As they travel between coastal wintering ranges and breeding territories in Canada and Alaska, vast numbers of shorebirds pass through the lower Susquehanna region each spring and fall—though few stop here to rest, feed, and provide us with an opportunity to observe them. Prior to the construction of man-made dams and other alterations on our lotic (flowing) waterways including the river, shorebirds took advantage of lateral bars, stream deltas, and other alluvial deposits as places to loaf and re-energize. Before they were drained and filled, some of the valley’s wetlands probably included sparsely vegetated flats where shorebirds could drop in for a brief visit. Previous to their extirpation from our region, North American Beavers were the primary providers of quality habitat for shorebirds and other migrating waders on our lotic waters. Their widespread network of dams, pools, and marshes maximized floodplain function by keeping streams thoroughly connected to their wetlands, nurturing plant communities that not only provided food and shelter for the beavers and other wildlife, but provided superb buffering against erosion while protecting against sediment and nutrient imbalances in lower Susquehanna waterways.
Beaver dams need not be large, particularly on low-gradient streams where a structure like this is sufficient to create a pool with depth adequate for building and maintaining a lodge and transporting leafy branches and other food items by water.A beaver lodge assembled in a pool with less than three feet of water, deep enough to provide the family with a measure of protection against terrestrial predators.Beaver pool ecosystems provide homes for hundreds of species of plants and animals, including migrating shorebirds and other waders.Mud flats in the margins between emergent shrubs and herbaceous plant growth attract migrating shorebirds like this Solitary Sandpiper to the abundance of invertebrate life. Seasonal movements of migrating shorebirds regularly coincide with the reductions of water levels in beaver pools which typically occur between May and September each year.During its southbound migration in September, a Least Sandpiper searches for arthropods and annelids as it visits a food-rich puddle along the periphery of a beaver pool.A Pectoral Sandpiper feeds in shallow water near a stand of Common Cattails in a beaver pool.During migration, rails including the Sora are attracted to dense emergent vegetation in beaver pools. Some will nest in these rodent-managed refugia.Green Herons visit beaver pools during migration and, due to the reliability of the food supply, will often nest in their vicinity.
So how did this happen? How did the North American Beaver become a keystone species—an animal upon which the majority of other life forms within its ecosystem are so reliant? Well, it’s largely due to the fact that our beavers aren’t particularly fond of a constant stream of noise. More specifically, they don’t like the sound of running water in places where they intend to build and maintain a lodge. And so, as they begin to place sticks, mud, limbs, stones, and other materials within a noisy riffle on a stream, they create a dam, and behind it a pool—a pool that is particularly advantageous for protecting their home and providing a means of conveyance for their construction materials and food supplies.
On a high-gradient segment of stream, beavers will create a cascading series of pools. Because water filters through a beaver dam instead of spilling over it, the work of these meticulous rodents soon silences the sounds of water changing altitude. No more sonorous riffle.Quiet please. High seasonal stream flow and damage from storms may create areas where water begins to erode the structure of the dam. Where this condition persists, an adult beaver will soon mend the breach, just to quiet things down. Why would beavers demand such a hush upon their domain? Well, they have poor eyesight, but their hearing is excellent, and they rely upon it to detect danger.The Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla), one of our earliest-arriving warblers, nests in forests along clear, high-gradient streams. In mid-April, we found this individual and three others squabbling over a breeding territory adjacent to the series of cascading beaver pools shown in the previous images.Native denizens of coldwater streams, neither the Brook Trout nor the Eastern Blacknose Dace has any difficulty finding its way through the voids in beaver dams to ascend and descend the sequence of pools.On a low-gradient segment of stream, a dam just over a foot in height may be sufficient to create a beaver pool of considerable size. Resembling the water-logged muskeg of the far north, well-established beaver pools form boggy habitats familiar to migrating shorebirds.Water levels in the pools usually drop along with the stream’s base flow as soon as the effects of the spring thaw and rain showers subside. Feeding areas in shallow water and on muddy ground are often revealed just in time for northbound shorebirds and other waders to stop by in late April and May. These conditions often persist through the growing season and the fall migration of these birds which begins as early as late June and sometimes extends into October.Where the pool inundates standing timber such as Red Maple and other species not used by beavers, the dead snags provide vital feeding areas for birds and other wildlife. Cavity nesters like this Tree Swallow seldom find suitable natural housing elsewhere.The mosaic of marshlands and braided stream channels within the beaver pool complex supports an abundance of aquatic life including these breeding Eastern Newts, seen here surrounded by the exuvia left behind following a massive hatch of alderflies (Sialinae). Alderflies are a stream inhabitant during their larval stage and are indicator of clean water conditions.A modern-day example of the way fully functional stream floodplains used to look in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed. Though the pools may appear pond-like during the cooler and wetter months of the year, by summer the water levels behind the beaver dams recede as the base flow of the stream wanes. Now the true nature of the marsh, shallow pool, and braided stream complex is revealed. Unlike most man-made dams that set a fixed pool elevation regardless of flow by discharging water over the top of the structure or through a spillway or gate, beaver dams merely throttle the flow through their porous construction. Unless the beaver begins plugging small leaks as fast as the stream flow ebbs, the water level in the pools will drop. So they’re not left high and dry, lodges are located in the deepest pools, usually in close proximity to the dam and/or one of the stream courses. Though not inundated during the dry season, the soil in the pool complex is almost always damp and plants grow vigorously there, sequestering nutrients and retaining sediments in beneficial deposition patterns that actually inhibit erosion of the riparian landscape. These streams and floodplains retain their hyporheic zone and freely exchange water with the underlying water table and aquifer. It’s the ultimate floodplain management system, and the beavers don’t even know their doing all the work. (Google Maps base image)Where another high-gradient segment of stream enters the main pool complex, beavers have created an additional series of cascading pools. The impoundments created by these dams help diffuse stormwater energy and process more nutrients and sediments within the floodplain’s wetland vegetation system. (Google Maps base image)Beaver pools often refill as stream flows increase following autumn rains. The stockpiles of vegetative foods that grew within the beaver’s domain through the summer then become flooded and are a prime source of nutrition for not only the beavers, but waterfowl during both their autumn and spring migrations. Gleaning and probing Sandhill Cranes often find these habitats to their liking as well.
