initiates the spawn may not occur until warm rains and runoff enter the stream during June.

Common Carp
Seeing the exposed backs of Common Carp as they stir up mulm and other sediments while feeding along the edges of a body of water is not at all unusual.
Common Carp
But carp pursuing other carp into the shallows is a sign that spawning has commenced.
Common Carp Spawning
In water that is often less than a foot in depth, male carp follow the breeding females into egg-laying areas among debris and emergent vegetation.
Common Carp Spawning
A fountain of splashes can ensue as males try to outdo one another for a chance to fertilize the female’s eggs.
Common Carp Spawning
The males’ aggressive pursuit can even forced a large female to temporarily ground herself on the beach.

Common Carp are one of the most widely farmed and eaten fish in all the world.  Here in the United States, they were introduced beginning two hundred years ago because they were favorable to the palate, grew to large size quickly, and were a source of much needed food.  Today, the Common Carp is seldom found on the American dinner plate.  Yet, pound for pound, it is one of the most abundant fish in many of our waters, particularly in man-made lakes.  Like some of our other most invasive species—including Blue Catfish, Flathead Catfish, and Northern Snakehead—Common Carp are perhaps the most edible of our freshwater fishes.  For many cultures, they are an important staple.  For others, they are a delicacy or holiday treat.  In America, they do horrendous damage to aquatic ecosystems following establishment as a food crop that almost never gets harvested.  Did you realize that on the internet, there are literally hundreds of recipes and culinary videos available to show you how to prepare delicious dishes made with Common Carp?  It’s true.  And for the cost of a fishing license, you can catch all you want, usually several pounds at a time.  So why not give the marine fisheries a break?  Take the big leap and learn to eat invasive freshwater species instead.

Common Carp Breaching
Jumpin’ gefilte fish, it’s what’s for dinner!
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Soakin’ Up the Smoky Sun

With temperatures finally climbing to seasonable levels and with stormy sun filtering through the yellow-brown smoke coming our way courtesy of wildfires in Alberta and other parts of central Canada, we ventured out to see what might be basking in our local star’s refracted rays…

Black Saddlebags
Dragonflies including this Black Saddlebags are now actively patrolling the edges of waterways and wetlands for prey and mates.
Common Green Darners
Here we see a pair of Common Green Darners flying in tandem…
Common Green Darners
…and, having already mated, stopping at a suitable location for the female to oviposit the fertilized eggs onto submerged plant stems.
Painted Turtles
A sunny day almost always brings out the reptiles, including these Painted Turtles…
Red-eared Slider
and the invasive Red-eared Slider, a native transplant from the American midwest.
Snapping Turtle
A really big Snapping Turtle will prey on almost anything, including other Snapping Turtles…
Golden Shiners
…but this one seems to be fascinated by something a lot smaller.  Something like these juvenile Golden Shiners seen here schooling in the sun-drenched shallows.
Northern Water Snakes
Turtles aren’t the only reptiles thriving in the heat.  Northern Water Snakes (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) take full advantage of a sun-drenched rock to warm up after spending time in the chilly water of a stream.
Northern Water Snakes
You know, no one loves a snake like another snake…
Northern Water Snakes
…and when it comes to these two snakes, it looks like love is in the air!
Spicebush Swallowtail
Butterflies like this Spicebush Swallowtail enjoy time in the sun, even while seeking out minerals in a patch of moist soil.
Woodchucks
After its siblings darted into the familial burrow upon our approach, this juvenile Woodchuck instead sought the attention of its nurturing mother.  Unlike its brothers and sisters, perhaps this little groundhog isn’t afraid of its own shadow.  Or does the smoky haze have the youngster all confused about what does and doesn’t constitute as a shadow?  Well, we can’t help you there, but you have a whole eight months to figure it out!
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Photographs in Living Color: Black and White is Beautiful

Here at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters, we really enjoy looking back in time at old black-and-white pictures.  We even have an old black-and-white television that still operates quite well.  But on a nice late-spring day, there’s no sense sitting around looking at that stuff when we could be outside tracking down some sightings of a few wonderful animals.

