Larry A. Smail's Blog

A friend of mine and I were talking about Screech Owls and my nesting box success. As the conversation continued plans to build him a box came into mind. I said I may have enough scrap lumber overhead in the garage. I continued, if I find enough I would build one for his residence.

I found a sixteen inch wide board I had placed overhead. The board was a shelf board. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough to make the owl box without using some old weathered deck boards I had saved. The back and bottom of the box were made with these boards.

This morning I watched the skies and decided to run the box out to his place before doing some hiking. I rang the doorbell and lightly knocked without a response. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but in case the couple were sleeping I decided to set the box down before heading to the woods. I would later find out they were home but neither one had heard me outside and the bell was disconnected.

Afterwards, I walked in familiar country where I often hunt. I spotted a flock of turkeys in a field of around 7-8 birds. I circled around the field and tried to see the flock. They had already exited the field. I heard a couple of toms gobbling far off in leased land.

I had a bag of native Wild Leek with me and I planted a stalk of the leek, also called Ramps, here and there hoping the bulbs would survive allowing for established future colonies. I had planted a few last year, but couldn’t find any. However, I plant randomly and could easily miss the leeks.

Last year I had carried and transplanted some Virginia Bluebells. These, like the leek, are native plants. I recognized a spring seep remembering I had planted something in this area. I found two of the flowers growing. These flowers self-sow readily so I hope to find an increase soon.

I would see about eleven deer as I tramped around. I would see about five gobblers moving out ahead of my approach. I would see a lone hen, a gobbler with two hens and another strutter as the morning moved. I saw several strutting gobblers on a right-a-way, too.

As I walked I tried to concentrate and find some Morels, but I was having trouble staying on target with the fungus. It felt too dry to me.

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Has spring arrived to western Pennsylvania? Weather-wise the indication is yes! Today was a day of sun and warming temperatures. I suppose the warmth factor reached close to sixty degrees with another day of warmth tomorrow. Regardless if winter shows up again or not, the need to get today was high for me. I elected to travel to the Mahoning Dam area to see what I could see.

The Mahoning Dam was completed in 1941 as a flood control measure for those along the Allegheny River. The dam received the name from the watercourse being controlled. The waterway is known as Mahoning Creek.

I parked high on the hill and walked in to the dam area and later walked to another area to move along the Baker Trail. After all this was to be a day of relaxation and exercise. for me. I was on no time schedule only a sense of completion would rule the plans.

There were no people at first and I walked to the area below the dam. Here I would see Common Mergansers and two Bald Eagles. One mature eagles didn’t offer to me a photo but the immature eagle sure did allowing for a number of quick flying shots.

Later I returned to the parking area and walked a different road to the actual top of the dam where a trail was taken to explore. This trail was a part of the famous Baker Trail, however, I left the trail where it turned abruptly upslope. I wanted to walk along the shoreline of the backwaters of the Mahoning. I was surprised to see the backwaters were about ninety percent covered in ice.

Interesting sounds erupted the solitude as I ventured along the rocky slopes. Ice was creaking all over the northern slope of the dam. The southern slope was void of ice, but it became steeper the farther I walked. Eventually, I was forced to go higher and get into the wooded area due to the steepness of the banks. The water level was about thirty feet or so from the high water line on the steep slopes.

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Here is a varied group of photos to see. I think I may be caught up with all the entries I intend to use.

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Last fall, I went to Keystone Lake in Armstrong County to hike along the shoreline. The water in the lake is very low thus offering an opportunity to see the lake with a different perspective.

There were a lot of various forms of birdlife utilizing the water.

Plenty of memories swept through my minds as I walked along. Many times my dad and I fished these waters in days past. I remember one extremely foggy first day of bass season when hearing a low volume boat motor. Suddenly, my line went taut and pole bent towards the water. I heaved expecting a huge fish only to find the fishermen trolling close to shore had tangled my line with there line.

A much sadder memory occurred that day as well. I ventured in the area where my Uncle Carl died in 1976 while hunting waterfowl. We arrived as he was being brought out of the woods.That was a memory I cared to not have.

A few of the many photos have been included below.

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