Here are 7 reasons why you, during the coming week or so, should consider spending some time at Willow Point overlooking the lake at the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.
REASON NUMBER ONE— Wildlife is at close quarters along the trail leading from the parking lot to Willow Point…
Eastern Gray Squirrels are common and easily seen along the edge of the woods.Eastern Bluebirds are investigating nest boxes and may presently be using them as communal roost sites during cold, windy nights.A Hermit Thrush was just one of the songbirds we found foraging along the edge of Willow Point Trail.Look carefully and you may see one or more species of woodpeckers in the mature trees. We found this Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in a maple near the trail’s terminus at the Willow Point viewing area.
REASON NUMBER TWO— A variety of waterfowl species are lingering on ice-free sections of the lake surrounding Willow Point…
Noisy flocks of Tundra Swans and Canada Geese on open water at Willow Point.American Black Ducks on a fly by.Mallard drakes near the point.A small flock of Green-winged Teal feeding among the Mallards.A flock of Northern Shovelers has been frequenting the shallows along the south side of Willow Point for at least two weeks.Common Mergansers diving for benthic fare.
REASON NUMBER THREE— Bald Eagles are conspicuous, easily seen and heard…
Bald Eagles on tree stumps in the lake.A hatch-year/juvenile Bald Eagle on a glide over Willow Point.
REASON NUMBER FOUR— Northern Harriers have been making close passes over Willow Point as they patrol Middle Creek’s grasslands while hunting voles…
A female Northern Harrier over Willow Point.A hatch-year/juvenile Northern Harrier gazing over a field of goldenrod adjacent to Willow Point.Hatch-year/juvenile Northern Harrier patrolling a field of goldenrod and preparing to pounce.A Northern Harrier buoyantly flying past Willow Point just prior to sunset.
REASON NUMBER FIVE— The annual observance of the White-tailed Deity holidays may be drawing to a close for the gasoline and gunpowder gang, but for the supreme ungulates, the rituals that lead to consummation of their unions are still ongoing…
Mystical White-tailed Deities hiding in plain sight near Willow Point.Having so far survived the ceremonies of sacrifice practiced by worshipers clad in vibrant orange attire, these divine idols agree to a more civilized ritual, a gentlemanly duel.
…then it’s off to find the fair maidens.
REASON NUMBER SIX— Sandhill Cranes are still being seen from Willow Point…
Sandhill Cranes have been spending time on dry portions of the lake bed and in grasslands and croplands to the north.
These Sandhill Cranes could depart from Middle Creek’s refuge at any time, particularly if the deep freeze returns to make feeding more difficult. You’ll want to visit soon if you want to see them.
REASON NUMBER SEVEN— The crowds that will accompany the arrival of thousands of Snow Geese in early 2025 can make visiting Willow Point a stressful experience. Visit now to see these birds and mammals at Willow Point and you might just have the place all to yourself. Then you can spend your time looking through the flocks of waterfowl and other birds for unusual new arrivals instead of wading through a sea of humanity.
White-crowned Sparrows at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area’s Willow Point.
If you provide supplemental foods for the birds visiting your garden sanctuary, we don’t need to tell you how expensive those provisions have become. It can be quite frustrating when the majority of these pricey supplies get gobbled up by the chunky squirrels that dominate your feeding station and leave hungry birds with nothing but the tiny little scraps.
Here at susquehannawildlife.net headquarters, we like to feed whole peanuts in the shell to the resident and migratory native birds. But placed out in the open on a stump or a tray, or even within a hopper feeder, peanuts are quickly carried away and cached for latter use by squirrels and jays. The chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, wrens, and woodpeckers that could really use the extra food to maintain their body fat through the winter get nothing but leftovers.
It’s not unusual for squirrels and jays to scarf up and carry away 90% or more of the expensive peanuts placed at your feeding station. The dozen or more other species of native birds that will partake of this offering get the leftovers or nothing at all.
