Larry A. Smail's Blog

Ring-billed Gulls

What can one do when the temperatures are in the sixty and even into the seventy degree range in Pennsylvania? One can get outside and enjoy the  days! With that in mind I spent two mornings in the area of Crooked Creek Lake.

Hemlock cones

Teaberry in moss

The first morning out was a joy with one exception. I aimed the camera at a male bluebird finding out the camera wasn’t

Canada Geese

working. I had forgotten to place the memory card back into the camera’s body. I felt so stupid. I had done this one time before and the act takes the punch out of photo taking on any given day! Oh well, I can still walk and observe.

Goose track

I saw  geese; gulls, and many mergansers. However, the one sight I truly enjoyed was the site of an eagle at about forty yards at eye level. I believe the bird was a Golden Eagle and not an immature Bald eagle. I was looking through tree limbs and the presence of this majestic bird was limited in time, so getting a positive ID wasn’t to be.                                                                   

Friday, February 24, was a day that would reach into the seventies here in western Pennsylvania. I did a lot of yard work in the

Merganser

afternoon, but all morning I was at the lake again walking and observing. This time, however, I was armed with a loaded camera.

I walked along the lake’s shoreline and some trails. The lake’s water level was down since we have had little rain as od recent. This allowed easy walking along the edge of the water.

Again, many mergansers were all about the lake. A number of Canada geese could be heard and viewed as well. Ring-billed Gulls were rather common today. A specie of goose was far off and sounded off occasionally. I never saw it close enough to positively identify. Maybe it was am immature Blue Goose or quite possibly a domesticated goose who left a farm.

Song Sparrow

I never saw an eagle this morning. I watched the skies closely.  I did see Ravens; Great Blue Herons; Killdeer; Bluebirds; deer; squirrels; and possibly an immature Red-headed Woodpecker.                                                                     

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  October 15th was the first day of the early muzzleloading deer season here in Pennsylvania. I elected to not hunt. I may not  hunt until the end of next week when I will be tagging along with my step father Bob. he will hunt the senior rifle season beginning on October 20.                

However, I did spend several hours in the woods enjoying the day. the afternoon temperatures reached around 72, but there was a frost in the Cherry Run area I was walking. The temperatures are being broadcasted to be near 80 half of the upcoming week.

Hickory hulls

I walked the hill searching for buck and turkey sign, as well as, observing tidbits of the natural world. The woods became alive  with chipmunk and squirrel activity. I saw three gray squirrels in one hickory tree gathering hickory nuts.

I was easing along a flat area when I noticed the hindquarters of a deer at about 45 yards. I silently stalked the deer until I positioned myself behind a larger cherry tree. If the deer continued moving as she was I would have a great opportunity for some nice photos against yellow vegetation. As deer so often do she turned and walked on my  left side. This caused me to turn strongly to my left while my knees were still facing forward.

Sulfur Mushroom

  As she moved upslope I slowly turned my upper torso while holding the camera on her. I managed a number of shots before she  

Dogwood berries

walked out outside of  movement zone. If I would have been hunting the hunt would have been over since this doe was only about thirty yards from me. I would see several other deer as I walked.

I would see some old turkey scratchings as well as plenty of buck rubs and scrapes. I saw three woodies on Cherry Run as I crossed the creek. They  returned their escape flying directly over me for the second time.

Sheephead Mushroom

Mushrooms are everywhere. the conditions have been perfect. I found some more Sheepshead mushrooms. I gathered a nice one last week. I love the flavor of these  ‘rooms. Some call them Hen of the Woods. The largest I found was about 18 inches in size. I gathered two smaller ones for ease of carry.

I spent the afternoon on the deck watching the antics of the red squirrels and the many birds at the feeder. I did some reading and writing, too.

Cherry Run

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   Laurie and I took her mother into elk country. We wanted her to see some the big beauties!

Bedded cow elk.

The are we chose to check out was in and around Bennezette, Pennsylvania. We, also, visited a White Birch forest site in the Quehanna. We saw a number of elk at various places. We saw a bull aggressively chasing his cow harem. We saw another bull with seven cows and calves. We saw some bedded elk.

One nice bull was seeking out a cow in dense vegetation. I managed a number of photos of him. I saw one doe and a black squirrel.                                               

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  White Birch trees always create special feeling within me. I love the white color and the deep contrasts against green pines and   laurel patches. I asked Anne and Laurie if they wished to see the Marion Brooks  site of natural White Birch growth. They agreed the observation would be of interest.

My mother-in-law, Ann Craft, upon hearing of my past rattlesnakes in area.

This area consists of over 900 acres of a natural White Birch stand within the Quehanna Forest. In this acreage are a lot of surface  rocks. Little ground cover exists but the conditions are great for birch. Waist-high ferns cover the ground. Teaberry plants at the ground level area readily viewed. Some other trees are intermixed within the birch trees, too.

We walked a scant trail through the site. The two women weren’t very happy once I informed them of seeing five rattlesnakes in this habitat two years ago. they got over it…well sorta!

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Buttonbush going to seed.

This past week I had a mishap with my old camera. I can not put a memory card into the proper place anymore. If I try to force the card I find  difficulty removing it. What to do? I know …get a new camera which arrived yesterday, August 26. 

Early this morning I took this new camera for a walk to get familiar with it, and learn more of the capabilities.  I was walking a trail when I spotted black among the grasses. My immediate thought was a darkened stump. My second thought was a turkey soaked from the dew. Suddenly, the dark mass moved, and I realized I was witnessing a head of a black bear.

  This bear began to walk only to be followed by a larger bear. The two bear were about 35 yards ahead of me. Needless to say I began taking photos! The two walked around a bend, and I followed! In short order I saw them again higher, and to my left. I backtracked hoping to catch sight of them on the back side of this hill.

WOW! The one bear showed up crossing twenty-seven steps from me.  I was stunned, and the swiftness of these seconds did not allow for a photo! This time the bear bolted, and I could hear it moving down over the hill. I circled around failing to see either bear again.

As I tried to catch the bear I did see a doe , and two fawns.  

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