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Archive for the ‘Wildflowers’ Category

Along The Allegheny River

Posted in Misc. Nature, Wildflowers on July 30, 2015| Leave a Comment »

 

Kittanning Citizen's bridge

Kittanning Citizen’s bridge

I have spent a few hours, here, and there along the beautiful Allegheny River. These photos are from three different jaunts of fishing, or hiking. My fishing excursions along this waterways haven’t produce much action, but that is alright by me. I still enjoy seeing what adventure may be in store along the banks.

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler

 

Looking north to Kittanning, PA.

Looking north to Kittanning, PA.

 

Great Blue Heron track

Great Blue Heron track

This time of the year many species of wildflowers exist to view. One of my favorite is the Cardinal Flower. The color is a vivid red. This is a native wildflower.

The leaves of the Coltsfoot. Their yellow flowers are often the first to bloom in late winter.

The leaves of the Coltsfoot. Their yellow flowers are often the first to bloom in late winter.

The islands across from Manorville, PA

The islands across from Manorville, PA

Some of the critters I have seen on these water trips include mallards, Canada geese, and Great Blue Herons.

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Button Bush

Button Bush

Cardinal Flower

Cardinal Flower

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Another Interesting Morning

Posted in 2015 Spring Gobbler Season, Wildflowers, Wildlife on May 5, 2015| Leave a Comment »

 

Female Hummingbird

Female Hummingbird

I sat down on a gas line meeting the remnants of an old logging road close to posted property. This was a strategic plan for me to listen for gobblers. Normal gobbling time was upon the woodlands, and I was hearing nothing. I laid back to relieve a sleeping leg when I heard the alarm cuts immediately to my right. Oh yeah, a turkey had seen my movement, and was alerted. The hen, eventually, calmed back down.           DSC_0003

A little closer to me, I could see the form of another turkey. Yikes… a gobble exploded directly behind me!  All three turkeys where within shotgun range if I would have chosen to be illegal, or unethical! Anyone can take a turkey in such ways. Not me, I relish the excitement, and anticipation of working  calls for a turkey  to come in up close, and personal. However, I was in a bad way. I couldn’t move, so all I had to do was await the birds next move.

DSC_0002  The hens flew down followed by the tom. They all moved up hill well into posted property. I turned over onto my belly when I had the opportunity and tried luring the three to me. I failed!

Trout Lily

Trout Lily

I drove to a secondary area where I had taken a gobbler last year. I had a gobbler answer, but the bird was either across a road behind a fenced area, or very low on the hill. Later, this gobbler seemed to be getting closer, Suddenly, I heard alarm cutting and the gobbles ceased. What had happened? I noticed a turkey some hundred, and twenty yards in a field, but briefly.  The bird never showed up to me. Something scared the turkey.

DSC_0016    I began looking for morels as I walked on. I saw two turkeys on a right-of-way, but they had seen me, as well. I continued on.

I crossed a hollow, and worked around the hill. I called, and heard a distant gobbler. The turkey worked around above me. I set up.

The bird was above me, and I felt good about the positioning. Suddenly, deer snorts to me left echoed and the deer took off , and you guessed it, they went directly towards the turkey. Thebronzebeauty shut up. I tried firing him up, but failed.  I began the tour towards the jeep, calling periodically as the rain began to drench my clothes.

Box Turtle

Box Turtle

I found a box turtle. I always feel incomplete if I don’t find one in gobbler season. later, I would see a porcupine high in a tree.

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Porcupine

Posted in Misc. Nature, Wildflowers, Wildlife on September 3, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Porcupine

Porcupine

Recently, I gathered up some fishing gear and left    DSC_0062early to go and fish at Lock #8 north of Kittanning. I imagined now that the rains had a chance to slow the Allegheny River should be in a good condition to fish. Well, sorta..kinda! I entered the site about 6:30 A.M. and another fisherman was present. The water was being “let out” at that hydroelectric plant thus we had fast-moving and churning water.                                               DSC_0052

DSC_0049   The fisherman had been on site for about fifteen minutes. He said the water was calm as glass until the moments prior to my arrival. I threw in a baited hook and after about ten minutes I retrieved the line. Time for a hike!