We’ve discovered a solution that, for us, saves money and more efficiently feeds the native species of birds that stop by our oasis. We’ve been using inexpensive ($6-$8) wire mesh tube feeders intended for suet nuggets to serve whole peanuts in the shell to our guests. As long as they can’t knock the feeders to the ground, squirrels have failed to raid the contents. Like other birds, Blue Jays can still peck away to remove the peanuts from their shells and eat them on the spot, but they can no longer haul off a whole feeder load at a time. Each must carefully crack the shell and remove an individual peanut or portion thereof for immediate consumption. The empty shells remain mostly in the tubes and don’t make a mess. Pesky hoards of non-native European Starlings sometimes visit, but soon become frustrated because their bills aren’t adapted for cracking the hardened peanut husks; they grab any loose morsels they can get, then move along.
We assemble these suet nugget feeders without installing the included perches. We fill them with UNSALTED peanuts in the shell, then hang them from stiff wire hooks beneath the larger horizontal limbs on some of our trees. About every 5 to 10 days, we take them down to remove empty shells, clean the feeder, and add peanuts. A 2-pound bag that would disappear within hours if freely accessible to squirrels now fills 3 feeders or more and nourishes our native birds for a week or longer.
The list of native birds visiting our peanut feeders includes:
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Blue Jay
Carolina Chickadee
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
The most recent addition to the list of birds feasting on peanuts from our wire mesh tube feeders was this Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that visited yesterday.
So don’t pay hard-earned cash to feed nothing but leftovers to your intended guests, give wire mesh tube feeders and whole peanuts in the shell a try. The colorful native birds will thank you with their presence.
A welcome visitor, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker stopping by for dinner……and varying its diet by finding small insects among the bark of some of our larger trees.
As the autumn bird migration draws to a close for 2024, we’re delighted to be finding five of our favorite visitors from the coniferous and mixed forests of Canada and the northernmost continental United States.
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers drill evenly spaced holes which they repeatedly visit to harvest “sap” and the insects that become trapped therein. These surgically small excavations penetrate only the bark and the phloem, a shallow, spongy layer of the trunk that carries sugars from the leaves to other parts of the tree. Seldom do they puncture the thin, underlying cambium layer which protects the true sapwood. After healing, sapsucker holes leave linear rows of small scars which are sometimes still discernible decades after a bird’s final visit. This adult male will probably linger in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed until colder weather renders the tree totally dormant, the flow of “sap” ebbs, and small insects become harder to find. Then he’ll make his way off toward southern forests of oak and pine for the remainder of the winter. Sapsuckers work their way north as sugary “sap” begins flowing again in the spring.The Hermit Thrush is another denizen of coniferous and mixed forests. In habitats with dense cover and sufficient food sources like fruit-bearing shrubs and vines, some will remain through the winter. The Hermit Thrush is the only spot-breasted thrush regularly seen in our region from November through March.Almost the size of a thrush, the largest of our native sparrows, the Fox Sparrow, is currently at the peak of its southbound migration. While taking a break from their nocturnal flights, some may stray from forest edges to visit suburban feeding stations. Most leave our area by mid-December, then begin returning north as early as mid-February.Not present every year, flocks of Pine Siskins are beginning to arrive in the lower Susquehanna region. They are currently most common along the mountain tops of the Ridge and Valley Province where they are feeding on the seeds of the Sweet Birch, a tree also known as Black Birch. Look for them around niger seed feeders and on the prickly seed balls of cultivated American Sweetgum, but don’t be surprised if they quickly pass us by to spend the winter on the Atlantic Coastal Plain to our south where this native tree grows in abundance.Since late October, Purple Finches have been widespread throughout the region. These female/juvenile male types are frequently being seen at feeders, particularly near woodlands and other areas with stands of conifers.Less frequently seen are the adult male Purple Finches in their raspberry-colored plumage. What a dandy.
