Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Misc. Nature’ Category

Headin’ East in God’s Country

Posted in Hikes, Misc. Nature on May 16, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Fog

  Bird life wakes me at five in the morning. Cardinals; robins and a host of warbler music makes for a great alarm clock. The crows, also, announce a new day by 5:30 A.M.

The mountains were engulfed in fog. I decided to travel east towards the Alvin R. Bush Dam area and visit some other communities I had heard of since my youth as a hunter and fisherman. These names include the Hammersley Forks; Cross Forks (This community is known for the annual rattlesnake Hunt every June.) and , of course, the famous Kettle Creek. This stream is well-known as a great trout fisheries. I planned to be around the dam area as the fog was lifting.   

I stopped at the community of Renova for a fill-up. I pulled into a station and was surprised to see a full service gas station. These are rare! The elderly gentleman and I had a nice chat and I shook his hand as I left. The other communities were surprisingly much smaller than I had envisioned them to be. They are quiet and quaint communities.                              

While traveling I saw many deer and squirrels. I was blessed to see a bear too. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a good photo. the always present geese and mergansers were viewed often.

Terrain I hiked.

I did a 5-7 mile hike up and over a mountain this morning. I was hoping to see a rattlesnake for ophotos..well sort of! This, potential, sighting needed to be in my terms. I found some Pink Lady Slipper wild flowers. These are in Armstrong , but they are rare due to the past land practices. I know of two sites. I watched a barred owl  land near me. Its big black eyes staring me down. I almost shot the photo when a blue jay chased the beautiful bird farther back into the woods.    

Each hollow had a beautiful spring-fed waterway flowing down towards Kettle Creek. While walking up the stream was on my right when suddenly I noticed I couldn’t hear any water.  I went about 1500 feet and the fast water was, once again, present. This source found a route underground for quite a distance. At another hollow, I could hear rushing water when suddenly there the source was. The water was exploding out from below a rock. I stooped to drink the cold water.

eventually the walk circled back to the road. here I removed a black snake from the road surface. The 40 incher didn’t appreciate my efforts as I scrambled him to the woods again. You’d think , at least, a smile could have been mustered in thanks!

Beaverdam Creek

I fished a small stream known as Beaverdam Creek. One thing I wished to do on this outing was to fish again for native brookies. I wasn’t disappointed! I caught 8-10 and lost about that many. I missed some too.  While fishing I noticed the darkening skies. Light rain began to filter through the hemlock boughs as I walked the 1 1/2 miles back to the car. Along the way I discovered elk tracks.

Native Brook trout

Approximately 3:30 the thunder and lightning began to grow in strength. I made it to the car moments before the torrential downpour began. I couldn’t see well to drive so I pulled into the dam’s parking area.  I searched the radio for a local station just as the warning sounds started. I was in an area where dangerous storms with heavy rains; hail and high winds were to be. The high winds would affect the high peaks.

Rains coming!

The skies continued to look threatening so I drove south eight miles to a small community of Westport. here I found a motel. Later, I would walk the railroad tracks as the evening skies changed from a threat. I could have used the tent after all!

Kettle Creek

Read Full Post »

GOD’S COUNTRY PENNSYLVANIA

Posted in Misc. Nature on May 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

God’s Country

    Evening comes on fast in the north central mountain range of Pennsylvania. The sun drops below some of the high peaks around six int late afternoon casting a darkened shadow allowing for the illusion of sunset.

I had the tent ready and a nice glowing fire as I prepared for my first evening near the Sinnemahoning Creek of Potter County. The sounds of nothing but nature was so relaxing.  All I could hear were sounds of woodland insects and the waters of the distant creek. This was pure joy for me. Later, after dark I heard the soothing hoots of a barred owl. Strangely, I heard Canada geese erupting with sounds of honking. I suspect some ‘coon approached their nest or babies.

Area I fished

I arrived at the George B. Stevenson Dam earlier in the day and taken back by the beauty of the area. I had been away far too long. I stood in awe watching the vultures soar all around. The long-ago memories of my brother-in-law, Bob Hudson and I came flooding back to my thoughts. (Bob died in a tragic accident in 1987.)  I found myself getting somewhat emotional with all the sights and thoughts.

I spent time just driving around taking photos for my new memories. I actually spent some time fishing in the dam’s back waters. I saw many bluegills; perch; suckers; bass and a water snake.  Geese, mallards and mergansers were always near to see too. I would catch a bluegill with almost every cast.                                                    

I watched continually for eagles and ospreys, but failed to see any. There are, at least, two nests along these waters. Deer were prevalent all along my travels.

   Sleep should have come easy for me as I  set near the fire and wrote down entry notes, but I had a sense of not wanting to miss anything nature might offer. I would be up early to explore farther east waters and mountain country.

