As stated previously, I like these cool autumn-like mornings and days. Laurie and I headed off early to visit the Buttermilk Falls Natural Area in Indiana County, Pennsylvania.
The name Buttermilk Falls is a common name for waterfall areas all over. I know in my native Armstrong County we have an area called Buttermilk Falls. I know of others, too.
This site consists of 48 acres of woodlands. Lots of Spicebush nestled amid sizable trees. The unusual- looking bridge shown in the above photo was erected in 2017. The watercourse for the falls is Hires Run and is in the Hires Run Valley flowing towards the Conemaugh River. The actual waterfall is 45 feet high.
Stone foundations can be viewed near the stream. This was the site of an ancestor of a man known by Mr., Roger’s fans named McFeely. At at time in the past, Fred Rogers known for the children’s show, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood spent plenty of childhood visits to this area. A trail called, McFeely Trail winds through the park.
One of the interests of this site is the walkways that wind down and around allowing visitors to actually walk behind the falls. I have included a few photos showing this.
The McFeely TrailheadA shot of the waterfall from behind looking down the hollow.
After enduring some hot and muggy days I found the change of autumn-like mornings refreshing. With the cool and crisp change I left the house before sunrise heading to explore a Butler County property to see what I could find.
My planning was spot-on as I arrived at the time I had hoped for…dawn. The woodlands were bright enough to see, ut the sun had yet to get u and over the eastern hills.
The exploration had begun. The first sighting of wildlife was a doe and her fawn. Later I would watch two turkeys flush off the roost. Later, as I circled back around, I would talk some turkey talk with one of the birds. On the back side of this hill I spooked more turkeys feeding in the underbrush,
I came upon posted lands and returned to the road and walked an old road on the opposite side. here I saw a small buck. I noticed my first buck rubs during this walk.
An old spring.
Old springs are few and far between in these days. Over the years I have seen many closed down by the state. because they didn’t meet with the standards set forth by some “expert-in-their -field.” The interesting fact in most cases people were using them for years with no issue.
Red squirrels have been feasting on spruce cones.
One area had many mature spruce trees. As I walked I could hear the four-to five cones falling through the limbs. One could hear these cones falling for a long distance. The Red Squirrels were eating these cones. The photo shows a pile of cone parts placed by the squirrels.
As I type this entry the weather is very much hinting of the fall season, however that wasn’t the reality a week ago. The days were hut and muggy so I ventured out early on any trek I committed to.
One positive of such mornings is the foggy and humid conditions for anyone wishing for some nice photos..
here are a few morning pics as the sun began to climb the eastern sky with fog settled within the low areas.
Ironweed blossoms in this meadow.Somebody must have spat out a chaw! (Bear skat)
Yes, even I can be stupid at times. When I worked the common term we, laughingly, used was, “Stupido.” We pronounced the word as Stew-peed-o. Well in one of those extremely rare times I discovered while trying to take a photo of a deer of a problem. I didn’t place the camera card in the camera. Yes i was disgusted with myself for the hike was only about 150 yards from the jeep and I would not be able to get any photos this morning.
I returned to the jeep and left the camera and lenses behind.
I walked a gas well road at the top of the hill. As I emerged from the road onto a field of soybeans, I saw a doe and fawn. The photo would have been a good one with dew over the soybeans and the green background. I saw other deer in the huge field, too.
Woodland Sunflower
I continued walking the road watching the field intently on my left before entering another wooded area. You guessed it! As I exited the wooded area to an old field of knee-high vegetation I spotted a nice buck at about twenty yards. two other bucks were just beyond. They stood around and watched me. No camera! It gets worse!
Turkey poult
I walked across this field before entering another woodlot. I would be descending gradually. I looked about 25 yards to my left and spotted a Barred Owl perched on a limb. No camera!
Purple Loosestrife…and invasive specie.
Eventually, I reached Cherry Run and began to head towards the jeep. I searched around looking for trout. Suddenly, I saw waves in the water next to the bank. My first thought was a Muskrat. However, the animal crawled upon a rock and I was viewing a Mink. The mammal even crawled up a leaning tree for a couple of feet. I missed some great photo opportunities again.