DSC_0060 The hike was perfect. the temperatures were still comfortable at this hour. I saw plenty of wildlife during my excursion. I saw six deer; a ‘coon; a rabbit and some squirrels. I saw a flock of turkeys on the railroad tracks too.

A mussel.

A mussel.

 

Sassafras seeds/berries

Sassafras seeds/berries

The highlight of the morning was the sight of a porcupine. I was able to get quite close to the prickly little guy. He immediately chose to get into his defensive posture once I became  known to the ‘pine.

DSC_0057  After, a few minutes to take photos and observe the porky. He/she decided it had had enough of the foul- smelling human and departed to a tree.

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Baker Trail Adventure

Posted in Hikes, Misc. Nature, Uncategorized, Wildflowers on September 3, 2014| Leave a Comment »

 

Box Turtle

Box Turtle

The fog was moderate to heavy all morning. I was planning to go fishing in the back waters of Crooked Creek, but decided I needed a nice long hike.     DSC_0058

My destination was to hike the Baker Trail beginning at Cochran’s Mill and going until I decided to turn around. The Baker Trail is a trail beginning near Aspinwall, Pennsylvania and ending in the Allegheny National Forest. The trail is 132 miles long.

Turtlehead...a native flower.

Turtlehead…a native flower.

The hike followed the hills and hollows near Crooked Creek for the most part. I walked along some very high cliffs through wetlands and big forests and  even along some township roads. These are all part of this section of the trail.    DSC_0061

The first wildlife specie I found was a box turtle. The reptile allowed for a few photos as I continued on. At several sites I saw deer. One deer, at least, sported a rack. The antlers didn’t appear to have been rubbed at all although this act of rubbing trees will occur very soon. I saw a lot of grey and fox squirrels. I, also, saw a rabbit and a Sharp-shined Hawk. I saw a bear on the trail, but the bear was in the underbrush before I could get a photo.

Crooked Creek

Crooked Creek

Eventually, the trail came onto a wetland area. The trees had been harvested and the trail was covered with much vegetation. The trail, at this point, was nothing more than a deer trail in width. Needless to say I was soaked from above the knees and my feet were becoming wrinkled like a prune I am sure.

 

Pine Run

Pine Run

Some areas has big oak trees and other areas has big pines and hemlocks.

Eventually, I came across several large trees down and blocking the trail. I elected to go down over the hill to Crooked Creek. I came onto this water near a site known as Robb’s Fording. This  site is not far from the actual Crooked Creek Lake and park. I decided to walk along until I came onto Pine Run and walk up the creek. Remember I am already soaked! I had crossed this run, earlier, while following the trail. Here I saw a Great Blue Heron and a Red-Tailed hawk.

 

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Game Land Hike

Posted in Butterflies and Insects, Hikes, Wildflowers on August 27, 2014| Leave a Comment »

DSC_0019   I had planned to go fishing, but sinus pressure was a little burdensome early in the morning. However, as the morning moved along I decided to take a woodland hike at a local state game lands.                                                                    DSC_0028

I listened to some friend’s CD we all created as I traveled to the parking area. The music had me keeping time with my fingers on the steering wheel!

 

Boneset

Boneset

The wildflowers are over abundant along the trails. The most common flowers are the ironweed;  the, up to eight feet high, Joe-pye; Queen Anne’s Lace (Wild Carrot); Boneset; Jewelweed and many others. My dad told me of his family making Boneset tea years ago.

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The butterflies and bumble bees were common any place the flowers were exhibiting their beauty. Unfortunately, honey bees are scarce everywhere!

Hornet!

Hornet!

 

Blue Vervain

Blue Vervain

I visited a pond where I saw about six carp digging up the shallows. Maybe, I should have gone fishing!