American Toad Tadpoles
American Toad tadpoles have hatched from clusters of eggs deposited in this wet roadside ditch furnished with a clean supply of runoff filtered through a wide shoulder of early successional growth.  Recent rains have kept their vernal nursery flooded, giving them the time they need to quickly mature into tiny toads and hop away before scorching summer heat dries up their natal home.
Water Striders mating.
Weekend rains and creek flooding haven’t stopped these Water Striders from pairing up to begin their breeding cycle.
Common Whitetail
Around streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, the Common Whitetail is one of our most conspicuous dragonflies.
Great Blue Heron
Now that’s what we call a big beautiful bill, on a Great Blue Heron stalking fish.
Golden-backed Snipe Flies
These mating Golden-backed Snipe Flies (Chrysopilus thoracicus) are predatory insects, as are their larvae.  They are most frequently found in bottomland woods.
Eastern Ratsnake
About three feet in length, this Eastern Ratsnake is unusual because it still shows conspicuous remnants of the diamond-patterned markings it sported as a juvenile.
Black-and-white Warbler
The plumage of the Black-and-white Warbler lacks any of the vibrant colors found in the rainbow, but is nevertheless strikingly beautiful.
Black-and-white Warbler
This male Black-and-white Warbler appears a little bit ruffled as he dries out his feathers following a brief afternoon downpour. 
Black-and-white Warbler
But as the sunshine returns, he bursts into song from a forest perch within the nesting territory he has chosen to defend.  In addition to the vocalizations, this eye-catching plumage pattern helps advertise his presence to both prospective mates and would-be trespassers alike.  But against the peeling bark of massive trees where this bird can often be found quietly feeding in a manner reminiscent of a nuthatch, the feathers can also provide a surprisingly effective means of camouflage.  
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Photo of the Day

Cedar Waxwing Feeding on Juneberries
One of dozens of Cedar Waxwings seen descending upon ripe juneberries in a mini grove consisting of either Smooth Shadbush (Amelanchier laevis) or the allied and very similar-looking hybrid juneberry Amelanchier x lamarkii.  Smooth Shadbush can be grown as a shrub or small tree and is also known as Smooth Serviceberry, Allegheny Serviceberry, or Smooth Juneberry.  The hybrid Amelanchier x lamarkii is believed to be a naturally occurring cross between Smooth Shadbush (A. laevis) and either Canadian Serviceberry (A. canadensis) or Downy Serviceberry (A. arborea).  Juneberries/serviceberries/shadbushes, including a number of man-made cultivars, produce white flowers in early spring and can be obtained through numerous suppliers for inclusion in conservation projects, home gardens, or for use as street trees.  Believe it or not, the very productive planting seen here was located in a parking lot island at a busy Walmart store.
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A Doe and Newborn Fawn Get Acquainted

An encounter from yesterday afternoon—you see it just the way we did…

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

Odocoileus virginianus Doe and Fawn

You know, there’s no better time than the present to slow down and quit driving like a sociopath.  After all, you wouldn’t want to murder Bambi’s mom and leave him all alone right now, would you?

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Late May Action in the Forest

Here’s a short preview of some of the finds you can expect during an outing in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed’s forests this week…

