A Little Black Box

It might look rather strange, this black box attached to a post in the Brunner Island wetlands, but it is there for a good reason.  Dick Humbert put the black boxes there to attract a yellow, green and bluish-gray bird known as a Prothonotary Warbler. These birds are the only cavity nesting warblers in the east.  And since they can’t create their own nesting cavity, they depend on what they find. As James Barclay’s photos show, at least one of the little black boxes at the wetlands did its job of attracting a nesting pair of Prothonotary Warblers this year. Many thanks to both Dick and Jim for their wildlife conservation efforts.

Prothonotary warbler perched in Brunner Islands wetland. Photo by James Barclay of York, PA.

 

Prothonotary warbler in nest box at Brunner Island wetlands. Photo by James Barclay of York, PA.

 

Be a CSI and win prizes!!

The next drawing for the CSI Super Sleuth Sweepstakes will be held on November 28th.   There’s still time to enter!!  

Finding codes and registering online is easy at http://iconservepa.org/csi/index.htm

You can also visit any of the PPL Preserves for secret codes.  Each new code you find is entered as a chance to win fabulous monthly prizes. 

The grand prize is a Z Electric Scooter!!  Use your investigative skills to win big!

Flooding impacts PPL Preserves

PPL environmental preserves along the Susquehanna River are cleaning up and making repairs to the damage left by the recent flooding, affecting public programs and recreational facilities.

Here’s a summary of the situation at PPL’s environmental preserves affected by the flooding:

Susquehanna Riverlands, near Berwick, on both the east and west banks of the Susquehanna River: The recreation area and wetlands will remain closed until further notice due to the recent flooding. PPL will assess conditions daily as the facility restores electricity and water.  Park facilities will be reopened when conditions are safe for the public.

The Susquehanna Energy Information Center on Route 11 remains open during the week. Programs at the information center will be held as scheduled. Call 866-832-3312 for further information.

Montour Environmental Preserve, northeast of Washingtonville: The picnic areas are open for use. Lake Chillisquaque has returned to normal operating level and is open to public recreation, including boating and fishing. However, some trails remain closed until damage caused by the recent flooding can be repaired. Call 570-437-3131 for further information.

Holtwood Environmental Preserve, on both shores of the lower Susquehanna River in Lancaster and York counties: Park areas and trails are open with portable toilets, but there is no water available and boat launches are closed. Pinnacle Overlook and Lock 12 Historic Area off Route 372 are open. Call 1-800-692-6328 for further information about river conditions.

Brunner Island, in York County, offers a wetlands, fishing in the channel between the Brunner Island power plant and the Susquehanna River, a hiking trail and a boat launch area. Wago Road, the main road to access Brunner Island, is washed out and trees are down. This road is closed from the south end, near Mount Wolf. Call 1-800-692-6328 for further information about river conditions. The cleanup of  the PPL Conewago Boat Launch which had been scheduled for the weekend of Sept. 24 is canceled.

For more information about PPL’s environmental preserves visit www.pplpreserves.com  or send an email to pplpreserves@pplweb.com

Landing on the Sheets

Attendees at “Mother Nature’s Night Life” program held at Brunner Island Wetlands had a real treat as Ryan Bridge, “The Bug Man,” attracted night flying insects to hanging white sheets using an ultra-violet light. As the insects settled on the sheets, they provided an excellent opportunity for close observation of a variety of

Female dobsonfly that landed on a sheet during the recent night life program.

 summer insects. This female dobsonfly is just one of the many bugs that made an appearance that night. My, what big jaws you have. We send a special thank you to the entomology club for the gift of a bug collection. This will make a great educational resource.

Register now to discover the Susquehanna’s past at PPL’s Brunner Island

Did you ever wonder what the Susquehanna River and surrounding towns looked like 100 years ago? Join us for a trip down memory lane as we explore historical postcards of the Susquehanna River from Columbia to York Haven from 7-8 p.m. Thursday, April 14, at PPL’s Brunner Island Environmental Preserve.

The talk will include interesting information about Columbia and the Pennsylvania Railroad, Chickies Rock and the iron furnaces that once operated between Columbia and Marietta. We will also see the Accomac and Wildcat Falls area in York County as well as the ferry boats and hotels near this summer vacation spot. The talk will end with details about Bainbridge and the York Haven hydroelectric plant.