At one area, I found some turkey sign. Some soft stool from a turkey was attracting about a dozen flies. A white-faced hornet kept busy trying to catch one. He failed in all attempts while I watched. I remember, as a kid, how I was intrigued watching hornets catching flies around my granddad’s farm. It doesn’t take much to thrill me!

DSC_0041  On milkweed I noticed a colored beetle. Unfortunately, my aging brain can not remember the specie, but I remember, again as a kid, seeing many of these behind the house. I thought how beautiful the beetle was then and I still do now. (Looked up the beetle: It is the Dogbane Leaf beetle.)

Great Blue Lobelia

Great Blue Lobelia

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Late Summer Wild Flowers

Posted in Wildflowers on August 20, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Bull Thistle

Bull Thistle

We are past the mid-way date of August. Summer will be giving way to another autumn season sooner than expected. This summer of 2014 has proven to be a rainy season. We have had numerous days where rain has fallen and sometimes very heavy. I had one back yard flood that was not the norm. We have not had any ninety degree days as of this date. I like that! The Allegheny River flowing through the middle of Armstrong County has had chocolate-colored water for several months too. This has been an interesting season.

Ironweed

Ironweed

Yellow Jewelweed

Yellow Jewelweed

Gardens are doing well and wildflowers are too. I enjoy the beauty of wildflowers. Summer wildflowers are usually much higher from ground level as the early soring flowers are. In April and May the sun easily reaches the forest and field floors allowing for blossoming closer to the ground. However, as the grasses grow and the leaves occupy the upper canopy of the woodlands, wildflowers have a need to shoot higher to avoid being crowded out.

Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne’s Lace

The Jewelweed is an interesting plant. The stems are hollow and the flower is usually found near wetlands and water sources. As a kids, and sometimes as an adult, I touch the ripened seed pods to watch them explode. the seeds fly all over. We have the yellow and spotted varieties locally. Hummingbirds enjoy the flowers as well.

A beautiful wildflower meadow.

A beautiful wildflower meadow.

Spotted Jewelweed

Spotted Jewelweed

There are a number of thistle species here in western  Pennsylvania. The beautiful flowers, however, have small spikes along their stems.

Primrose

Primrose

The Ironweed has a deep purple color. It grows well along water sources too.

The Queen Anne’s Lace is an interesting flower. Each flower, prior to blooming, is shaped as a bird’s nest. Another thing to look for is the small deep purple center of each blossom.

Always a sign of autumn’s approach are the goldenrods. One can see fields of yellow at times from this specie.

A Goldenrod

A Goldenrod

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Brief Morning

Posted in 2014 Spring Gobbler Season, Wildflowers on May 8, 2014| Leave a Comment »

DSC_0014  I had some things on my agenda this day! I was to meet a friend at the Armstrong County Historical Museum & Genealogical Society  Kittanning, Pennsylvania to replace an air conditioner. (The air conditioner was in the Mildred Lankerd-Thomas Genealogical  Library division of the museum.) My step father, Bob was feeling well enough to hunt so I thought I would go to a site near my old homestead and scout for turkeys prior to going for breakfast at mom’s home.

Antler shed

Antler shed

DSC_0024  I walked a long field to a listening point. At 5:30 A.M. the winds began to blow and the clouds rolled in. I didn’t hear any gobbling so I began a trek along a field’s edge and I heard a gobbler prior to six in the morning. The interesting aspect to this was that I spotted a turkey in a tree at the exact same time. This bird had its neck stretched out. I was busted. however, the bird close to this bird still gobbled. I backtracked hearing about ten gobbles.

Virginia Bluebells

Virginia Bluebells

I walked back across a field to check another hollow seeing a deer and a squirrel. I, also, saw my first Scarlet Tanager and Indigo Bunting of the season. I looked for morels too while I was walking about. Shortly, I spotted a gobbler about fifty or sixty yards from me. he was strutting among the bottomland skunk cabbage. I didn’t try to call him in any closer. I just watched him do his thing for the hen.                        DSC_0027

I erected two bird houses along the field’s edge and was at the homestead by 7:35 to prepare for the bacon!!!!! I visited for a couple of hours before heading to Kittanning.