This morning I made sure I had my camera card. All of the photos shown here are from today’s excursion.
Allegheny River
I set the minnow trap about five this morning and after catching a few dozen I went off to catch the “big un.” The river was beautiful with some fog conditions early making way for a clear morning.
The fish weren’t biting very well, but I did land a nice Smallmouth Bass. There are literally thousands upin thousands of shiners near the river’s edge. Occasionally, many would leap from the water escaping a bass.
Smallmouth Bass
With a couple of hours fishing behind me, I removed a little trash from the river’s shoreline. Afterwards, I spent some time looking for things to photograph. I saw several hens with several, nice-sized, poults.
ShinersBlossoms of the Arrowhead plant. They are found in wetland areas usually.
The fog was so thick at times I could not see much beyond thirty yards and sometimes less. I like to walk in the fog and this morning would prove to be a foggy one, indeed. Later this day the experts in weather claimed ninety degrees would cover the area. I wanted to be home long before this temperature reached me.
I saw some deer including two fawns. The fog didn’t allow any photos of these critters. I saw some rabbits and squirrels, too. Songbirds were abundant.
To my left was a remnant of an old logging road, I surmise. For a brief millisecond of time I saw a black color and it was gone. I truly believe the black was from a bear, but to be honest I can’t prove this in a court of law. It could have been the back of a gobbler, as easily as the sliver of back from a bear. Trusting my gut, I believe it was a bear. later I would find some rather fresh bear sign.
Looks like somebody spit out their “chaw.” (This is a bear dropping.)Bear track
The walk continued for about two miles or more before the circle ended up back at the jeep.
A I always do, I photographed some summer wildflowers. and other items that interest me.
I like the summer weather when the humidity is low and having cool early-morning temperatures. With such conditions I decided to spend some hours enjoying the conditions.
This venture would include a two or more mile hike and some fishing.
I was fortunate to see some wildlife this morning. I saw eight different deer and three buck. Two were running together in the fog and I managed one decent photo of one standing in the fog watching me. I saw two turkeys feeding along the woodland edge. I saw a Great-horned Owl fly out of a tree. if I would have been faster I could have managed a possible in-flight shot. Rabbits were out and about, as well.
Buck in the fog
During my walk I came upon a few bear tracks. I have been fortunate in recent weeks with bear sightings and I had hoped this one might appear somewhere along the trail.
Bear Track
Eventually I settled in for a little fishing. I had my very light tackle and began the fishing for Carp, but the catfish were biting well. I caught around seven or eight cats. One Bullhead managed a quick turn sending the pectoral barb into the fleshy part by my thumb. The barb actually stayed in the “meat” until I pulled on the fish to remove it. That has never happened before.
I haven’t been “hit” by a catfish barb for many years and the realization of those experiences immediately came to be. I bled, I hurt and became slightly swollen and red. In fact as I type this entry on Monday the 12th I can still feel a slight pain.
Some readers may not know what I am talking about at this time. The catfish family have stiff barbs on their dorsal and pectoral fins. To release a catfish one needs to grasp the fish in such a way the barbs can not jab into the hand. I have heard some believe they have a slight toxin and they might have some validity.
This morning had another first for me. My brand new, never-worn, boots were on my feet. I walked behind to the Nature’s Restroom, and noticed something shining among the vegetation. I had tramped upon a fishing lure and the one treble hook was firmly in place. I removed the boot to remove the plug and luckily the hook was in the thick bottom of the boot and not through the thinner material.
I took some photos of various wildflowers during the jaunt. I found the source of the Coronavirus, too. They grow on small shrubs in Pennsylvania. See photo below.
Swamp MilkweedDogbane BeetlesCoronavirus Blossom on a Button Bush
I hadn’t been in this area for some time and decided with the desirable weather I would revisit. Huling’s Run is a beautiful waterways, at least the upper part is. I haven’t been along the lower section of the stream for some time either. The last time I was in that area I was greatly disappointed. Man with ATV type vehicles had been all over causing great erosion problems.
That’s a Bear was heard. I don’t believe I audibly spoke those words, but I do know I thought those words in my mind, at least.