Mountain Laurel
The Mountain Laurel, designated as Pennsylvania’s state flower, is now in bloom.
Mountain Laurel Flower Buds
The buds of the Mountain Laurel remind us of a sugary frosting freshly squeezed from a baker’s pastry bag.
Mountain Laurel Flowers
The flowers of the Mountain Laurel, an evergreen understory shrub, invite pollinators to stop by for a sweet treat.
Little Wood-Satyr
Little Wood-Satyrs (Megisto cymela) are patrolling forest edges looking for mates and, to host their eggs and larvae, the stands of grasses they find most suitable.
Zabulon Skipper
Many of the species of small butterflies we call skippers are now active. The Zabulon Skipper can be found patrolling grassy forest edges, particularly near streams, ponds, and wetlands.
Red-spotted Purple
Among the showiest of our butterflies, the Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) is seen here on the leaves of a Black Cherry, its favored host plant.
Red-spotted Purple
Another red-spotted Purple seen picking up minerals from a dried up puddle depression on a gravel road.
Susquehanna Riverlands State Park
Butterfly observers will do well to pay a visit to the new Susquehanna Riverlands State Park on Furnace Road north of Hellam in York County, Pennsylvania.
Trail to Schull's Rock Overlook
Upon arrival at Susquehanna Riverlands, drive back the gravel road for about a mile to the parking area at the edge of the agricultural field.  Then, hike the trail through the woods and farm hedgerow to the Schull’s Rock overlook on the river.  In the forests along this route, the understory is dominated by colonial stands of Common Pawpaw trees.
Common Pawpaw
Along the lookout trail to Schull’s Rock, the Common Pawpaws’ large leaves help them to shade out potentially fast-growing competition.  In proper growing situations, pawpaws develop clonal suckers that mature over time to create colonial stands of a single genetic plant.
Common Pawpaw understory.
A Common Pawpaw understory along the approach to Schull’s Rock.
Common Pawpaw
A colonial stand of Common Pawpaw along the trail leading to Schull’s Rock.
Zebra Swallowtail
During our recent visit to Schull’s Rock, dozens of Zebra Swallowtails were seen along the trail, many in the vicinity of their sole host plant, the Common Pawpaw.  But even more were observed along the edges of the fields and woods where nectar sources like this Multiflora Rose were being visited by numbers of butterflies we normally see only among abundant species like Cabbage Whites.  Absolutely amazing!
Scull's Rock Overlook
And the view of the Susquehanna and the Shock’s Mills railroad bridge at the mouth of Codorus Creek is pretty good too!
Common Pawpaw and Hooded Warbler
You can look for colonial stands of Common Pawpaw at other parks and preserves along the lower Susquehanna as well.  Birds like this Hooded Warbler can sometimes be found among them in mature riparian forests along the steep slopes of the river gorge.
Common Pawpaw and Baltimore Oriole
A Baltimore Oriole in a Common Pawpaw along a forest edge.
Blackpoll Warbler
Meanwhile in the treetops, the spring thrust of Neotropical migrants is drawing to a close.  The Blackpoll Warbler is typically one of the last to transit the lower Susquehanna valley on its way to northern coniferous forests for summer.  They’ve had an unusually protracted movement through the region this spring, the earliest individuals reported during late April.  Though very difficult to see in the canopy of the mature trees where it feeds and sings, hearing one is often a benchmark for senior birders each spring.  Older observers have often said of the Blackpoll Warbler’s high-pitched song, a rapid series of insect-like staccato “tseet” notes, that it was the first they could no longer detect as their ears started losing sensitivity.
American Redstart
In many tracts along the lower Susquehanna this spring, the American Redstart is turning out to be the most common nesting warbler.  Conditions favoring their reproductive success in recent cycles, as well as good survival rates during their migrations and stays on wintering grounds, have filled many lowland forests with redstart songs in 2025.  Is this the start of a trend or just an exceptionally good year?  Time will tell.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Yet one more reason for a stroll in local forests this week is the chance to see and hear the Rose-breasted Grosbeak.  Look for these Neotropical relatives of the cardinal nesting on territories in mature stands of deciduous trees like this Yellow Poplar, a species also known as the Tuliptree.
They spend nearly all their time among the canopy foliage of the largest timber…
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
…but pause frequently to repeat a song often described as something akin to that which might be performed by a robin subjected to voice lessons.  The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is certainly a bird worth seeing and hearing.
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Back in the Day: Down on the Farm

Let us travel through time for just a little while to recall those sunny, late-spring days down on the farm—back when the rural landscape was a quiet, semi-secluded realm with little in the way of traffic, housing projects, or industrialized agriculture.  Those among us who grew up on one of these family homesteads, or had friends who did, remember the joy of exploring the meadows, thickets, soggy springs, and woodlots they protected.

Low-intensity Farming
During much of the twentieth century, low-intensity agriculture provided a haven for wildlife.  Periodic disturbances helped maintain cool-season grassland and early successional habitat for a number of species we currently find in decline.

For many of us, farmland was the first place we encountered and began to understand wildlife.  Vast acreage provided an abundance of space to explore.  And the discovery of each new creature provided an exciting experience.

Distributed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, artist Ned Smith’s wildlife posters introduced many residents of the lower Susquehanna region to its birds and mammals.  This poster of “Birds of Field and Garden” helped us learn what to expect and search for during our forays to the farm.

Today, high-intensity agriculture, relentless mowing, urban sprawl, and the increasing costs and demand for land have all conspired to seriously deplete habitat quality and quantity for many of the species we used to see on the local farm.  Unfortunately for them, farm wildlife has largely been the victim of modern economics.

For old time’s sake, we recently passed a nostalgic afternoon at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area examining what maintenance of traditional farm habitat has done and can do for breeding birds.  Join us for a quick tour to remember how it used to be at the farm next door…