I think I may go fishing tomorrow and hit the turkey woods again next week.

White Trillium

White Trillium

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Recent Photos

Posted in Misc. Nature, Wildflowers on April 26, 2014| 2 Comments »

Purple trillium

Purple trillium

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Wild Leek

Wild Leek

 

Young gobbler called a Jake!

  Young gobbler called a Jake!

Some recent photos from a game lands walk and from my backyard!          DSC_0026

 

 

Three hens!

Three hens!

 

Dutchman's Breeches

Dutchman’s Breeches

White Trillium

White Trillium

 

 

Trout Lily

Trout Lily

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Phipps’ Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

Posted in Misc. Nature, Wildflowers on April 2, 2014| Leave a Comment »

IMG_1654 If you enjoy the beauty of flowers and plant-life then the Phipps’ Conservatory is a place you may wish to visit. One can visit this site when in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.                                        IMG_1668

This building in the original state was a gift to Pittsburgh from henry W. Phipps and opened in 1893. I was just a young fellow then.

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A few of the exhibits to be viewed are: Palm Court and the Tropical Forest Conservatory  depicting a tropical forest environment; Desert Room featuring plants     and cacti from the desert regions; the Orchid Room show casing the beautiful colored orchids and bromeliads and the Fern Room. Many other exhibits are present and some, of course, changing throughout the seasons. Outdoor gardens can be walked through as well.

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The web site is: http://www.phipps.conserve.org

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Rodeo in Cody, Wyoming (Out West 9)

Posted in Misc. Nature, Western Excursion, Wildflowers on September 1, 2013| Leave a Comment »

DSC_0191  Leaving Yellowstone came about much too quickly, but there would be more beautiful and scenic observations to witness. We were heading east again. We traveled south of the Montana border and stopped in Cody, Wyoming. I have heard of Cody before.                                                                    DSC_0193

We saw spectacular high peaks and diversified terrain prior to reaching Cody. These hill consisted of rocky terrains in some places and very steep and others heavily forested slopes. Breathtaking is a word that comes to mind, but believe me no words can describe these sites. Photos can not capture the depths these sites either.        IMG_1302

The travel east continued and that “western feel” began to be felt again. We were entering cowboy country. Cattle and horse farms began to be viewed along the travels.                                              DSC_0244

DSC_0206   We stopped at the “Buffalo Bill Center of the West” in Cody, Wyoming.  This building proved to be a great museum. The time we had to search through this museum was not enough for  someone like myself. With my many interests a full day would have been required to explore all it had to offer.

The museum is divided into various points of interests. Of course, since I do art, I enjoyed the “Whitney Western Art” exhibit. Another great interest was the “Cody Firearm” exhibit. Thousands of firearms were visible here. There were firearms from pre-revolutionary War era to modern times. They had firearms and holsters from many of the old western television series such as: Bonanza and have Gun Will Travel….  DSC_0254

There is the “Draper Natural History” section located at this museum as well. I saw many mounted species of wildlife along with natural looking habitat.

IMG_1257   The same evening we attended the “Cody Stampede”. This is definitely a western rodeo. The rodeo featured bucking broncos; bucking bulls; calf roping events… They featured a kid event where any children from the audience were supposed to try to obtain a ribbon from a calf’s tail. There must have been close to 45-50 kids in the ring. One little guy was thrown into the air and no law suits.                  DSC_0226

The people here are NOT willing to play the political correct madness that has become thoroughly engrained within much of America. I really appreciated that! The announcers said much about maintaining their heritage.

DSC_0220   They had a “see who does the best being shot” event. Young kids playing cowboy and    would demonstrate their being shot acts. This was something I did often in my youth playing cowboys and Indians; Civil war; World war ll and so forth.    DSC_0229

We would be heading towards the Black Hills soon! Sioux territory!!

Mexican hat

Mexican hat

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