This is truly God’s Country!                                          

Read Full Post »

Messed Up Again!

Posted in 2012 Spring Gobbler Season, Misc. Nature, Wildflowers on May 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Male Scarlet Tanager

My strategy was simple. I would sneak in well into the dark hours and try to get on the back side of this gobbler. he seems to head low and/ go across a road into posted land. I hoped to be between his roosting site and this area. It didn’t work. He was across a road in posted land. Later I would see him walk up the hill in a cow pasture. He is a big bird.  I circled was around the hill and hoped he would enter into the woods. He didn’t and he saw me from the field’s top. I did see a hen too feeding on a gas line.

Calm frog!

I drove south again and tried to cross Cherry Run, but the waters were still way too high and swift. the tree I knew of was washed away. I drove farther down the road and walked up and over the steep hills again. I walked far to an area I wished to go. I approached the flat area of the hill and called . Gil-obble-obble!  I walked up slope farther and he again answered my call. He was close. TOO CLOSE! He came in fast and spotted me before I was set up. I messed up!!!!

Super Redwing!

Later, I saw a gobbler on a right-of-way belly tight on the ground while he preened himself. I believe this was the same gobbler for he showed no interest in my calling now.

I saw a number of deer. I actually spotted one laying down. I could see the reddening deer hair through the green foliage. I saw a woodcock; a grouse and lots of squirrels today too!  There are plenty of warblers darting about from limb to limb. they are difficult taking photos of.

Native Sweet William

The weatherman said that we were to have sun.  We did, but after the daily hunting season was over AND the weatherman said we were to have a very slight chance of a shower. The number was 15%. Well, I can honestly say I found showers at 100% twice. Both times the rains were hard enough and long enough to cause me to get wet!

Read Full Post »

Far Away Turks!

Posted in 2012 Spring Gobbler Season, Misc. Nature on May 9, 2012| Leave a Comment »

  The great-horned owl softly hooted in the hollow behind me. The few minutes of relaxed nodding were appreciated. I was high on the hill in the dark waiting for a gobbler,  hopefully on this same hill. It wasn’t to be!

An orange fungus on a stump

A quarter after five in the morning I hear two far away gobble. I waited awhile to see if any toms were going to say “good mornin’ Larry.”  I trusted my instincts and headed down this hill and across a hollow to the opposite hill. The woods were silent. I called and was answered way into posted lands. I tried to excite the turkey to a point where he would do something the big birds seldom do… come through brushy timbered areas and over 400 yards! He crossed a road and was gone. I did hear one lone gobbler from the same hill. He gobbled only once.

American Redstart- a warbler!

Raging Cherry Run

Frustrated, I drove south deeper into Cherry Run only to find a greatly swollen creek. I couldn’t even begin to wade across. I went farther and went up and over a steep hill to try to locate a gobbler interested in hen calls. Nothing! I did see gobbler tracks in a recently worked field and later watched five jakes. (young gobblers from last spring.)

Turkey eggs

I saw a number of deer, squirrels, a grouse. I found a hen turkey’s nest of nine eggs. The waters along the creek apparently were high enough to, probably, cause her to abandon the nest. Several eggs were broken and outside of the nest. Another was broken ion the nest.

Female redstart

 

Read Full Post »

Rainy Morn!

Posted in 2012 Spring Gobbler Season, Misc. Nature on May 1, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I was setting along a tree by 5:20 A.M. My plan was to be situated near to where the gobblers were roosted yesterday. The open woods and skylighted eastern sky make getting to them next to impossible with the trees having little foliage yet.

My approach was flawless and practically silent. I chose a tree to wait and then the rains and breezy conditions happened. I would soon be rather wet! To make matters worse those pesky gobblers were not there this morning. I waited to 6:20 or so before exiting in hopes of locating another turkey before they became silent.

I walked back towards the road and realized Bob wasn’t out this morning. Suddenly, I heard it!  A distant gobbler. I heard two more gobblers across the road and at the top of the next hill. Off I went!~

Box Turtle

Of course, by the time I reached the hilltop the gobbler was long silent. I greeted the day with a box turtle. I don’t consider the spring gobbler season unless I see a box turtle. He posed quite nicely for a couple of photos.

I circled back across the road to check a field and located the landowner’s son. He told me he had seen a gobbler exit the woodlands. He called and was greeted by a gobble and then the bird went back into the woods. TURKEYS!!!

Fire Pink

I circled again calling and listening and eventually returned to the hilltop where I had heard the gobbler earlier.I fell asleep. My June allergies are early this spring and one condition is fatigue. At around 10:35 I heard a shot that seemed to be at the field I mentioned earlier.

I exited the woods around 11:30, finally dry and very warm! I saw over eight squirrels, one hen turkey and two deer today. A highlight for me was the sighting of the Black & White Warbler. This little bird receives its name because it is actually stripped in black and white markings. It is quite an attractive little fellow.

