Larry A. Smail's Blog

      I may be weird, but I have always been enthralled with the Turkey Vulture. (Also, known as the Turkey Buzzard.) I look forward with seeing the first one soar into Armstrong County, Pennsylvania each year. That date is around March 15th.

I enjoy the gracefulness of their flight. The bird opens their long wingspan allowing them to soar for a long periods of time in the thermal wind drifts. They are easy to identify. The vulture holds their wings in a shallow V-shape.

Sometime ago, I was exploring some rocky cliffs along Redbank Creek. I eased up and over some rocks peering eye to eye with a baby vulture with an irate parent missing my head by inches as the big bird exited past with the escape. Such a hissing sound from the young buzzard was experienced.

They are almost always misidentified as a hawk or eagle.  

The vulture usually migrates south around October 15th each year.

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Monday, April 18th, found me walking the top of a hill listening for turkeys.

Fox Squirrel

I heard two gobbling towards the point of the hill. The two birds at fly down moved farther away with an occasional gobble. I moved along with them just to see what would happen.                                           

Suddenly, I realized after another pause in activity that the birds were closing in towards me. I heard hen chatter. At one time I believe the gobblers would be on my lap in moments. However, they began moving back up the hill. They entered a field on top where I had just walked across.  I eased up and saw both longbeards.    

   I maneuvered around to see a deer; rabbit, a Brown Thrasher, a pair of wood ducks on a pond, and squirrels.  Later, I heard a gobbler open up as I walked in his direction. he had clammed up for some reason. As I eased into the area he was gobbling from I saw the image of a large Fisher crossing ahead of me.

Dogwood

I tried calling for response. I called in a hen who was very vocal. A gobbler began gobbling again and was definitely coming towards me, and this hen. I saw him with four hens. One hen spotted me so I failed to get any quality photos.

This morning I was at a different place to listen. I heard five different gobblers. I saw a hen in the field. I saw a lot of deer this day. They sure were moving! I saw squirrels, one rabbit, and six mockingbirds.            

Toads!

I fished in Crooked Creek for a time. All I caught were chubs. Toads were all about making their mating sounds. I could a lot of them along the shore along with strings of eggs.

Crooked Creek

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  Early Monday morning I was awakened by severe dizziness. Yes, the  vertigo was back after an absence since Christmas Day 2013. I have been doing therapy exercises, and was surprised to have two bouts along with the nausea, and exhaustion that accompanies this terrible condition. Monday was a wasted day. However, Tuesday, April 12th, found me feeling much better. A walk was needed for fresh air, and exercise.     

I left the house about 8:30 and began walking about just enjoying the cool, yet sunny morning. I was walking a right-a-way when I observed several gobblers about 250 yards away. One was strutting.

   I circled around and worked above where they were. I called and was immediately answered with a thunderous gobble. I move downhill and called again. Gil-obble-obble-obble! He was closing in fast!

In minutes I could see a gobbler approaching me. Shortly, I could see three more toms. A hen showed up, too. The other three gobblers didn’t allow for any photos. They stayed farther away and among some vegetation. The three were busy playing push and shove.

  I managed to take about six decent photos before the hen walked back with all four toms cold-trailing!

Later, at about 11:20 I heard another tom as I was returning to the jeep. I felt fairly well from my three hour excursion.                                                                     

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  I completed an entry here on March 4th with a title stating winter’s last hurrah! I guess winter didn’t read that entry for the last two days we have been seeing snow locally.  Approximately, two inches of snow fell overnight, and more is falling as I type this entry.

Canada Goose

Regardless, of the complaints I hear the last two mornings afield were very beautiful. I appreciate being able to spend a few hour’s walking about and observing nature’s beauty.

This morning I was out, and about, rather early. I failed to hear any gobbling. However, as the day progressed I would see a number of turkeys. I saw some in the woods, and saw some in fields as I drove home.

Yesterday, April 8, I heard a gobbler and called the big boy in a strutting, drumming, and spitting. If the hunting season was in place I would have had a fine meal of gobbler burgers in line! Two hens followed him down the hill, too. I called these three birds a little later on, but I could not get any photos. The dense brush and snow-laden limbs obscured any possibilities of that.

I saw four deer, and a gray squirrel, and two big fox squirrels.  

I took a number of photos of just the natural world on these excursions. Sometime in the future if I can not move about I will have these memory photos to rekindle my life as a woodland enthusiast.              

A few days ago, I took a walk near Adrian, Pennsylvania. I walked along a rural road and a railroad track. I saw a fox and discovered the den, as well. This day I would see some turkeys and two deer.

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The weather is warming. Snow may be something short-lived since March is close at hand. I enjoy the snow-laden woodlands. Hiking some of my old haunts seemed appropriate. I spent some time along the Cherry Run watershed’s hills, and hollers!                              

Nature’s design!

  This area has some rugged terrain. I grew up traveling around these woods, and fields. If One goes about one mile north of the 422-Cherry Run    intersection and then south to the mouth of Crooked Creek, I can honestly say I have been on both sides of the watershed, at some point, for the entire distance!

Turkey trail!

Today, I hiked over some areas I visit every year. The morning snow was difficult to walk in since the top layer was frozen. Each step would hold my weight for half a second before suddenly giving way. This caused a slight jolt to the old knees. As the temperatures rose that problem lessoned.

Beech

Tracks everywhere! The five mile hike showed  many species of wildlife abounding. I saw lots of deer tracks. Other tracks included two separate turkey flocks; opossum; skunk; ‘coon; coyote; rabbit; squirrel; chipmunks;  fisher; cat, and fox.  I saw 17 deer total. Some of these I could see feeding while traveling home. I saw one squirrel.  I, also, saw a Pileated Woodpecker, and a Kingfisher. I didn’t follow up and any tracks.

Cherry Run

‘Coon Tracks!

I walked along a tributary of Cherry Run. This hollow is a favorite place of mine. Walking along the water gives one the sense of a mountain creek, filled with Native Brookies, in looks and serenity! (Potter, Cameron, Clinton…)  

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Redbank Creek

After a hearty country-style breakfast with my family, along with some visit time, I drove north to Redbank Creek. This watercourse divides Armstrong, and Clarion Counties. The area is rugged, and beautiful.  

I parked near the old long-abandoned Climax Railroad Tunnel to begin some hiking in the area.  The small community of Climax, Pennsylvania is on the Armstrong County side of the creek. A developed trail parallels the creek thus making for some nice hiking.

My first quest was to move to a site of a known eagle nest. I immediately found the nest, and was blessed to see an eagle fly to the nest tree. The Bald eagle offered some photography options.  I took over forty pics of the eagle.    

Eagles are becoming increasingly common  along the watercourses, and dams of my home area. I am thankful for that. As a child the eagle was considered endangered, and I never expected to ever see one in the wild.  The Pennsylvania game Commission, many years ago, began an active trap and transfer program to reintroduce the eagles. Their plan worked very well!                                                 

I walked the rail for a distance often locating myself down over the embankments to take photos of the Redbank Creek. Ice was moving fast down stream. The loud “cracks” of ice giving way was heard at times.                                                                                   

Old Climax Tunnel

I saw one deer. I found coyote tracks and mink tracks.

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