The sky was overcast at this time of the morning. The weatherman said the skies would open up soon, so I was in the woods early. The time was somewhere around seven o’clock when I saw the black form around thirty to thirty-five yards out. the moment our eyes made contact the form moved fifteen feet or so before stopping. I struggled to get the camera focused on the bear’s head. Saplings and leaves , along with the darkened woodlands forbade that focus as needed.
The bear began moving away when I noticed cubs coming up behind her. I no with certainty of two cubs, but with the terrain, vegetation and such there may have been three. As soon as the bears were over the grade I moved hoping to see them again, but they were out of my view already.
My day was made. I could have turned around and went home a happy man, but I continued walking to see what other things of interest were out ahead.
I would see six deer and one fawn before I headed off to home.
I saw three Ravens up close before they noticed me, too. More photos below of the adventure out in the woods this morning.
Land stage of the Red-spotted Newt.Stink Horn
This Stinkhorn is a fungus having many subspecies. They have a foul-smelling odor with the spores.
Goat’s Beard BlossomGoat’s Beard Seed Pod
I found an introduced plant of interest along the fields. The name is the Goat’s Beard. It yields an
attractive yellow blossom followed by a dandelion-like seed pod. However, the seed pod shown above is close to three inches in diameter.
Striped maple leaf glowing in the sunlight. Bee Balm or OswegoIndian Pipe
Indian Pipe is a parasitic organism. It is, also, known as the Ghost Plant, for obvious reasons.
We have had some hot, humid weather recently and a 62 degree morning and lessening humidity was the ticket for me to get out for a morning jaunt. A always I had hoped to see a bear or two, but this morning proved to be “bearless.” However, I wasn’t disappointed with the wildlife sightings.
I did see four hens out and about feeding and one incubating her eggs. I was almost upon her when she unnerved and flushed. I was surprised to see a clutch of eggs this late into the season. She had, probably, lost her first nest for any number of reasons and re-laid a second clutch of eggs. I hope she returns to finish the task at hand.
Two of the hens had poults with them. The one in vegetation shielded the poults so I could barely see any, but I saw a back or two of poults. The second hen with poults had, at least, 5-6 visible babies. I am sure others were in amongst the vegetation. These poults were the size of a Ruffed Grouse or Pheasant. I failed to get any photos.
I saw four deer in totality with two being male deer.
I saw plenty of rabbits during the walk and one Grey Squirrel.
Various summertime wildflowers are blooming and I couldn’t resist taking some photos, as I always do.
I dressed accordingly to the season in regard to Deer Flies. In other words, I had a light flannel shirt and a hat on to deter these pesky and painful insects. I killed one and only witnessed several others. I was lucky for sometimes I am likened to a World war II, B-29 Bomber with many German Messerschmidt 109 fighters diving from all directions. Did I say I despise Deer Flies?
I was glad to find a number of the Dogbane Beetles. As a youngster I would catch these insects and study The brilliance of the iridescent colors. Many, probably, believed I wasn’t right as a child as many still do today.
Wednesday, June 23, I left early to go walking and taking photos of anything I could see of interest. I hiked up a gas well road to the top of a long grade to watch the sun filtering on the eastern sides of the trees. The brightness of the early morning sun made some deepening contrasts allowing for some nice landscape photos.
Later, I talked to a member of the Pennsylvania game Commission along the township road and told him I was hoping to see a bear. He was on his way to mow. I went across the hill to check out some more areas.
The walking was pleasant but as the morning turned towards noon the heat was increasing.
All in all, I saw eight deer, two hen turkeys and an injured rabbit. However, I was greatly blessed to have a bear come into an open area allowing me to see the size in its entirety. The bear, estimated 250 to 300 pounds’ didn’t see me initially and we, both, were startled some. He was more scared of me. I was not one bit scared although he was only about thirty-five yards from me.
When the bear’s eyes turned to see me, he looked like a cartoon character running in place for a millisecond before gaining traction. I am describing the bear as a male because mating season is happening currently and most single bear are normally males seeking out females.
Her are a few photos from the day. take note I didn’t get the camera in place fast enough for a bear photo.
Indigo BuntingAn old tree with character. The squirrel believed he was hide from me.
Larry A. Smail's Blog 