Read Full Post »

Brisk Morning

Posted in Misc. Nature, Wildflowers on April 27, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Suzie, my diabetic Springer spaniel, awakened me around four in the morning. Efforts to fall back asleep were futile. I signes an executive order to myself…GET UP and head for the woods!                                                                                                  

   The skies were emmersed with darkened and heavy clouds and a brisk  wind forced me to wish I had worn a little extra clothing.

My walk wasn’t long when I heard that increasingly rare sound of a woodcock “sniping” his mating call.  I miss hearing those call. I stopped to listen as the sky lightened a bit. The bird would ascend making a certain whisting call. Shortly, he would decend making a completelydifferent call until he landed close to begin making the raucous snipe-like call.  On one of his decnds I actually could see him until he was almoost on me. The bird detoured twenty feet, landed and began calling. They are an interesting little bird!

I heard two very distant gobbles as the wind diluted the volume. I approcahed a listening area and failed to hear any gobblers. Maybe the gobbles were absent this morning, or maybe, the lusty calls were out of my hearing.

I enetered a pine area and watched a great-horned owl exit soon to be chased by angry crows. I saw , at least, four different white “flags” of deer in the gray and dismal woodlands. I heard and saw one grouse flying from an old fallen log. I saw a Cooper’s hawk and a red-tailed hawk too.

The dogwood blossoms were early to bloom this spring for the warm weather that had become the norm over March and most of April. The leaves were rapidly emerging too…as are the allegies!

Before the morning was completed I saw four gobblers crossing near to a house. Later, I saw a struuting tom with 4-5 hens. While traveling home I saw three longbeards with one hen. I am wondering if hens are going to be an issue while hunting. You can bet on it!

Virginia Bluebells

Later I took some photos of wildflowers I have growing around my creek area.  The Virginia Bluebells are really out in force as are the Harebell flowers. Tomorrow, Bob Miller (my step-father) and  I will try my luck with gobbler chasing.

Greek valerian (Harebell)

Read Full Post »

Memories, Trout Fishing, Gobblers and Bikes

Posted in Misc. Nature, Wildflowers, Wildlife on April 20, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I love rural roads!

I, once again, headed for Cherry Run to enjoy

Cherry Run

some   quality time with nature. I elected to fish a mile long section of Cherry Run that isn’t stocked with trout.  This decision was made for a couple of reasons. I have many memories of this section as a boy.  My great Uncle Charly Yount and Great Aunt Hazel owned a small farm here. I have memories that I cherish. Oh, how I wish I could spend a day with these two… the salt of the earth!       

A corn field stood here many years ago. Today small trees  cover the field. We would come here for great home-cooked meals. I helped butcher chickens here. My dad and I gathered ice along the creek to make home-made ice cream. These two wonderful people died around 1975. Like I said, I sure would love top spend a day with them again!!

Jake

I fished this section as a boy enjoying many hours catching chubs and a few trout. Today, I cast a line into this section maybe eight times. The water was clear and low. I could see no trout, but seriously I just wanted to walk along and remember. I returned to my vehicle by walking higher up the hill through the woods again searching my thoughts.

Dwarf Ginseng

I drove south and parked again. here I could see a couple of brown trout. I caught both and released them. One, however, went belly up so I retreived it and dropped the fish off at my relatives for consumption.

  The weather was rapidly warming as I walked about the steep hill destined for stripping  for coal. I dug up some Hepitica; ferns and Sweet William to replant at home.

Wood Turtle

I managed to see some critters today too! I saw mockingbirds, 1 deer;  a red fox; Wood Turtle (Commonly known as a Land Turtle locally.) three groups of turkeys; squirrels;  pileated woodpecker;  towhees; mallards; wood ducks; geese and many small birds.

Old stone foundation.

As the evening approached I spent two hours riding bike on the Rails To trails from Kittanning, Pennsylvania to Rosston.

Slug

Read Full Post »

Loving Nature

Posted in Hikes, Misc. Nature, Wildflowers, Wildlife on April 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Hen turkey

I didn’t sleep well! Suzie, my 14-year-old springer, needed to go for nature calls twice. Laurie had forgotten to turn her cell off and, for some reason, she had two texts. of course I was wakened both times. (One text was a sale ad and the other was a wrong number!) Unfortunately, when awakened, I have difficulties falling back asleep. This night was no different.

Golden ragwort

Chickadee

Although, I wasn’t very lively, I decided to either fish or hike. The walk took priority. I elected to return to my beloved Cherry Run area to inspect the timbering project and future stripping sites. I walked along Chery Run wich is an approved trout stream. I noticed a few trout left over from the April 14th opener.  I could hear the shrill din of mating toads in a local wetlands too. Always a joy for me, is the sight of spring wildflowers. Today would not be disappointing.