Barn Swallow
Always found nesting under the forebay of the barn, the Barn Swallow relentlessly pursued flying insects over the pond and meadow.
Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Meadowlarks arrived during March and April to begin nesting in their namesake.  Their song, “spring-of-the-year”, heralded the new season.
Eastern Kingbird
Arriving in meadows and pastures during early May, the Eastern Kingbird provided for its nestlings by ambushing a variety of flying insects.  By August, congregations of these birds could be found gathering along ponds and streams ahead of their fall migration.
Orchard Oriole
In the cherry grove down by the creek, the Orchard Oriole would be singing incessantly to defend its territory.
American Goldfinches
Normally seed eaters through the colder months, American Goldfinches would regularly find a source of protein in the occupants of Eastern Tent Caterpillar nests.
Yellow Warbler
Along the wet margins of the creek, Yellow Warblers would nest in the shrubs and small trees.
Willow Flycatcher
The “Traill’s Flycatcher” was a familiar find in low-lying areas of successional shrubs and small trees.  Today, “Traill’s Flycatcher” is recognized as two distinct species, the Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum) and the Willow Flycatcher.  In the lower Susquehanna valley, the latter (seen here) is by far the most common of the two.
Eastern Bluebirds
During the nineteenth century, Eastern Bluebirds became a rarity on lower Susquehanna farms due to a combination of factors: pesticide (DDT) use, habitat loss, and competition with other birds for nest sites.  The species saw a resurgence beginning in the 1970s with discontinuation of DDT applications and widespread provision of nesting boxes.  Around human habitations, competition with invasive House Sparrows continues to be detrimental to their success.
Purple Martins and Tree Swallows
Purple Martins suffered a similar fate to the bluebirds.  The potential for their recovery remains dubious and they continue to be very local breeders, fussy about selection of suitable man-made provisions for nesting.  After considerable effort, Purple Martins have at last been attracted to nest in the condos placed for their use at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.  In the artificial gourds, there are nesting Tree Swallows, a species which also benefits from the placement of boxes intended for bluebirds.
Field Sparrow
Abandoned fields and other successional habitats were and continue to be favored homes for Field Sparrows.
Cedar Waxwing
At almost any time of year, roving bands of Cedar Waxwings would suddenly visit old field habitat looking for berries among the shrubs and other pioneering woody growth.  In early summer, after most species have already hatched their young, nesting would commence and these fruit eaters would transform into accomplished fly catchers.
Ring-necked Pheasant
During the twentieth century prior to the 1980s, Ring-necked Pheasant populations in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed were comprised of breeding descendants of introduced birds supplemented by additional releases to maintain numbers sufficient for hunting.  Year-round populations did and can reside in mosaic landscapes of early successional and grassland habitats, the latter including hay fields left unmowed through the nesting season.
Red-winged Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbirds have always been a fixture of hay fields and meadows on farms.  While the increase in mowing frequency has reduced their nesting success, they have persevered as a species by nesting earlier than other birds and by utilizing other landscape features such as densely vegetated stormwater basins for breeding sites.
Bobolink
Do you recall the last time you saw a Bobolink nesting in a hay field near you?  Arriving in early May as a Neotropical migrant, the Bobolink requires a cool-season grassland such as hay field through at least July to complete its nesting cycle.  Even earlier this century, we remember nesting Bobolinks being more widespread on farms throughout the region.  Now, you almost have to go to Middle Creek if you want to see them.
Grasshopper Sparrow
Formerly more widespread in hay fields throughout the lower Susquehanna valley, the native Grasshopper Sparrow is yet another species falling victim to early mowing and intensive farming.
Grasshopper Sparrow
The solution to their dilemma is as advertised.  Instead of cutting the grass, why not take heed of the example set here and cut back on the tens of thousands of acres that are excessively or needlessly mowed in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed?  How ’bout letting a significant percentage of your property regenerate as successional habitat as well?  It can and does make a difference!
Cool-season Grasses
Beautiful cool-season grasses waving in the spring breeze.  Meadows and hay fields can be managed to function as cool-season grasslands to provide nesting opportunities for many of the species we used to find down on the farm.
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Photo of the Day

White-tailed Deer Button Buck Hosting Engorged Ticks
When it comes to sitting down and watching an episode of Hollywood Squares or indulging in a game of Tic-Tac-Toe, those of us here at susquehannawildlife.net are quick to play right along.  But when it comes to mixing it up with a Tick-Backed Doe or a Tick-Backed Buck like this one, you can count us out.  Upon finding this button buck infested with engorged Deer Ticks and heading our way on a grassy trail, we decided to turn around and limit our walk to the gravel roadway where there was less of a chance of picking up any hitchhikers from the vegetation where this guy has been spending his time.
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Nest Builders at Work

For many animals, an adequate shelter is paramount for their successful reproduction.  Here’s a sample of some of the lower Susquehanna valley’s nest builders in action…

Pileated Woodpecker Excavating Nest
Many of our year-round resident bird species get a head start on the breeding season as cavity nesters.  Some of these mated pairs use naturally occurring hollows, while still others take advantage of the voids left vacant by the more industrious previous occupants.  Woodpeckers in particular are responsible for excavating many of the cavities that are later used as homes by a variety of birds and mammals to both rear their young and provide winter shelter.  Pileated Woodpeckers, like other members of the family Picidae, have an almost mystic ability to locate diseased or insect-infested trees for selection as feeding and nesting sites.  In this composite image, a pair is seen already working on a potential nursery during mid-January.  After use by the woodpeckers, abandoned cavities of this size can become nesting sites for a variety of animals including bees, small owls, Great Crested Flycatchers, Wood Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, and squirrels.
Downy Woodpecker at Nest
After use as a nesting site, a void excavated by Downy Woodpeckers can be occupied in subsequent years by chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, wrens, and other cavity-dwelling species.
Muskrat with Leafy Twig
This Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) with a leafy twig in tow takes advantage of spring’s new growth to construct or repair its house,…
Muskrat with Leafy Twig
…a process that can be repeated or renewed as necessary throughout the year.
Muskrat House
A Muskrat house in March.  In the absence of leafy twigs, dried cattail stems will suffice.  As it ages and decays, the house’s organic matter generates heat and makes an ideal location for turtles to deposit and hatch their eggs.
Wood Thrush
Soon after Neotropical migrants begin arriving in the forests of the lower Susquehanna watershed, they begin constructing their nests.  The majority of these species build “outdoors”, not within the confines of a tree cavity.  Here we see a Wood Thrush with its bill full of dried leaves and other materials…
Wood Thrush Nest
…ready to line the cup of its nest in the fork of a small understory tree.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Though it often arrives during early April after spending the winter in sub-tropical and even some temperate climes, the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher must wait to start construction of its nest until many of the Neotropical migrants arrive in early May.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
You see, the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher relies on plenty of web-spinning spider activity to supply the construction materials it needs.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher pulling apart a spider’s web on a warm May morning.
Blue-gray Gnatcatchers
Back at the nest site…
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
…the sticky spider webs bind together lichens and small bits of bark…
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
…to form a perfect little cup for the nesting Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.
Baltimore Oriole with Nesting Material
Baltimore Orioles weave one the most unique nests of any species occurring in eastern North America.
Baltimore Oriole Nest
Unfortunately for them, man-made litter can often seem to be the ideal material for binding the nest together.  In an area only sporadically visited by anglers, this oriole had no trouble finding lots of monofilament fishing line, trash that can fatally entangle both adult and young birds of any species.  If you see any fishing line at all, please pick it up and dispose of it properly.
Baltimore Oriole
Always keep an eye open for fishing line and get it before the birds do!
Brown-headed Cowbirds
Like many other avians, male Brown-headed Cowbirds are now relentlessly pursuing females of their kind.
Brown-headed Cowbirds
All his effort is expended in an attempt to impress her and thus have a chance to mate.
Brown-headed Cowbirds
This male can indeed put all his energy into the courtship ritual because Brown-headed Cowbirds toil not to build a nest.  They instead locate and “parasitize” the nests of a variety of other songbirds.  After mating, the female will lay an egg in a host’s abode, often selecting a slightly smaller species like a Yellow Warbler or native sparrow as a suitable victim.  If undetected, the egg will be incubated by the host species.  Upon hatching, the larger cowbird nestling will dominate the brood, often ejecting the host’s young and/or eggs from the nest.  The host parents then concentrate all their efforts to feed and fledge only the young cowbird.
Indigo Bunting
Watching and waiting.  The Indigo Bunting evades cowbird parasitism by first recognizing the invader’s egg.  They then either add a new layer of nest lining over it or they abandon the nest completely and construct a new one.  Some patient buntings may delay their breeding cycle until after cowbird courting behavior ceases in coming weeks.
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Their Songs Give Them Away

After repeatedly hearing the songs of these Neotropical migrants from among the foliage, we were finally able to get a look at them—but it required persistent effort.

Magnolia Warbler
Often found closer to the ground among shrubs and small trees, this Magnolia Warbler was a challenge to find in the upper reaches of a Chestnut Oak.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Not far away, we spied this Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Red-eyed Vireo
Despite its status as probably the most common Neotropical songbird to nest in the deciduous woodlands of the lower Susquehanna valley, the Red-eyed Vireo is nevertheless notoriously difficult to locate among the leaves.
Ovenbird
The Ovenbird spends much of its time on the forest floor where it builds a domed, oven-like nest.
Ovenbird
A fortunate observer may catch a glimpse of one perched in an understory shrub or small tree.
Ovenbird
But hearing the Ovenbird’s song, “teacher-teacher-teacher”, is frequently the only way to detect it.
Worm-eating Warbler
The Worm-eating Warbler nests in understory thickets on steep forested slopes.  Its rich chipping song is often the only indication of its presence.
American Redstart
Frequently easier to locate is the American Redstart, a Neotropical warbler that calls out its territory in damp woodlands from perches atop shrubs or among the lower limbs of trees.
Warbling Vireo
Warbling Vireos nest near streams or other bodies of water in large deciduous trees like this Northern Hackberry.
Gray Catbird
Gray Catbirds are abundant in shrubby gardens and thickets.  Most will come out of hiding to investigate disturbances like an observer making a pishing sound.
Common Yellowthroat
Another inhabitant of brushy successional growth is the Common Yellowthroat.  It too is curious and responds quickly to squeaky sounds made by human visitors to their home ground.
Yellow-breasted Chat
The Yellow-breasted Chat is a bird of early successional growth.  To establish and defend a breeding territory, this one adopted a perch along the edge of a woodlands overlooking a field in which prescribed fire was administered less than two months ago.
Yellow-breasted Chat
Like the mockingbird and thrasher, the Yellow-breasted Chat is a mimic.  Its song is a repertoire of the calls and songs of the bird species with which it may compete for food and nesting space.  Unique to the chat is an occasional pause, whistle, or “chuck” note that creates a bridge between many of its song’s elements.
Yellow-breasted Chat
The intensely territorial chat dropping down to look us over.

Sometimes we have to count ourselves lucky if we see just one in five, ten, or even twenty of the birds we hear in the cover of the forest canopy or thicket.  But that’s what makes this time of year so rewarding for the dedicated observer.  The more time you spend out there, the more you’ll eventually discover.  See you afield!

Scarlet Tanager
A singing Scarlet Tanager lurking in the shade of an oak.
Scarlet Tanager
Seeing is believing.
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Singing in the Rain

Neotropical birds are fairly well acquainted with repetitive periods of thundershowers.  With that in mind, we decided not to waste this stormy Tuesday by remaining indoors.

Thundershower
Periods of rain need not put a damper on a day outdoors observing birds that wintered in a rain forest or other tropical environment.
Utility Right-of-way with Successional Habitat
We hiked this utility right-of-way to the north of a heavy thunderstorm and found plenty of activity in the shrubby successional habitat there.
Indigo Bunting
Rain or shine, male Indigo Buntings were busy singing.  All this exuberance is intended not only to establish and defend a nesting territory…
Indigo Bunting
…but to attract the attention of a mate as well.
Blue-winged Warbler
Prior to the implementation of the intensive manicuring practices we see currently applied to most utility right-of-ways, shrubby thickets filled miles of these linear corridors to create a webbed network of early successional growth throughout the lower Susquehanna valley.  Loss of this specialized habitat has led to the almost total elimination of the formerly common Blue-winged Warbler as a breeding species here.
Blue-winged Warbler
We found three male Blue-winged Warblers singing on territories in this bushy clearing where electric transmission lines pass over Third/Stony Mountain on State Game Lands 211.
Blue-winged Warbler
Their presence at this site is testament to the importance of maintaining corridors of quality successional habitat in the landscape.
Blue-winged Warbler
The Blue-winged Warbler is a Neotropical migrant with an easy-to-learn song.  It’s a very simple, buzzy sounding “beeee-bzzz”.
Prairie Warbler
Another Neotropical species that nests in successional thickets is the Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor), seen here during one of this morning’s downpours.
Prairie Warbler
The Prairie Warbler can sometimes be found in stands of pioneer plants like Eastern Red Cedar on sites with barren soils or those that have been subjected to wildfire.
Hooded Warbler
The Hooded Warbler is fond of wooded thickets along the edge of forested land such as those in the Third/Stony Mountain utility right-of-way.
Hooded Warbler
The presence of a Mountain Laurel thicket also enhances a forest’s ability to host breeding Hooded Warblers.

We hope you enjoyed our walk in the rain as much as we did.  If you venture out on a similar excursion, please remember this.  The majority of the wild animals around us have busy lives, particularly at this time of year.  Most don’t take a day off just because it rains—that includes ticks.