While North American Beavers have returned to the region, most live as “bank beavers”, residing in the river and larger creeks of the valley where they excavate shelters among the roots of Black Willows and other shoreline trees and shrubs. Floodplain encroachment, legacy sediment deposits, and just plain human intolerance have all conspired to prohibit North American Beavers from performing their magic on smaller local streams. For migrating shorebirds, this continued absence of beaver dam ecosystems has turned much of the lower Susquehanna valley into “flyover country”. Those travelers that do stop to rest and feed concentrate at the few favorable locations such as the lateral bars and the hydroelectric dam-created delta at the Conejohela Flats on the river in Lancaster County. But centralization has its drawbacks. Migrants spending time at concentration points may have a greater chance of contracting and spreading disease. Protracted heavy foraging can degrade these habitats. And over time, features such the lateral bars and delta deposits, including those on the Conejohela Flats, transition into other habitats—riparian forests. A more widespread selection of favorable stopover points for shorebirds, waders, waterfowl, and other migrants is certainly desirable.
IMITATION IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY
Until public sentiment sways in favor of the North American Beaver, wildlife managers are mimicking some of the attributes of their sound-inspired installations.
Created by excavating a depression in heavy clay soils, this new impoundment at the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area collects water directly from rainfall and from surface runoff. Its depth at no point is greater than about two or three feet. During the driest times of the year, this space will be a mudflat, and a haven for migrating shorebirds.
Shallow-water conservation impoundments designed, constructed, and managed for migratory waterfowl and waders including shorebirds are not what we typically refer to as ponds—though they are lentic (still) waters. Similar shallow freshwater impoundments at our National Wildlife Refuges are referred to as pools by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, but smaller versions like this example at Middle Creek very closely resemble the prairie potholes created by glacial scour in the north-central United States and adjacent portions of Canada. Many populations of migratory birds are familiar with pothole ecosystems and, like the beaver pools and marshes, have relied upon them as waypoints along their journeys for centuries.
Impoundments most beneficial to migrating waterfowl and waders including shorebirds are shallow in depth. They lack the deeper waters of a pond or lake and thus have no limnetic (open water) or aphotic zones. Managed throughout as a littoral zone, impoundments grow plants in shallow water or on damp soil through the summer months to chew up nutrients accumulated in waste deposited by visiting birds. This vegetation is then flooded from late fall through early spring as forage habitat for migratory waterfowl. The timing of the fluctuations in water levels approximates those of the beaver pools and marshes on lotic (flowing) waters.A gate assembly is a water control structure installed to provide seasonal management of the water levels in a conservation impoundment. More than once, beavers have heard the sounds of tumbling waters inside these types of devices and tried to dam them up!
You’ve heard the line, “If you build it, they will come.” Well, it’s true. Here is a sample of the activity witnessed during the past two weeks at the new impoundment completed just several months ago at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area along the tour route just beyond the “Stop 3” overlook.
The ubiquitous Snow Geese were among the first migratory occupants of the new impoundment. A few are currently lingering in the vicinity.Ducks soon followed. These Blue-winged Teal were among the last to pass through earlier this month.Wilson’s Snipe were among the first species of migratory shorebirds to visit the new impoundment at Middle Creek……as were Killdeer, a species which nests nearby.Then, earlier this month, flocks of shorebirds including these Least Sandpipers were arriving to feed and rest.Least Sandpipers search for small invertebrates in shallow water and exposed soil.A Least Sandpiper (left) and a Semipalmated Sandpiper (right).Not all shorebirds seen by themselves are alone, and that includes the Solitary Sandpiper.Here’s a Solitary Sandpiper (right) feeding alongside a Least Sandpiper (center) and a White-rumped Sandpiper (left).A Least Sandpiper (left) and a White-rumped Sandpiper (right).Rare in our area during spring, the White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) flies north using the central flyway, then heads south along the Atlantic flyway in the fall, when it tends to be more regular here.Rocking and teetering along as it looks for food, the Spotted Sandpiper may be one of the easiest of shorebirds to identify.Chunky little Dunlin (Calidris alpina) with their conspicuously down-curved bills are another easy-to-identify species, particularly in the spring when their breeding (alternate) plumage includes a black belly.Black-bellied Plovers acquire a handsome set of plumage in the spring as well.Killdeer too are plovers and this pair appears to have taken up residence on barren ground along the periphery of the new impoundment.The Semipalmated Plover doesn’t have nearly the flair for ornament its close relatives the Killdeer do; these little shorebirds wear only one ring around their neck instead of two. Think this plover is cute?,……then check out this newly hatched Killdeer. It starts life with just one necklace too, but acquires a second as it grows. Look at those legs! (If you visit the new impoundment at Middle Creek, drive slowly and please watch where you’re going. Baby Killdeer and other young birds, as well as mammals and turtles, are commonly crossing the paved surfaces right now.)Speaking of legs, here’s one of dozens of Lesser Yellowlegs that visited the new impoundment during their recent northbound travels.Though less numerous than the smaller Lesser Yellowlegs, a Greater Yellowlegs seldom goes unnoticed when dropping by the man-made pothole habitat.Have trouble telling a Greater Yellowlegs like this one from a Lesser Yellowlegs? Look for the heavier, longer bill on the former, as well as dark barring along its flanks below the wings while the bird is in breeding (alternate) plumage during the spring migration.Everyone likes to see something unusual every now and then, and this impoundment delivers. Just yesterday, we photographed this migrating Wilson’s Phalarope (top center) among two Least Sandpipers (top left and right), a Lesser Yellowlegs (left and slightly forward of the phalarope), and a White-rumped Sandpiper (foreground).Renowned for spinning in circles as they feed in shallow water, Wilson’s Phalaropes (Phalaropus tricolor) passing through the lower Susquehanna basin are headed toward nesting areas in the prairie wetlands, including potholes, of the northern United States and adjacent sections of southern Canada.