Brown trout

The three or four mile hike covered steep hill, fields and timbering sites. I heard three different gobblers gobbling during the mid-morning hours. I watched a hen walking about unconcerned over my presence. A nest was, no doubt, close.

I could hear a drumming grouse as I approached the summit of one hill. I almost was able to see him on his drumming log prior to the flight.  A few steps farther and the white dancing tail of a deer was viewed through the woodlands.  A hundred yards farther and I witnessed a male sharp-shinned hawk perched on a low tree. I almost was able to get a photo… almost! I saw a mockingbird and a red fox in a field. The fox was carrying something.  I saw a gobbler in a field too.

Red Fox

Pete and Donnie

Eventually, I climbed down the hill to walk a secondary road heading towards the Cherry Run Gun, Rod and Reel Club where I was parked and a member. I was within sight of my vehicle and could see my cousin, Donnie Smail fishing. At that time, another friend drove past and chatted. Our plan was to stand on the bridge and toss rocks near Donnie. Donnie, apparently, smelled mischief and quit fishing. We spent an hour talking and carrying on some!

*********************************************************************************

Last week, on April 12, my step father, Bob and I went for a couple of mile hike. We heard two gobblers and later watched two strutting longbeards with hens. Towards evening, I visited a new acquaintance for a walk. We saw two hens and two deer. While heading home, I saw a small flock of turkeys on the back side of a hill near my  homestead again.

Read Full Post »

Gobbler!!

Posted in Hikes, Misc. Nature, My Family on April 9, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Wing stretching!

I left later than I would normally to listen for gobblers. However, a walk on a beautiful morning was my primary reason for heading to State Game Lands 247 near Center Hill, Pennsylvania.

I wanted to further test my clothes against ticks too. I had sprayed an ingredient  on them about a month ago and was anxious to see how many ticks would be walking about my clothes. I removed 8 ticks! Not bad since normally I would have killed anywhere from 20 to 30 in that same time frame. Ticks are supposed to die if they are on the sprayed clothes, but I didn’t have the patience. I picked them off and eliminated the little pests!!! many more, apparently, had been repelled  too!

   I approached a pond observing a lone “watch” goose when the gobbling began higher on the hill. The goose was watching for predators since a nest was nearby. I walked up to a field and the gobbler was done talking. Soon, a button buck emerged from the thick multiflora rose brambles offering me a couple of photos. A hen turkey ran from the high grass while watching the deer. She became “unnerved” at my standing. If I would not have stopped to look at the deer, she would have allowed me to walk by.

Ten minutes later while walking along a game land trail, I peered over a rise to see the full fan of a gobbler. I hid and over the next half hour a managed several photos of the “big guy.” He was showing off to a hen. The hen could not have cared less over his strutting for she continued eating.

The photos were difficult to obtain due to foliage from the brambles. eventually, he allowed me a few shots as he exposed his heavy body away from the blurred leaves.

Yesterday, I spent time with family for Easter. Little Kaison Wolfe had a great time as he easter Bunny hid eggs in the yard! he is the grandson of my sister Ruthie married to Tim Wolfe.

Kaison

Read Full Post »

Rock River Illinois & Black Hawk Memorial

Posted in Historical, Misc. Nature on April 6, 2012| Leave a Comment »

The Rock River area of Oregon, Illinois was a beautiful sight to behold. the river’s width is wider than the Allegheny River here in Kittanning, Pennsylvania. The overall depth is more in tune with a natural, free-flowing river. Plenty of islands, some of a large size, can be viewed . While I walked about  the Lowden Park and White Rock Parks I could see many paired off Canada Geese. Some nests were discovered too.     

The Castle Rock Park area had high rocky outcrops. One had       steps guesstimated  to be over 500 feet in length to walk to   the top viewing area. here you could look out in both directions of the Rock River. Many vultures were flying about. these rocky areas would provide outstanding nesting sites for the carrion-loving bird.

I understand that “clamming” was popular in the rivers earlier history. Catfishing is still popular.

  North of Oregon, Illinois, on the eastern hillside stands a memorial reaching 48 feet 4 inches towards the sky. The monument built early in the last century depicts the War Chief, Black hawk. Black Hawk was leader of warriors of the Sauk and Fox Indian nations of that area. He led a short-lived rebellion against the white encroachments in 1832. Sadly, the limited resources always lead to the loss of native lands. The white war machine could be kept with supplies and manpower making Indian resistance doomed. this is and has been part of a negative history of America, but this is still our history.

Black Hawk

Visitors can stand at the memorial’s base and look upon the Rock River and see Oregon on the opposite bank. It is quite impressive to stand by and look about.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »