Return to Middle Creek

I have been to Middle Creek twice since my return to PA - last Monday my friend Dick Warren an I took a walk around sunfish pond enjoying the lilies and the dragon flies. The butterflies were abundant on the Joe pie - mainly tigers. On Thursday Florence and I enjoyed a few hours there. I took many pics of a great blue catching and eating a large fish - lucky for him that the pond is low due to lack of rain. Our friend the red tail hawk seems almost tame. He sat on a fence post not 20 feet from our car, He did not attempt to fly as I shot many of his preening poses. The blue birds are abundant but not near the nest boxes. Lots of Gold finches enjoy the thistle and goldenrod in bloom. No sign of the eagles either day. It is good to get back to my blogs and the friends at the markets. Stop by and say HEY.

3 months in Kentucky

From May 20 to Aug 20 I was in Eolia Kentucky. I have very little net access so there are no blogs posted from there but there was plenty of "naturing" We were working as cooks for the Mennonite Central Committee's Sharing with Appalachian People program (SWAP) I also served as a materials driver for the work crews who went out to work on people's homes. In my free time I went "naturing" of course.

Living in the Thomas Jefferson National Forest is like a dream come true. Wildlife abounds there. Deer, elk, black bears, birds, trees, wildflowers - so much to see so little time to do it. I won't bore you with every detail but I will list the highlights.

I saw

2 bears

dozens of deer

several wildflowers new to me including the yellow orange orchid

dozens of moths - some yet to be identified

hundreds of butterflies including the Dianna Fitalary (male and female) and the pipevine swallowtail
never seen by my eyes

I picked and ate wild black raspberries and blueberries

collected two birds nests, a paper wasp nest, a long snake skin. likens, moses, fungi, and several twigs with ovapositer marks from 17 year cicada

a highlight was my visit to an old growth forest called Lilly Cornnet woods, a protected old growth forest where you must have an appointment and be accompanied by a staff person while on the property

pictures to follow

TOO LONG SINCE LAST VISIT

It seems like I have so much going on to Blog about that I do not have time to blog. Since my last blog there have been many outings, One to Wildwood lake, Two to Northern Dauphin County, Two to Shenk's Ferry and Two to Conawengo and Hartford Co MD. The pictures have been astounding (I am impressed with myself???) I have included one of the best here and promise more to come.

I love God

I love God and the best way I've found to worship Him is to see and study His creation. I hope you agree when you see this picture I took on Wed April 2 at Susquehanna Sate Park in MD.

MORE OF SPRING - THE BIRDS AND FLOWERS RETURN

an Eastern Meadowlark at Middlecreek

The flower looks like Marsh Marigold but not the leaves

Can you help ID it?

We have been enjoying the spring songs and sights - a Carolina Wren has chosen one our houses to build a nest in - the feeder is still a very busy place every morning and evening and we had 3 visits to Middlecreek in the last two weeks.

On Wednesday the 12th the Strickler family - Mom and Pop and the 5 youngest, Myron and Ruth Hostetter and myself left at 8 am - the ducks were in the small pond as usual - All of my friends said they had never seen a diving duck before and we certainly enjoyed watching the diving "contest. They were many red winged black birds and several blue birds. One of the blue birds posed for James for several minutes. The young ones enjoyed the museum and we all got to watch a film on migration with a scheduled school class. The film was good but of course they mentioned evolution several times. There was some disappointment about the snow geese - there must have been 2 to 5 thousand - I reminded them that I don't control them, they come and go as they please - they best times to see them are sunrise and sunset - but even then there are no guaranties.



On Monday the 17th we went with John and Kathy Forry. We left at 4pm and were there until sunset - the geese were there too. At sunset they were flying in by the thousands from every direction. They also enjoyed the variety of ducks. We were treated to a good spotting scope view of a mature bald eagle across the lake from the point.



On Easter Sunday (the 23nd) Florence and I enjoyed a crowded middlecreek - more of the same but a lifer was a beautiful Meadowlark who allowed a few good pics to be taken. We also saw two female pheasants. A horned grebe got close enough for good pics even of his bright orange eye. It would be excited to see them in there breeding plumage but I don't think I'll get to the Arctic circle any time soon. We have noticed dandelions, speedwell and gill blooming in our yard. WELCOME BACK!!!

SPRING AT MIDDLECREEK

Yes spring is here - the snow geese have returned - they say 80,000 of them my count was 79,997 but I might have missed one or two or three. They say that there are between 3 and 4 thousand tundra swans also. The ice is almost completely gone and the ducks are back - today I saw buffelheads, hooded mergansers, ring necks, scaup(s?), blacks, and coot(s?). I got close to a great blue and got some good pics including a series of take off pics. I did my job as God's janitor on Seglock road but there is more to do - I could not reach some of the trash in the water. The skunk cabbage has 10 inch leaves already - no sign of the marsh marigolds yet. The sky was bright blue at home but gray by the time I got to Middle Creek, again. The tour road was open and I saw a kill deer near stop 3. I was "thrilled by the trill" of a red winged black bird but did not see him. Next Sunday is Easter and we will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus - but the earth and His creatures have already begun celebrating.

A NEED IN MY SOUL

I haven't posted for awhile (much to the displeasure of my thousands of fans and supporters - Ha Ha) I have missed it and I have missed being out in the field taking pics and "naturing". We opened a new outlet for photos and "bird stuff" at Green Dragon Market and the project is taking twice the money I had planned and 3 times the hours. It seems I will never learn to estimate and budget money or time accurately. I will get out soon - I promise myself that, if God permits, I will get outdoors again soon. If there is a reader out there - I'll be back and if there isn't I'll be back anyhow - I like doing this.