Species of wildlife in addition to shorebirds and waterfowl have already found the new impoundment favorable…
Pairs of breeding Spot-winged Gliders (Pantala hymenaea), seen here in tandem while ovipositing, were swarming the impoundment after arriving earlier this week. These dragonflies are ofttimes unpredictable nomads and are similar in appearance to the usually more numerous Wandering Gliders. To recolonize seasonal portions of their range, both are famous for hitching a ride en masse on storm systems. They share the behavior of finding ephemeral and new bodies of water favorable for egg laying due to their low density of aquatic predators.We watched this Snapping Turtle arrive to apparently find the newly created waters to its liking. Snapping Turtles are important consumers in a wetland ecosystem. Larger specimens may fill the role of an upper trophic level or apex predator, eliminating vulnerable mid-level consumers including other Snapping Turtles.Because it bounces its tail up and down like a Spotted Sandpiper, you may at first glance mistake an American Pipit for a shorebird. Long known as the Water Pipit, these songbirds have been visiting the impoundment while migrating north and stopping to feed in nearby croplands.Seen here with Least Sandpipers is a visiting Glossy Ibis.Sometimes twenty or more of these mostly coastal waders have made a pit stop at the “new Middle Creek pothole”, though none have thus far chosen to remain long. Apparently, food sources sufficient to sustain a bird of their size have yet to develop in its benthos.Western Cattle Egrets visiting Middle Creek this spring have been frequenting the new impoundment.With still little in the way of insects such as grasshoppers available in the surrounding landscape,……cattle egrets are looking to find prey like this Green Frog.Many have been observed hunting the adjacent grasslands..Where small mammals, mostly Meadow Voles, are being taken in abundance.
Managing saturation levels in shallow-water impoundments to resemble the seasonal variations in beaver pool and marsh systems can create lush growth and wildlife-rich environments. Take a look at some images from a project in a headwaters area of a tributary to Conewago Creek (west)…
By late July, southbound shorebirds were already using these mudflats to feed and rest. Other sections of the impoundment were dense with emergent and aquatic plants, the latter kept hydrated in deeper pools of the project by the inflow from several captured springs that supplement direct rainfall and sheet runoff to supply its water. During a seasonal drawdown, the exposure of the impoundment’s soils to direct sunlight can provide a measure of disinfection to reduce the chances of disease transmission among its populations of visiting birds and other animals.In the deeper pools of the impoundment, water lilies and other aquatic plants grow in lush mats to provide cover and feeding areas for resident populations of breeding reptiles and amphibians.An abundance of foods are available for waders including this Green Heron……and this immature Little Blue Heron, a wanderer typical of more southern latitudes.While walking the road among tall grasses in the supporting landscape surrounding this impoundment, we were at first startled when these Sandhill Cranes strode by going the other direction. We quietly kept moving,……then spotted them again as we looked across the impoundment to realize they weren’t alone, but were escorting a colt.The hatching of this colt is testimony to the vital role wetland ecosystems play in the lives of hundreds of species. Whether they be beaver pools and marshes on lotic waters or man-made shallow lentic waters, each of these habitats is filling a void that left floodplains and other critical lowland biomes faltering. While they can’t replace the full-function floodplain management provided by an active beaver colony, shallow-water impoundments can provide relief for habitat-starved populations of the animals and plants that rely upon them. A constellation of these projects on lands public or private across the lower Susquehanna watershed could help provide refuge for many of our flora and fauna with the most desperately fragmented of ranges.
So that you can relax while observing the comings and goings at a pair of the lower Susquehanna valley’s man-made impoundments, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has erected two viewing pavilions for public use on its lands…
The Haldeman Island observation pavilion is located on State Game Lands 290 just upstream from the Juniata River’s mouth on the Susquehanna at Clark’s Ferry in Dauphin County.It overlooks not only the island’s man-made shallow-water impoundments and neighboring grasslands, but the tower used in the 1970s to reintroduce Bald Eagles from Saskatchewan to the lower Susquehanna. Interpretive signs explain the conservation stories of habitats and the eagle reintroduction program.The observation pavilion at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area is of similar construction to the one at Haldeman Island. It is accessed from the parking pull-off along the tour road at its intersection with Chapel Road, just before the right turn and incline that leads to the “Stop 3” grassland overlook.It too includes numerous interpretive signs to help visitors understand impoundment management.
During the next two weeks, the exodus of migrating shorebirds now staged and feeding upon Atlantic Horseshoe Crab eggs on Delaware Bay will commence. During the evening of their departure from the bay, many of these birds cross portions of the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, particularly east of the river. Stormy weather and other climatic conditions may force some of them to seek a place to put down temporarily, so keeping a close eye on the new pothole-like impoundment at Middle Creek may be a prudent move. After that, waders known as “post-breeding wanderers” can show up at any time. Then, beginning as early as late June, shorebirds begin moving south on a migration that can provide us with viewing opportunities into September and beyond. See you out there!