While right now is the best time to get out and look for these species from the northern forests, any or all of them could linger into the winter months, particularly where the food supply is sufficient and conifers and other evergreens provide cover from the blustery weather.
During your foray to view the colorful foliage of the autumn landscape, a little effort will reveal much more than meets the eye of the casual observer.
Don’t just stand there like a bump on a log, go for a stroll, watch your step, and have a look around. There’s a lot to see out there!The dense understory of this forest on Blue Mountain consists almost exclusively of Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana).Witch-hazel is unique among our native flowering shrubs; it blooms in autumn.Until we experience a heavy frost, some of our most beautiful butterflies, including this Common Buckeye, remain active along forest edges.An Eastern Tailed Blue.A Pearl Crescent.A Variegated Fritillary.A Painted Lady.The arrival of large numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers heralds the transition to movements of migrants that will spend the colder months in temperate climates like ours instead of continuing on to the tropics. In winter, small numbers of “yellow-rumps” sometimes linger in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, as long as a supply of wild berries is readily available.The Palm Warbler, a persistent “tail wagger”, is another late-season migrant that occasionally spends the winter. The migration of these drab “Western Palm Warblers” will be followed in coming weeks by the more yellowish “Eastern Palm Warblers” of the eastern third of the species’ breeding range in Canada.White-throated Sparrows are southbound and easily observed right now. Many will remain along our brushy forest edges for winter.Another native sparrow, the familiar Dark-eyed Junco, is now arriving.The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a secretive migratory woodpecker that is currently moving through the region on its way to southern pine forests for the winter. Juveniles like this one in the lower right remain close to their parents during migration and continue to beg for food.The Pileated Woodpecker is a resident species in our mature forests and woodlands. We were showered by “sawdust” as we watched this one dismantling a rotted dead tree while searching for beetle grubs and other invertebrates.You may see Eastern Bluebirds year-round in the lower Susquehanna valley, but many are migratory. A southbound push is currently transiting our area.Mix your leaf watching with hawk watching by visiting a ridgetop vista like this one at Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area on Blue Mountain north of Harrisburg and you can double your pleasure.In addition to spectacular foliage, you stand a good chance of seeing an inquisitive Common Raven……or a migrating Red-tailed Hawk that gives you a good scream as it passes by……or a majestic Bald Eagle.You may even double your fun by seeing two Common Ravens……or a couple of migrating Red-tailed Hawks……or a pair of Bald Eagles passing thru.
You too can experience the joys of walking and chewing gum at the same time, so grab your field glasses, your camera, and your jacket, then spend lots of time outdoors this fall. You can see all of this and much more.
Don’t forget to click the “Hawkwatcher’s Helper: Identifying Bald Eagles and other Diurnal Raptors” tab at the top of this page to help you find a place to see both fall foliage and migrating birds of prey in coming weeks. And click the “Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines” tab to find a photo guide that can help you identify the autumn leaves you encounter during your outings.