The talk will be presented by Mark Arbogast, a retired PPL land manager who worked at the Holtwood and Brunner Island power plants. This free program will be held at the Brunner Island power plant, Main Conference Room. Use Gate A off of Wago Road, York Haven 17370. For directions, please visit www.pplpreserves.com, click on “Brunner Island” then select “Directions.” Please bring a photo ID, and check in at the security gate.

Registration is required and space is limited to 50 people. For more information or to register, contact Karen Ament at 717-284-6274 or pplpreserves@pplweb.com.

PPL and PFBC team up to offer boating safety course

Get an early jump on the boating season by taking a safe boating course from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 5, at PPL’s Brunner Island Environmental Preserve.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission boating safety class gives boaters practical information so they can make more informed decisions on the water. Topics include boat terminology, legal requirements, water activities, and safety and rescue. Boater safety education certificates are required for all operators of personal watercrafts and for boat operators born after Jan. 1, 1982, who operate motors of 25 horsepower or greater.

Students who successfully complete this course may apply for a boating safety education certificate from the commission for $10. Participants must be at least 12 years old. PPL will start you off with coffee and donuts. Bring your own lunch.

Registration is required by March 1. This free program will be held at the Brunner Island Power Plant, Main Conference Room. Use Gate A off of Wago Road, York Haven 17370. For directions, please visit www.pplpreserves.com, click on “Brunner Island” then select “Directions.” Please bring a photo ID, and check in at the security gate. For more information or to register, contact Karen Ament at 717-284-6274 or kament@pplweb.com.

Civil War History

Dust off your history book and join Steve Runkle of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission as he discusses the first day of the battle of Gettysburg during this free program from 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, at PPL’s Brunner Island Environmental Preserve.

Runkle will describe the personalities of both Confederate and Union commanders, while the sounds of Civil War-era music set the mood for this journey back in time. This presentation chronicles the events of the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg: July 1, 1863. The discussion begins with early skirmishing along the Chambersburg Pike, west of the village of Gettysburg. Learn about the Rebel assaults from the north by General Ewell’s Second Corps, the resulting occupation of the town by the Confederates and the Union army’s presence on Cemetery Hill.

This free program will be held at the Brunner Island Power Plant, Main Conference Room. Use Gate A off of Wago Road, York Haven 17370. Click here for directions. Please bring a photo ID, and check in at the security gate.

Registration is required by Feb. 3, and space is limited to 50 people. (Note: This speaker is returning by popular demand, and this session is expected to fill quickly.) For more information or to register, contact Karen Ament at 717-284-6274 or kament@pplweb.com. In case of inclement weather this program will be canceled.

Help track winged wonders

Take part in a monarch butterfly catch and release event at PPL’s Brunner Island Wetlands from 10 a.m. to noon. Saturday, Sept. 18.

Join us as we catch, tag and release monarch butterflies to help the University of Kansas track migration patterns. The Brunner Island Environmental Preserve is a certified Monarch Butterfly Waystation, a “rest stop” for butterflies to eat on their journey between the northern locations where they reproduce and Mexico, where they spend the winter months. Bring a net if you have one.

The program, which is free and great for all ages, will take place at the Wood Duck Pavilion at PPL’s Brunner Island wetlands located off Wago Road, across from Gate A. For directions, click here
The rain date for this event is Sunday, Sept. 19.

Native beauty

It has been a very hot summer, but we can enjoy a cooling walk along the Lower Susquehanna River to glimpse the native hibiscus now in full bloom. We are very fortunate to have a stand of halberd-leaved rose mallow hibiscus growing at Brunner Island. These lovely hibiscus are native to Pennsylvania. PPL naturalist Jim Smith will be conducting a walk around the hibiscus area at Brunner Island on Friday, Aug. 20 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Join him on this informative walk and come see the beautiful rose-mallow (Hibiscus militaris) up close. For program details go to  www.pplpreserves.com, and click on calendar of events.

Butterfly census washed out

The Brunner Island Butterfly survey July 14 was washed out by drizzle the whole day. Data collected would not be reliable, since very few butterflies are on the move on cloudy and rainy days. One fortuitous outcome of the day, however, was the discovery of a large colony of a very common, but often missed butterfly, due to the fact that they are small and stay low to the ground.  These are the Eastern Tailed Blues, relatives of the Hairstreaks and Azures, whose larvae feed on various legumes. The Bush Clover, Lespedeza, is a legume and is part of the wetlands vegetation, planted as one of the nitrogen-fixing plants. The profile of one of these little guys would easily fit on a dime! The pictures were kindly donated by Fred Habeggar, a Lancaster County naturalist who conducts the Holtwood NABA butterfly count.

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