Our first big wave of northbound migrants has come and gone, but don’t despair; for spring is still a few days away, and we have yet to reach the end of the beginning …
All but the last of the migratory Canada Geese have passed through the lower Susquehanna basin en route to their nesting grounds in the land for which they are named. Those that remain are mostly members of a resident population established here during the latter decades of the twentieth century.The majority of the northwest-flying Tundra Swans that wintered on the Atlantic Coastal Plain and will nest in Alaska and western Canada have now traversed our skies and are on their way through the Eastern Great Lakes region.Snow Geese too have departed. Only stragglers like this individual with a wounded wing linger.Still moving up the river corridor are thousands of Ring-billed Gulls. Their movements are prolonged, extending through much of the late winter and into early spring with primarily adult birds leading the way.The Red-winged Blackbird exodus continues as well with mostly male birds like this one venturing on ahead of the females to secure suitable breeding sites before the arrival of the competition.Male Common Grackles are coming north to lay claim to favorable nesting habitat too. In an effort to fend off rivals, a male will thrust back his head and ruffle his feathers to display the colorful sheen adorning his plumage.Recognized by their nasal two-syllable calls, Fish Crows have been filtering up the valleys of the river’s main stem and its tributaries for almost a month now. While the closely related American Crow is numerous throughout the winter in the lower Susquehanna watershed, most of our Fish Crows retreat to the Atlantic Coastal Plain during the colder months. The Fish Crows that return early stake claims on the best nest sites, often in lowland areas where they are sometimes in direct competition with a portion of the population of American Crows that commonly breeds here.
With the arrival of the spring equinox, longer periods of daylight will accompany the return of many more species. Be sure to get outside, then have a look around.
In case you haven’t already heard, the Snow Geese are at last filtering north from the Atlantic Coastal Plain to congregate at the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties.
Compared to recent years, the 2026 spring waterfowl migration has been a bit behind schedule, owing primarily to persisting layers of ice and snow. As the cover melted from regional fields during the past week, Snow Geese were at last able to find sufficient acreage for grazing, and their numbers at Middle Creek increased rapidly.As many as 60,000 Snow Geese have been enumerated in recent days at the refuge.And more than 500 Tundra Swans are making a stopover.When not in the fields feeding, Snow Geese are concentrated around the small area of open water on the otherwise frozen lake, making them easily observed from the Willow Point viewing area. If you’re planning to visit and have a look, don’t wait. The urge to begin their 2,000-mile journey to breeding areas on the arctic tundra is strong, and as soon as conditions permit, they’ll be resuming their excursion. This could very well be an abbreviated stay.
For those of you who may be wondering if there are Snow Geese at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, the answer is yes—just one!
A lone Snow Goose was seen earlier today among about 100 Canada Geese, two dozen Tundra Swans, and a couple of American Black Ducks clustered around a small opening in the ice on the main impoundment at Middle Creek.
So where are the thousands of Snow Geese we’ve grown accustomed to seeing during recent decades as they gather at the refuge in February while preparing to fly north for the summer?
With much of the river and nearly all of the lower Susquehanna basin’s lakes and ponds frozen, Snow Geese and many other migratory waterfowl remain concentrated on the Atlantic Coastal Plain where salty tidewater provides ice-free conditions for feeding and loafing. In fact, some ducks, particularly diving species, may still be evacuating freshwater locations to our north such as the Eastern Great Lakes where, during the past week, even more surface area has succumbed to freezing. Look for migrants to begin pushing north in bigger numbers as soon as rising temperatures start to melt local ice. (NOAA/U.S. National Ice Center image)Freezing of the Great Lakes has not been this extensive since 2019. New lake ice (shown in pink) has completed coverage of Lake Erie (lower left), isolated open water from the shorelines of Lake Huron (upper left), and now covers a large portion of the nearshore waters of Lake Ontario (right). (NOAA/U.S. National Ice Center image)
In addition to the Canada Geese and Snow Geese currently visiting Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, three smaller geese of interest were seen there this afternoon.
The Big Geese- The three Snow Geese and some of the one thousand or more Canada Geese presently calling the lake at Middle Creek home. Again today, flocks of hundreds of Snow Geese circled the lake, but did not decide to stay.Small Goose #1- First reported several days ago, this Ross’s Goose continues to be seen in the company of Canada Geese.Small Goose #2- Just 100 feet to the right of the Ross’s Goose, we spotted this dark little Cackling Goose, another rarity. It is probably a Richardson’s Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii hutchinsii), a subspecies that nests in the arctic tundra of north-central Canada.Small Goose #3- And to its right was another Cackling Goose, this one a bit paler, particularly on the breast (hatch-year bird?). Note its small size and stubby bill compared to the nearby Canada Geese.The gray, scalloped appearance of the back and the paler breast is apparent on this second Cackling Goose.The Cackling Goose was only recently recognized as a species distinct from the Canada Goose (2004). The status and distribution of each goose’s various subspecies remains a topic of discussion and debate.Compare the bill size and shape, Canada Goose to the left and Cackling Goose to the right.A final look at one of two Cackling Goose seen today from Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area’s Willow Point.
There you have it, the three little geese—a Ross’s and two Cackling. They’re among North America’s smallest of the geese species and seldom are they seen so close together.
Our outing at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area was today highlighted by teasing views of glistening white geese and swans—the tundra breeders that by February will create a sensation attracting thousands of birders, photographers, and other visitors to the refuge.
At noisy flock of at least five hundred high-flying Snow Geese arrived at Middle Creek just after noontime.A spiraling descent ensued.Snow Geese coming down while carefully examining the small patch of open water on Middle Creek’s main lake.Several of the “Blue Goose” color morphs were easily discernible among the hundreds of typical white birds.Streaming in on final approach to the lake……and making a low pass above thrilled spectators at the Willow Point overlook.Then, after gliding just a hundred feet above the Canada Geese, Tundra Swans, and other waterfowl gathered around the small pool of open water on the lake……the entire flock gained altitude and soon departed in the easterly direction from whence it came, not yet ready to settle in at Middle Creek for a respite before heading north later this winter.A short while later, some of the fifty or more Tundra Swans that have been visiting Middle Creek throughout the week started to stir,……taking a few laps around the center of the lake before again settling down along the edges of the ice.Two adult and two immature Tundra Swans as seen from Willow Point.Since the big flock of Snow Geese decided not to stay, the Ross’s Goose remains easy to locate among the hundreds of Canada Geese on the lake’s ice and on the mudflats on the north side of Willow Point.The Ross’s Goose in the company of a distant group of Canada Geese……and with an American Black Duck of similar size. Just today, several dozen observers had the opportunity to get a look at this rarity. With a little luck, it’ll stick around so others have a chance to see it too.
The Ross’s Goose (Anser rossii) is a rare but regular transient in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed. This species nests in the arctic tundra of northernmost central Canada and winters in the valleys of California and in parts of Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, primarily near the northwestern rim of the Gulf of Mexico. A population also spends the colder months in western Texas, New Mexico, and an adjacent portion of north-central Mexico. The Ross’s Goose looks like a tiny version of a Snow Goose and is most often detected among flocks of these latter birds during their late winter visits to our area. Finding a single Ross’s Goose among thousands of Snow Geese can oft times be an insurmountable challenge, so it’s nice when one decides to drop by in a crowd within which it is much more discernible.
A couple of Snow Geese along with Canada Geese and other waterfowl seen this afternoon from the Willow Point overlook at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.A petite little Ross’s Goose seen late this afternoon among several hundred Canada Geese north of Willow Point.The Ross’s Goose was last seen walking across the ice to the distant northern shoreline of the lake where it and the Canada Geese were later flushed skyward by several Bald Eagles.
In case you were wondering—yes, despite the ice on Middle Creek’s lake, the Sandhill Cranes are still being seen in the vicinity of Willow Point.
Sandhill Cranes returning from a short foray into the grasslands north of the lake at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.On approach to the flats north of Willow Point.Coming in for a landing.Touchdown!
To take advantage of this unusually mild late-winter day, observers arrived by the thousands to have a look at an even greater number of migratory birds gathered at the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. Here are some highlights…
Multitudes of Sunday hikers enjoyed the warm afternoon on Middle Creek’s many trails.In one of Middle Creek’s numerous impoundments, newly emerged Painted Turtles bask in the sunshine.Native blackbirds, particularly males including this Brown-headed Cowbird, are arriving to stake out a claim on suitable breeding territory.Male Red-winged Blackbirds visit the feeding station at the Middle Creek W.M.A. Visitor’s Center.Brown-headed Cowbirds regularly maintain close association with Red-winged Blackbirds, a frequent victim of the former’s nest parasitism, the practice of laying and abandoning their eggs in a host species’ abode. By early May, adult “red-wings” can often be seen tending fledged cowbird young raised at the expense of their own progeny.Male Common Grackles display their colors in an attempt to establish dominance.Visitor’s to Middle Creek’s Willow Point Trail not only had a chance to see thousands of geese and other waterfowl, but they might also get a good look at some of the handsome White-crowned Sparrows that have been there during recent weeks.The first Tree Swallows of the season have arrived to stake a claim to nest boxes located throughout the refuge’s grasslands.Bare croplands and muddy shorelines around Middle Creek’s lakes and ponds are attracting migrating Killdeer. Some will stay to nest.Hundreds of Ring-billed Gulls arrived during the late afternoon to spend the night on the main lake.A Red-tailed Hawk was seen hunting mice and exhibiting territorial behavior. It is probably protecting a nest site somewhere on the refuge.Canada Geese could be seen coming and going, with migratory birds apparently supplementing the resident flock. This group flushed when a Bald Eagle passed close by.You could hold a Bald Eagle I.D. clinic at Middle Creek W.M.A. right now. Dozens of birds of varying age classes could be seen in the trees surrounding the main lake and the larger ponds. Currently, fifty or more could be present. At least one Golden Eagle has been seen as well.An adult Bald Eagle in definitive plumage investigating the inhabitants of the lake.This Bald Eagle in its second calendar year is not yet one year of age, but it has already begun replacing dark body feathers with a light plumage that will earn it the nickname “white belly” for this and its third year. It will start molting its long hatch-year (juvenile) flight feathers soon after its first birthday.Another second-year immature Bald Eagle, this one being scolded by the aforementioned territorial Red-tailed Hawk. Though showing some wear in the tail, this eagle still has a full set of lengthy hatch-year (juvenile) flight feathers and remains mostly dark below when compared to the bird of the same age class seen in the previous image. As in other birds, diet, genetics, stress, climatic conditions, and many other factors will frequently vary the timing of molt among individuals in a population of Bald Eagles.An immature Bald Eagle in its third calendar year still retaining numerous long juvenile wing and tail feathers. In coming months, as it reaches its second birthday, it will begin replacing the remaining older plumage with a set of new flight feathers.An immature Bald Eagle in its fourth calendar year approaches its third birthday with a rather conspicuous long juvenile feather remaining in each wing. These feathers will soon be replaced. In addition, the body plumage will darken, the head will begin to show more white, and the bill will become yellow. In about two more years, the bird will attain its familiar adult definitive plumage. Click the “Hawkwatcher’s Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Diurnal Raptors” tab at the top of this page to learn more about determining the age of these and other birds of prey.Bald Eagles draw a crowd, but the real attraction at Middle Creek W.M.A. in late winter is Snow Geese,……thousands of them.Migratory Snow Geese, an annual spectacle at Middle Creek.Snow Geese and hundreds of delighted onlookers.
The late afternoon sky filled with Snow Geese.As daylight waned and the Snow Geese returned to the main lake for the night, more than one hundred lucky observers were treated to the rare sight of several Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus) emerging to hunt the refuge’s managed grasslands for mice and voles. For many of these visitors, it was a memorable first-time experience.
Following the deep freeze of a week ago, temperatures soaring into the fifties and sixties during recent days have brought to mind thoughts of spring. In the pond at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters, Green Frogs are again out and about.
A pair of Green Frogs seen today alongside the headquarters pond. A sign of spring?
But is this really an early spring? Migrating waterfowl indicate otherwise. Having been forced south from the Great Lakes during the bitter cold snap, a variety of our tardy web-footed friends belatedly arrived on the river and on the Susquehanna Flats of upper Chesapeake Bay about ten days ago. Now, rising water from snow melt and this week’s rains have forced many of these ducks onto local lakes and ponds where ice coverage has been all but eliminated by the mild weather. For the most part, these are lingering autumn migrants. Here’s a sample of some of the waterfowl seen during a tour of the area today…
Like other late-season migrants, Snow Geese take advantage of open water on area lakes until ice forces them south to the Atlantic Coastal Plain. In a little more than a month from now, they’ll begin working their way north again.Tundra Swans and American Black Ducks loafing on an ice-free lake.The non-native Mute Swan has become an invasive species. Because they are predominantly non-migratory, groups of Mute Swans congregating in valuable wetland habitat can decimate these aquatic ecosystems with their persistent year-round feeding. Their long necks help them consume enormous quantities of benthic foods that would otherwise be available to migratory diving ducks during their autumn and spring stopovers.Small flocks of Gadwalls will sometimes spend the winter on ice-free vegetated ponds in the lower Susquehanna region.A mixed flock of diving ducks on a small lake. Let’s take a closer look!Six Redheads, three Lesser Scaup (top row left), and a Canvasback (upper right).Redheads.Buffleheads.An adult male Lesser Scaup.A female (right) and a first-winter male (left) Lesser Scaup.Canvasbacks and a Ruddy Duck.
With the worst of winter’s fury still to come, it’s time to say farewell to most of these travelers for a little while. With a little luck, we’ll see them again in March or April.
Our official susquehannawildlife.net prognosticator climbed out of its winter hideout today to have a look around. Then, without hesitation, the forecast for 2023 was issued, “Winter Stinks!”
It’s that time of year—Snow Geese on their northbound migration, more than 100,000 of them, have arrived for a stopover at the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties. Get there now to see scenes like these in person…
Thousands of Snow Geese gather on the main impoundment at Middle Creek. Presently, over 100,000 are estimated to be visiting the refuge.More than two thousand Tundra Swans are visiting Middle Creek right now too.A passing American Kestrel doesn’t seem to ruffle any feathers among the multitudes of Snow Geese on the lake……but when the local pair of Bald Eagles gets close, such as when they’re escorting a third party away from their nesting territory, ……Snow Geese lift off in a panic.Snow Geese rise above the shoreline treetops.Feeding and roosting Snow Geese take flight in the presence of a potential predator to not only make a direct escape, but also to seek a safer position toward the center of the flock, keeping away from the vulnerable areas on the periphery.Thousands of Snow Geese rise behind the placid group of Tundra Swans in the foreground.Observers along Willow Point Trail with swarming Snow Geese just ahead.In the midst of the thunderous cackle of thousands of Snow Geese.Don’t forget your camera……for an unforgettable photo op at Willow Point.
It’s surprising how many millions of people travel the busy coastal routes of Delaware each year to leave the traffic congestion and hectic life of the northeast corridor behind to visit congested hectic shore towns like Rehobeth Beach, Bethany Beach, and Ocean City, Maryland. They call it a vacation, or a holiday, or a weekend, and it’s exhausting. What’s amazing is how many of them drive right by a breathtaking national treasure located along Delaware Bay just east of the city of Dover—and never know it. A short detour on your route will take you there. It’s Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, a quiet but spectacular place that draws few crowds of tourists, but lots of birds and other wildlife.
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is located just off Route 9, a lightly-traveled coastal road east of Dover, Delaware. Note the Big Bluestem and other warm season grasses in the background. Bombay Hook, like other refuges in the system, is managed for the benefit of the wildlife that relies upon it to survive. Within recent years, most of the mowed grass and tilled ground that once occurred here has been replaced by prairie grasses or successional growth, much to the delight of Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and other species.
Let’s join Uncle Tyler Dyer and have a look around Bombay Hook. He’s got his duck stamp and he’s ready to go.
Uncle Ty’s current United States Fish and Wildlife Service Duck Stamp displayed on his dashboard is free admission to the tour road at Bombay Hook and other National Wildlife Refuges.The refuge at Bombay Hook includes woodlands, grasslands, and man-made freshwater pools, but it is predominately a protectorate of thousands of acres of tidal salt marsh bordering and purifying the waters of Delaware Bay. These marshes are renowned wintering areas for an Atlantic population of Snow Goose known as the “Greater Snow Goose” (Anser caerulescens atlanticus). Witnessing thousands of these birds rising over the marsh and glowing in the amber light of a setting sun is an unforgettable experience.Trails at various stops along the auto tour route lead to observation towers and other features. This boardwalk meanders into the salt marsh grasses and includes a viewing area alongside a tidal creek. Our visit coincided with a very high tide induced by east winds and a new moon.During high tide, an Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) seeks higher ground near the boardwalk and the wooded edge of the salt marsh.As the tide rises, fast-flying shorebirds scramble from flooded mudflats in the salt marsh on the east side of the tour road.When high tide arrives in the salt marshes, shorebirds and waterfowl often concentrate in the man-made freshwater pools on the west side of the tour road. Glaring afternoon sun is not the best for viewing birds located west of the road. For ideal light conditions, time your visit for a day when high tide occurs in the morning and recedes to low tide in the afternoon.A view looking west into Shearness Pool, largest of the freshwater impoundments at Bombay Hook.Bombay Hook has many secretive birds hiding in its wetlands, but they can often be located by the patient observer. Here, two Pied-billed Grebes feed in an opening among the vegetation in a freshwater pool.One of Bombay Hook’s resident Bald Eagles patrols the wetlands.American Avocets (Recurvirostra americana) gather by the hundreds at Bombay Hook during the fall. A passing eagle will stir them into flight.An American Avocet, a delicate wader with a peculiar upturned bill.As soon as the tide begins receding, shorebirds and waterfowl like these Green-winged Teal begin dispersing into the salt marshes to feed on the exposed mudflats.The woodlands and forested areas of the refuge host resident songbirds and can be attractive to migrating species like this Yellow-rumped Warbler.For much of its course, the tour road at Bombay Hook is located atop the dike that creates the man-made freshwater pools on the western edge of the tidal salt marsh. If you drive slowly and make frequent stops to look and listen, you’ll notice an abundance of birds and other wildlife living along this border between two habitats. Here, a Swamp Sparrow has a look around.Savannah Sparrows are common along the tour road where native grasses grow wild.Bombay Hook is renowned for its rarities. One of the attractions during the late summer and autumn of 2021 was a group of Roseate Spoonbills (Platalea ajaja), vagrants from the southern states, seen here with Great Egrets and Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula).Roseate Spoonbills and Great Egrets at Bombay Hook.