With the earth at perihelion (its closest approach to the sun) and with our home star just 27 degrees above the horizon at midday, bright low-angle light offered the perfect opportunity for doing some wildlife photography today. We visited a couple of grasslands managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission to see what we could find…
On this State Game Lands parcel, prescribed fire is used to maintain a mix of grasslands and brushy early successional growth. In nearby areas, both controlled fire and mechanical cutting are used to remove invasive species from hedgerows and the understory of woodlots. Fire tolerant native species then have an opportunity to recolonize the forest and improve wildlife habitat. This management method also reduces the fuel load in areas with the potential for uncontrolled wildfires.The sun-dried fruits of a native Common Persimmon tree found growing in a hedgerow.Just one year ago, mechanical removal of invasive trees and shrubs (including Multiflora Rose) on this State Game Land was followed by a prescribed fire to create this savanna-like grassland.Hundreds of Song Sparrows were found in the grasses and thickets at both locations.White-throated Sparrows were also abundant, but prefer the tangles and shrubs of the thickets.Northern Mockingbirds were vigilantly guarding winter supplies of berries in the woodlots and hedgerows.In grasses and tangles on wetter ground, about a dozen Swamp Sparrows were discovered.The adult White-crowned Sparrow is always a welcome find.And seeing plenty of juvenile White-crowned Sparrows provides some assurance that there will be a steady stream of handsome adult birds arriving to spend the winter during the years to come.Dark-eyed Juncos were encountered only in the vicinity of trees and large shrubs.Several Savannah Sparrows were observed. Though they’re mostly found in treeless country, this particular one happened to pose atop a clump of shrubs located within, you guessed it, the new savanna-like grasslands.A tiny bird, even when compared to a sparrow, the Winter Wren often provides the observer with just a brief glimpse before darting away into the cover of a thicket.Within grasslands, scattered stands of live and dead timber can provide valuable habitat for many species of animals.Woodpeckers and other cavity-nesting birds rely upon an abundance of “snags” (standing dead trees) for breeding sites.This Red-bellied Woodpecker and about a dozen others were found in trees left standing in the project areas.A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker soaks up some sun.This very cooperative Pileated Woodpecker seemed to be preoccupied by insect activity on the sun-drenched bark of the trees. This denizen of mature forests will oft times wander into open country where larger lumber is left intact.
Just as things were really getting fun, some late afternoon clouds arrived to dim the already fading daylight. Just then, this Northern Harrier made a couple of low passes in search of mice and voles hidden in the grasses.It was a fitting end to a very short, but marvelously sunny, early winter day.
The Northern Flicker is one of four migratory woodpeckers currently working their way south through the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed. Flickers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, not only transit the area each spring and fall, but remain in lesser numbers for the winter. And while a population of each of the first three are regular breeders in our region, thus allowing observers to see these species year-round, the sapsucker nests only to our north.
Thoughts of October in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed bring to mind scenes of brilliant fall foliage adorning wooded hillsides and stream courses, frosty mornings bringing an end to the growing season, and geese and other birds flying south for the winter.
The autumn migration of birds spans a period equaling nearly half the calendar year. Shorebirds and Neotropical perching birds begin moving through as early as late July, just as daylight hours begin decreasing during the weeks following their peak at summer solstice in late June. During the darkest days of the year, those surrounding winter solstice in late December, the last of the southbound migrants, including some hawks, eagles, waterfowl, and gulls, may still be on the move.
The Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus), a rodent-eating raptor of tundra, grassland, and marsh, is rare as a migrant and winter resident in the lower Susquehanna valley. It may arrive as late as January, if at all.
During October, there is a distinct change in the list of species an observer might find migrating through the lower Susquehanna valley. Reduced hours of daylight and plunges in temperatures—particularly frost and freeze events—impact the food sources available to birds. It is during October that we say goodbye to the Neotropical migrants and hello to those more hardy species that spend their winters in temperate climates like ours.