Female Deer Tick
Be certain to check yourself for ticks, especially these very small Deer Ticks (Ixodes scapularis), also known as Black-legged Ticks.  Deer Ticks are vigilantly looking for something to latch onto, even in the rain, and they can be vectors of Lyme disease.  We found this adult female as a stowaway on the editor’s neck just before heading home from today’s stroll.
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Shad Run at Conowingo Dam

As the Flowering Dogwoods remind us, it’s time for adult sea-run shad and other fishes to ascend the Susquehanna to spawn.  So yep, we’re off to Fisherman’s Park on the river’s west shoreline below Conowingo Dam in Harford County, Maryland, to check it out.

Anglers at Conowingo Dam
Anglers were in the water and seeing action as we arrived below Conowingo Dam’s powerhouse at Fisherman’s Park.  The east lift, which was constructed during the 1990s to raise American Shad and other migratory fish over the dam during their spring spawning runs, sits idle at the impoundment end of the wing wall in the distance.
The entrance to the idle east fish lift at Conowingo Dam.
The entrance to the idle east fish lift at Conowingo Dam.
Northern Snakehead
Within minutes, we watched one of the culprits responsible for the lift’s shutdown being reeled in.  The invasive population of introduced Northern Snakeheads continues to thrive in the waters of the Susquehanna and its tributaries below the dam.  To prevent it from expanding its range to upriver sections of the watershed, all American Shad are being manually separated from among the snakeheads and other fish species deposited into sorting tanks using the west lift near the powerhouse.
Shad Transport Truck
One of several specialized transport vehicles returns from a “shad run” to the waters of the Susquehanna above York Haven Dam at Conewago Falls after delivering and releasing American Shad sorted from among the fish collected at Conowingo’s west lift earlier in the day.
American Shad began their run up the Susquehanna as water temperatures reached 60 degrees Fahrenheit…just about the time the Flowering Dogwoods started to bloom within the river’s riparian woodlands.  Later this month, spawning activity peaks when the water warms to about 65 degrees.  Earlier in the season, when the water reached about 55 degrees, another anadromous species, the Hickory Shad (seen here), began their spring spawning run from sea to freshwater rivers and streams.
While American Shad are seldom caught on hook and line, Hickory Shad are a popular catch-and-release target.  Though they will energetically strike baits like the small shad dart seen here, Hickory Shad are very cautious while ascending the river; they very rarely enter the fish lifts to join the dozens of other species that readily accept their use.  With water temperatures now in the sixties, an angler is seen here bringing in what may be among the last of this season’s Hickory Shad.  Their spawning run is presently drawing to a close for the year.
Gizzard Shad
The most commonly caught herring at Fisherman’s Park is the Gizzard Shad.  This plankton feeder seldom takes bait; it is instead foul-hooked.  Though not a sea-run species, Gizzard Shad by the tens of thousands leave open waters to seek shallower flowing riffles and pools to spawn.
Gizzard Shad
Unlike the other herring occurring in the Susquehanna, the Gizzard Shad has a blunt, snub-nosed appearance to the snout. The mouth is small and often unnoticeable.
Gizzard Shad
The Gizzard Shad is the only species of Susquehanna herring that can legally be harvested.  All others are sea-run migrants in varying degrees of population peril and must be returned to the water without delay.
Gizzard Shad
Note the elongated last ray on the dorsal fin of this foul-hooked Gizzard Shad.  It’s a not-often-visible but nevertheless tell-tale field mark.
Double-crested Cormorant
Humans aren’t the only creatures attracted by the fish migration on the lower Susquehanna.  This is just one of hundreds of Double-crested Cormorants we watched during our visit.
Cormorant along the base of Conowingo Dam
Hungry cormorants gather along the base of the dam where ascending fish congregate and become further disoriented by water turbulence.
Double-crested Cormorants
Fishing efforts here can bring great success to these accomplished piscivores.
Double-crested Cormorant with Gizzard Shad
Latching onto an oversize Gizzard Shad can make you very popular with your peers.
Double-crested Cormorant with Gizzard Shad
So popular that you may never have the opportunity to eat your lunch.
Double-crested Cormorant with Gizzard Shad
Take it from this old bird: you’ve gotta swallow ’em fast, head first, tail and all.
Bald Eagle with Gizzard Shad
A Bald Eagle hauls off a Gizzard Shad.
Osprey with Gizzard Shad
An Osprey saw this Gizzard Shad swimming close enough to the water’s surface to dive in and snag it with its talons.
Bald Eagle with Gizzard Shad
And yet another successful Bald Eagle calls out to its mate as it approaches its nest and hungry young.
Striped Bass
An angler releases a small Striped Bass caught on a shad dart while fishing for Hickory Shad.  To reduce pressure on their populations during the spring spawning run, the “Striper” harvest is presently closed.  The fishing season resumes later this month in some areas, in June within others.  On the Susquehanna Flats and other Chesapeake Bay waters, Striped Bass are also known as “Rockfish”.
Angler in Action
This angler is reeling in a big one.
Channel Catfish
A nice Channel Catfish weighed in at about six pounds and was released.
White Perch
This angler brought in yet another interesting catch.
White Perch
The White Perch (Morone americana) is a bay species that ascends the Chesapeake’s tributaries to spawn during the spring.  On the lower Susquehanna, numbers of this relative of the Striped Bass are falling, very possibly due to depredation by invasive snakeheads, Blue Catfish, and Flathead Catfish.
Double-crested Cormorant with Blue Catfish
A Double-crested Cormorant does its duty and snatches up an invasive Blue Catfish.   Very large Blue Catfish exceeding 24 inches in length are becoming increasingly plentiful on the upper Chesapeake and its tributaries resulting in a significant negative impact on the aquatic ecosystems there.  Like the Northern Snakehead and Flathead Catfish, these invasive species are very palatable and anglers are encouraged to catch and keep as many as they like.
Maryland DNR sign at Fisherman’s Park.
Angler with Northern Snakehead
What can we do about the plague of Northern Snakeheads (Channa argus) in the Susquehanna?  Well, let’s start by answering a question with a question…Why deplete ocean stocks when you can follow this angler’s example and harvest excellent fillets while helping to control an invasive species at the same time?  And no, you don’t have to call them “Chesapeake Channa” if you don’t want to.  Though you will make us laugh if you start calling them “Susquehanna Channa” or  just “Susquechanna” from time to time.
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Six Flowering Woody Plants