Remember to go the Post Office and get your duck stamp. You’ll be supporting habitat acquisition and improvements for the wildlife we cherish. And if you get the chance, visit a National Wildlife Refuge. November can be a great time to go, it’s bug-free! Just take along your warmest clothing and plan to spend the day. You won’t regret it.
Except for a few injured stragglers, Snow Geese have departed Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties to continue their journey north to breeding grounds in Canada. The crowds of observers are gone too. So if you’re looking for a reason to pay a visit to a much quieter refuge, here it is—especially if you’re a devoted deer worshiper.
There is at least one white deer being seen on the refuge. That’s right, a white deer. Its unusual color is really becoming conspicuous as the landscape begins turning from shades of gray to various hues of bright green.
No, it’s not a reindeer. This piebald White-tailed Deity was seen this afternoon on the west side of Kleinfeltersville Road north of the Middle Creek W.M.A. visitor’s center opposite the Willow Point Trail parking lot. Those of you who are regular deer-watchers at Middle Creek are familiar with the location, and maybe this particular white-tail too.Because it has brown eyes and a brown snout, we known this is not an albino deer. A piebald deer possesses white pelage as the result of genetic inheritance of an uncommon recessive allele possessed by both parents. Other anatomical mutations can accompany the receipt of the piebald variation, some of them crippling. The pale young deer entering the picture from the right bears some resemblance to the piebald on the left. We may be seeing ten-month-old twins foraging with their brown-coated mother.
If you go, you’ll need binoculars to pick out these uncommon deer. And remember to be very careful when parking and observing along Kleinfeltersville Road. The speeding cars and trucks there can be wickedly dangerous, so give them lots of room.
It’s that time—Snow Goose numbers are peaking at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster/Lebanon Counties.
Today, migrating Snow Geese arriving from wintering areas on the Atlantic Coastal Plain blanketed the ice-free half of the lake at Middle Creek. There are probably in excess of 100,000 birds at the refuge right now.The density on the lake is relieved as geese filter out to a nearby field to graze.Periodically throughout the day, observers are thrilled by the sight of Snow Geese rising into the air in unison as a thunderously loud cloud of birds.Open water is at a premium right now, so these Ring-necked Ducks and a Tundra Swan have to squeeze in where they can.If you’re going to Middle Creek to see the Snow Geese, be certain to bring your camera and viewing optics. If you want to miss the largest crowds, the Pennsylvania Game Commission recommends visiting during the morning or on a weekday. For everyone’s safety, please remember to slow down and follow the posted parking directives. And so that the wildlife isn’t disturbed by your visit, please heed the signs designating the no-entry and propagation zones.
With plenty of open water on the main lake and no snow cover on the fields where they graze, Snow Geese have begun arriving at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster/Lebanon Counties. As long as our mild winter weather continues, more can be expected to begin moving inland from coastal areas to prepare for their spring migration and a return to arctic breeding grounds.
You probably need a break from being indoors all month, so why not get out and have a look?
Hundreds of high-flying Snow Geese descended onto the main lake at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area this afternoon.Snow Geese and a few Ring-necked Ducks as seen from the Willow Point observation area at Middle Creek this afternoon.The sound of calling Tundra Swans is music to the ears on an otherwise quiet winter day.Dozens of Common Mergansers are at Middle Creek W.M.A. right now.Look carefully and you might see American Black Ducks among the waterfowl in the refuge’s impoundments.Northern Shovelers have been at Middle Creek since late fall. If they can continue to access the muddy bottom of the refuge’s lake for food, they’ll stay until the spring migration.Check those flocks of Canada Geese carefully, sometimes you’ll find something different among them,……like this noticeably smaller bird, possibly either a Lesser Canada Goose (Branta canadensis parvipes) or a Richardson’s Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii hutchinsii), the latter being more likely.
Don’t just sit there—don your coat, grab a pair of binoculars, and get out and have a gander!
The mild winter has apparently minimized weather-related mortality for the local Green Frog population. With temperatures in the seventies throughout the lower Susquehanna valley for this first full day of spring, many recently emerged adults could be seen and, on occasion, heard. Yellow-throated males tested their mating calls—reminding the listener of the sound made by the plucking of a loose banjo string.
Here’s a gathering of Green Frogs seen this afternoon along the edge of a small pond. How many can you find in this photograph?
If you venture out, keep alert for the migrating birds of late winter and early spring.
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers are moving through on their way north. Look for them in mature trees in woodlands, suburbs, and city parks.The Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca), our largest sparrow, is a thrush-like denizen of shrubby forest understories and field edges. It is an early spring and late autumn transient in the lower Susquehanna valley.While stopping to rest and feed during their northbound spring journey, Ring-necked Ducks and other diving duck species visit wetlands and flooded timber along the Susquehanna River as well as clear ponds and lakes elsewhere in the watershed.Eastern Bluebirds are presently migrating through the area. Some will stay to breed where nest boxes or natural cavities are available in suitable habitat.Tree Swallows are now arriving. In open grasslands, pastures, and adjacent to almost any body of water, they will nest in boxes like those placed for bluebirds.Keep that bird bath clean and fill it with fresh water, the American Robin flights are peaking right now. Breeding males like this one are starting to sing and defend nesting territories.Red-winged Blackbirds, like other native blackbirds, are moving through in a fraction of the numbers that were seen in the lower Susquehanna valley during the latter decades of the twentieth century. They remain a common breeding species in pastures and cattail wetlands.And of course, keep an eye to the sky. There are still thousands of Snow Geese in the area.