During several of the first days of October, two hundred Chimney Swifts remained in this roost until temperatures warmed from the low forties at daybreak to the upper fifties at mid-morning; then, at last, the flock ventured out in search of flying insects. When a population of birds loses its food supply or is unable to access it, that population must relocate or perish. Like other insectivorous birds, these swifts must move to warmer climes to be assured a sustained supply of the flying bugs they need to survive. Due to their specialized food source, they can be considered “specialist” feeders in comparison to species with more varied diets, the “generalists”. After returning to this chimney every evening for nearly two months, the swifts departed this roost on October 5 and did not return.A Northern Parula lingers as an October migrant along the Susquehanna. This and other specialist feeders that survive almost entirely on insects found in the forest canopy are largely south of the Susquehanna watershed by the second week of October.The Blackpoll Warbler is among the last of the insectivorous Neotropical warblers to pass through the riparian forests of the lower Susquehanna valley each fall. Through at least mid-October, it is regularly seen searching for crawling insects and larvae among the foliage and bark of Northern Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) trees near Conewago Falls. Most other warblers, particularly those that feed largely upon flying insects, are, by then, already gone.The Blue-headed Vireo, another insectivore, is the last of the vireo species to pass through the valley. They linger only as long as there are leaves on the trees in which they feed.Brown Creepers begin arriving in early October. They are specialist feeders, well-adapted to finding insect larvae and other invertebrates among the ridges and peeling bark of trees like this hackberry, even through the winter months.Ruby-crowned Kinglets can be abundant migrants in October. They will often behave like cute little flycatchers, but quickly transition to picking insects and other invertebrates from foliage and bark as the weather turns frosty. Some may spend the winter here, particularly in the vicinity of stands of pines, which provide cover and some thermal protection during storms and bitter cold.Beginning in early October, Golden-crowned Kinglets can be seen searching the forest wood for tiny invertebrates. They are the most commonly encountered kinglet in winter.The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a woodpecker, is an October migrant that specializes in attracting small insects to tiny seeps of sap it creates by punching horizontal rows of shallow holes through the tree bark. Some remain for winter.The Yellow-rumped Warbler arrives in force during October. It is the most likely of the warblers to be found here in winter. Yellow-rumped Warblers are generalists, feeding upon insects during the warmer months, but able to survive on berries and other foods in late fall and winter. Wild foods like these Poison Ivy berries are crucial for the survival of this and many other generalists.American Robins are most familiar as hunters of earthworms on the suburban lawn, but they are generalist feeders that rely upon fruits like these Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) berries during their southbound migration in late October and early November each year. Robins remain for the winter in areas of the lower Susquehanna valley with ample berries for food and groves of mature pines for roosting.Like other brown woodland thrushes, the Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) is commonly seen scratching through organic matter on the moist forest floor in search of invertebrates. Unlike the other species, it is a cold-hardy generalist feeder, often seen eating berries during the southbound October migration. Small numbers of Hermit Thrushes spend the winter in the lower Susquehanna valley, particularly in habitats with a mix of wild foods.Due to their feeding behavior, Cedar Waxwings can easily be mistaken for flycatchers during the nesting season, but by October they’ve transitioned to voracious consumers of small wild fruits. During the remainder of the year, flocks of waxwings wander widely in search of foods like this Fox Grape (Vitis labrusca). An abundance of cedar, holly, Poison Ivy, hackberry, bittersweet , hawthorn, wild grape, and other berries is essential to their survival during the colder months.Red-breasted Nuthatches have moved south in large numbers during the fall of 2020. They were particularly common in the lower Susquehanna region during mid-October. Red-breasted Nuthatches can feed on invertebrates during warm weather, but get forced south from Canada in droves when the cone crops on coniferous trees fail to provide an adequate supply of seeds for the colder fall and winter seasons. In the absence of wild foods, these generalists will visit feeding stations stocked with suet and other provisions.Purple Finches (Haemorhous purpureus) were unusually common as October migrants in 2020. They are often considered seed eaters during cold weather, but will readily consume small fruits like these berries on an invasive Mile-a-minute Weed (Persicaria perfoliata) vine. Purple Finches are quite fond of sunflower seeds at feeding stations, but often shy away if aggressive House Sparrows or House Finches are present.
The need for food and cover is critical for the survival of wildlife during the colder months. If you are a property steward, think about providing places for wildlife in the landscape. Mow less. Plant trees, particularly evergreens. Thickets are good—plant or protect fruit-bearing vines and shrubs, and allow herbaceous native plants to flower and produce seed. And if you’re putting out provisions for songbirds, keep the feeders clean. Remember, even small yards and gardens can provide a life-saving oasis for migrating and wintering birds. With a larger parcel of land, you can do even more.
GOT BERRIES? Common Winterbery (Ilex verticillata) is a native deciduous holly that looks its best in the winter, especially with snow on the ground. It’s slow-growing, and never needs pruning. Birds including bluebirds love the berries and you can plant it in wet ground, even along a stream, in a stormwater basin, or in a rain garden where your downspouts discharge. Because it’s a holly, you’ll need to plant a male and a female to get the berries. Full sun produces the best crop. Fall is a great time to plant, and many garden centers that sell holiday greenery still have winterberry shrubs for sale in November and December. Put a clump of these beauties in your landscape. Gorgeous!