Here’s a look at six native shrubs and trees you can find blooming along forest edges in the lower Susquehanna valley right now.

Black Locust
The Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), a member of the pea or legume family (Fabaceae), can be a dominant pioneer plant of sunny successional habitats, particularly on poor soils.  Nodules along its roots fix nitrogen to help facilitate the growth of the intermediate and climax species of trees and shrubs that replace the pioneers.  Initially armed with protective spines to reduce browsing, the Black Locust’s branches become mostly thornless as the tree matures.
Pinxter Flower
The Pinxter Flower, also known as the Pink Azalea, is certainly a contender for our most spectacular native blossoming shrub;…
Spicebush Swallowtail on Pinxter Flower
…this Spicebush Swallowtail seems to like it too.
Black Cherry
When in bloom, the Black Cherry is a common sight in regional woodlands.  Often seen already covered with blossoms when young and shrub-like, many of these trees will continue flowering and producing fruit throughout the decades required to reach a mature height of 60 feet or more.
Blackhaw
The Blackhaw is an understory shrub preferential to sun-dappled areas beneath a break in the forest canopy.  Pollinated flowers later produce clusters of blue-black berries for birds and other wildlife.
Common Pawpaw
It’s easy to overlook the flowers of the Common Pawpaw.  By the time the leaves are fully emerged and casting shade, blooming time is over.
Flowering Dogwood
Nowadays, the Flowering Dogwood is most frequently encountered as a transplanted cultivar in city and suburban landscapes.  In the wild, it is sparingly distributed throughout the region’s deciduous forests.  These slow-growing little trees produce bright red berries that are quickly seized by a variety of birds upon ripening in the fall.

Local old timers might remember hearing folklore that equates the northward advance of the blooming of the Flowering Dogwoods with the progress of the American Shad’s spring spawning run up the river.  While this is hardly a scientific proclamation, it is likely predicated on what had been some rather consistent observation prior to the construction of the lower Susquehanna’s hydroelectric dams.  In fact, we’ve found it to be a useful way to remind us that it’s time for a trip to the river shoreline below Conowingo Dam to witness signs of the spring fish migration each year.  We’re headed that way now and will summarize our sightings for you in days to come.

Flowering Dogwood
Tree blossoms open in response to the presence of adequate moisture and exposure to the warming effects of sunshine.  Shad ascend the Susquehanna to spawn in response to suitable river flow and increasing water temperature.  Sun and rain in the appropriate proportions can often conspire to synchronize otherwise unrelated events.  Hence, a Flowering Dogwood in bloom along the edge of a mature forest means it’s time to go check out the shad run.
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Photo of the Day

Indigo Bunting
Brilliantly colored migrants continue to arrive from their tropical wintering grounds.  Look for the Indigo Bunting in thickets and other successional habitat.  They are particularly fond of seldom-manicured utility right-of-ways and railroads where males like this one can be seen singing from an exposed perch to defend a nesting territory and attract a mate.
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