If you’re staying close to home, be sure to check out the changing appearance of the birds you see nearby. Some species are losing their drab winter basic plumage and attaining a more colorful summer breeding alternate plumage.
European Starlings are losing their spotted winter (basic) plumage and beginning to display a glossy multicolored set of breeding feathers.An American Goldfinch in transition from winter (basic) plumage to bright yellow, black, and white summer colors.
So just how many Green Frogs were there in that first photograph? Here’s the answer.
If you counted seven, you did really well. Numbers eight and nine are very difficult to discern.
Happy Spring. For the benefit of everyone’s health, let’s hope that it’s a hot and humid one!
According to the most recent Pennsylvania Game Commission estimate, there are presently more than 100,000 Snow Geese at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area (W.M.A.) in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties. It’s a spectacular sight.
Noisy flights of Snow Geese, which can number from hundreds to thousands of birds, consist of strings of multiple V-shaped flocks. During late-February and early-March, they are a common sight as they make excursions from the lake at Middle Creek W.M.A. to feeding areas in the farmlands of the lower Susquehanna valley and back again.During the early 1990s, Snow Geese started moving away from compromised late-winter feeding areas in tidal marshes on the Atlantic Coastal Plain and began taking advantage of grazing and gleaning opportunities among grass crops (wheat, etc,), and more recently cover crops, in the almost predator-free high-intensity farming areas near the Middle Creek refuge.
If you go to see these and other birds at Middle Creek, it’s important to remember that you are visiting them in a “wildlife refuge” set aside for, believe it or not, wildlife. “Wildlife refuge”, many would be surprised to learn, is short for “terrestrial or aquatic habitat where wildlife can find refuge and protection from all the meddlesome and murderous things people do”.
It’s not necessary to cross the well-marked boundaries of the refuge to get a better look at the geese, swans, and other wildlife at Middle Creek. Nor is it necessary to blow your motor vehicle’s horn, clap your hands, yell, or make other noises to scare the geese into flying so that you might get a good photograph. Such disturbances cause the birds to expend the energy they need to continue their journey north. They also cause the Pennsylvania Game Commission to spend funds on crowd control that might otherwise be spent on improvements to wildlife habitat.By embracing the virtue of patience, observers can get spectacular views and take great pictures from outside the refuge boundaries.Photographers who stand quietly and make no sudden movements will find that the foraging Snow Geese will often approach well within the range of most cameras. All of these pictures were taken with an inexpensive model purchased at a Walmart.Intermixed within the flocks, there are usually good numbers of gray-mottled hatch-year (juvenile) birds and often a few examples of the dark brown “Blue Goose”, a not-so-rare color morph of the Snow Goose.Observers viewing tens of thousands of Snow geese from the Willow Point observation area at Middle Creek W.M.A.There are approximately 1,500 Tundra Swans at Middle Creek W.M.A at the present time. Compare their pure white plumage and long necks with the black-tipped wings and short stocky necks of the Snow Geese accompanying them in this image.Clamoring geese let observers know that a massive lift-off may be in the making. Cameras are made ready.Away they go with a cackling roar!Sooner or latter, the geese will engulf the patient observer within one of their swirling swarms.Marvelous! Go check it out.
You remember the signs of an early spring, don’t you? It was a mild, almost balmy, February. The earliest of the spring migrants such as robins and blackbirds were moving north through the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed. The snow had melted and ice on the river had passed. Everyone was outdoors once again. At last, winter was over and only the warmer months lie ahead…beginning with March.
Common Grackles are often the first perching birds to begin moving north through the lower Susquehanna valley in spring. They often winter in large roving flocks of mixed blackbird species on the nearby Atlantic Coastal Plain Province. These flocks sometimes wander the farmlands of the lower Piedmont Province near the river, but rarely stray north of the 40th parallel before February.
Ah yes, March, the cold windy month of March. We remember February fondly, but this March has startled us out of our vernal daydreams to wrestle with the reality of the season. And if you’re anywhere near the Mid-Atlantic states on this first full day of spring, you know that a long winter’s nap and visions of sugar peas would be time better spent than a stroll outdoors. Presently it’s dusk, and the snow from the 4th “Nor’easter” in a month is a foot deep and still falling.
In honor of “The Spring That Was”, here then is a sampling of some of the migratory waterfowl that have found their way to the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed during March. Some are probably lingering and feeding for a while. All will move along to their breeding grounds within a couple of weeks, regardless of the weather.
Tundra Swans will migrate in a northwest direction to reach breeding grounds west and north of Hudson Bay.Migratory Canada Geese departing the Chesapeake Bay area typically pass over the lower Susquehanna valley at high altitudes. A south wind can bring a sustained day-long flight of migrating geese and ducks over the region on a given day in late-February or March.Snow Geese (Anser caerulescens) historically wintered in the marshes of the Atlantic seaboard where the tide cycle kept vegetation primarily snow-free for feeding. Removal of hedgerows and intensive farming since the 1980s has attracted these birds to inland agricultural lands during their preparation for the move north. For nearly three decades, tens of thousands have annually begun their spring journey with a stopover at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. Flocks range widely from Middle Creek to feed, commonly as far west as the fields of the Conewago Creek valley in the Gettysburg Basin to the east of Conewago Falls. American Black DucksA pair of Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata).Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris) are “diving ducks”.A male Lesser Scaup, Aythya affinis, (front center) and Ring-necked Ducks (rear and left) seen between feeding dives.A male Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola). These miniature diving ducks will sometimes winter on the Susquehanna in “rafts” of dozens of birds.Tundra Swans journey toward the “Land of the Mid-Night Sun”.