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!
The NOAA National Weather Service radar images from last evening provided an indication that there may be a good fallout of birds at daybreak in the lower Susquehanna valley. The moon was bright, nearly full, and there was a gentle breeze from the north to move the nocturnal migrants along. The conditions were ideal.
Rising from daytime roosts in New York and Pennsylvania, then streaming south in moonlit skies, migrating birds are recorded as echoes on this post-sunset composite NEXRAD loop from last evening. (NOAA/National Weather Service image)
The Riparian Woodlands at Conewago Falls were alive with migrants this morning. American Robins and White-throated Sparrows were joined by new arrivals for the season: Brown Creeper (Certhia americana), Ruby-crowned Kinglets (Regulus calendula), Golden-crowned Kinglets (Regulus satrapa), Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis), and Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata). These are the perching birds one would expect to have comprised the overnight flight. While the individuals that will remain may not yet be among them, these are the species we will see wintering in the Mid-Atlantic states. No trip to the tropics for these hardy passerines.
American Robins continued migratory flight into the first hour of daylight this morning. Their calls are commonly heard at night as migrating individuals pass overhead.White-throated Sparrows are nocturnal migrants, and are a familiar find on woodland edges and at suburban feeding stations through the winter.Dark-eyed Juncos, also nocturnal migrants, are common winter residents in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed, frequently visiting bird feeders.Heavy rain earlier this week in the Susquehanna River drainage basin has flooded most of the Pothole Rocks; the rapids of Conewago Falls have returned.CLICK ON THE LOGO FOR TODAY’S MIGRATION COUNT TOTALS
It was a placid morning on Conewago Falls with blue skies dotted every now and then by a small flock of migrating robins or blackbirds. The jumbled notes of a singing Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) in the Riparian Woodland softly mixed with the sounds of water spilling over the dam. The season’s first Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa), Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors), American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus), Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris), and White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) were seen.
There was a small ruckus when one of the adult Bald Eagles from a local pair spotted an Osprey passing through carrying a fish. This eagle’s effort to steal the Osprey’s catch was soon interrupted when an adult eagle from a second pair that has been lingering in the area joined the pursuit. Two eagles are certainly better than one when it’s time to hustle a skinny little Osprey, don’t you think?
But you see, this just won’t do. It’s a breach of eagle etiquette, don’t you know? Soon both pairs of adult eagles were engaged in a noisy dogfight. It was fussing and cackling and the four eagles going in every direction overhead. Things calmed down after about five minutes, then a staring match commenced on the crest of the dam with the two pairs of eagles, the “home team” and the “visiting team”, perched about 100 feet from each other. Soon the pair which seems to be visiting gave up and moved out of the falls for the remainder of the day. The Osprey, in the meantime, was able to slip away.
In recent weeks, the “home team” pair of Bald Eagles, seen regularly defending territory at Conewago Falls, has been hanging sticks and branched tree limbs on the cross members of the power line tower where they often perch. They seem only to collect and display these would-be nest materials when the “visiting team” pair is perched in the nearby tower just several hundred yards away…an attempt to intimidate by homesteading. It appears that with winter and breeding time approaching, territorial behavior is on the increase.
The second migrating Osprey of the day ran the gauntlet of marauding eagles without incident.
In the afternoon, a fresh breeze from the south sent ripples across the waters among the Pothole Rocks. The updraft on the south face of the diabase ridge on the east shore was like a highway for some migrating hawks, falcons, and vultures. Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) and Turkey Vultures streamed off to the south headlong into the wind after leaving the ridge and crossing the river. A male and female Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius), ten Red-tailed Hawks, two Red-shouldered Hawks (Buteo lineatus), six Sharp-shinned Hawks, and two Merlins crossed the river and continued along the diabase ridge on the west shore, accessing a strong updraft along its slope to propel their journey further to the southwest. Four high-flying Bald Eagles migrated through, each following the east river shore downstream and making little use of the ridge except to gain a little altitude while passing by.
(Top and Middle) Turkey Vultures riding the fresh breeze and teetering to-and-fro on up-tilted wings. This wing posture is known as a dihedral. (Bottom) More than 100 migrating Black Vultures climbed high on the afternoon breeze to make an oblique crossing of the river and maintain a southbound course.
Late in the afternoon, the local Bald Eagles were again airborne and cackling up a storm. This time they intercepted an eagle coming down the ridge toward the river and immediately forced the bird to climb if it intended to pass. It turned out to be the best sighting of the day, and these “home team” eagles found it first. It was a Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) in crisp juvenile plumage. On its first southward voyage, it seemed to linger after climbing high enough for the Bald Eagles to loose concern, then finally selected the ridge route and crossed the river to head off to the southwest.
Ring-billed Gulls began feeding during the afternoon as clouds preceding stormy weather approached.CLICK ON THE LOGO FOR TODAY’S MIGRATION COUNT TOTALS
A moderate breeze from the south placed a headwind into the face of migrants trying to wing their way to winter quarters. The urge to reach their destination overwhelmed any inclination a bird or insect may have had to stay put and try again another day.
Blue Jays were joined by increasing numbers of American Robins crossing the river in small groups to continue their migratory voyages. Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) and a handful of sandpipers headed down the river route. Other migrants today included a Cooper’s Hawk (Astur cooperii), Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis), and a few Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser), House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), and Common Grackles (Quiscalus quiscula).
The afternoon belonged to the insects. The warm wind blew scores of Monarchs toward the north as they persistently flapped on a southwest heading. Many may have actually lost ground today. Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) and Cloudless Sulphur butterflies were observed battling their way south as well. All three of the common migrating dragonflies were seen: Common Green Darner (Anax junius), Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens), and Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata).
The warm weather and summer breeze are expected to continue as the rain and wind from Hurricane Nate, today striking coastal Alabama and Mississippi, progresses toward the Susquehanna River watershed during the coming forty-eight hours.
This Great Blue Heron was joined by numerous other fishermen and a good number of sightseers in the falls today.A colorful young Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) takes advantage of the sun-heated surface of a Pothole Rock to remain nimble and active. Cooler weather will soon compel this and other reptiles to find shelter for winter hibernation.CLICK ON THE LOGO FOR TODAY’S MIGRATION COUNT TOTALS
A fresh breeze from the north brought cooler air and a reminder that summer is gone and autumn has arrived.
Fast-moving dark clouds provided a perfect backdrop for viewing passing diurnal migrants. Bald Eagles utilized the tail wind to cruise down the Susquehanna toward Chesapeake Bay and points further south. A migrating Merlin began a chase from which a Northern Flicker narrowly escaped by finding shelter among Pothole Rocks and a few small trees. The season’s first American Black Duck (Anas rubripes), Common Loon (Gavia immer), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varia), and American Pipits (Anthus rubescens) moved through.
Blue Jays continued their hesitant crossings of the river at Conewago Falls. The majority completed the journey by forming groups of a dozen or more birds and following the lead of a lone American Robin, a Northern Flicker, or, odd as it appeared, a small warbler.
By far the most numerous migrants today were swallows. Thousands of Northern Rough-winged Swallows and hundreds of Tree Swallows were on the wing in search of what was suddenly a sparse flying insect supply. To get out of the brisk wind, some of the more resourceful birds landed on the warm rocks. To satisfy their appetite, many were able to pick crawling arthropods from the surface of the boulders. They swallow them whole.
A few of the thousands of swallows seen at Conewago Falls today.CLICK ON THE LOGO FOR TODAY’S MIGRATION COUNT TOTALS