This past week has brought an aerial invasion of sorts. From the east coast to the midwest, Red Admiral butterflies have been showing up in numbers like never before. These striking butterflies are returning northward from wintering in the south, from Texas to 
Guatemala. They begin traveling north in March. With the extremely early warm weather, mony more than usual have survived the journey. Some will stay in our area to breed and lay eggs. Later in the summer months we should see a large number of the next generation of Red Admirals.
Winged Invasion
May 9, 2012 at 2:53 pm (butterflies, insects, migration, nature, observations, outdoors, Pennsylvania, seasons)
Snow is in the air
February 9, 2012 at 1:01 pm (birds, migration, Montour Preserve, nature, observations, outdoors, Pennsylvania, seasons, Uncategorized, wildlife)
Yesterday brought a rare snow for this winter. But even before those flakes began to fall there was snow in the air. This snow was the feathered kind: snow geese. About 300-400 snow geese landed on the ice at Lake Chillisquaque at Montour Preserve. They arrived late in the morning and stayed into the early afternoon. They returned this morning but seeing them on the lake can be a hit or miss proposition as they often leave to feed in local farm fields. Their arrival, like many natural events this winter, is about a month earlier than usual.
Snow geese on ice at Montour Preserve's Lake Chillisquaque
Squirmy Migration
September 14, 2011 at 4:27 pm (insects, migration, Montour Preserve, nature, observations, outdoors, Pennsylvania)
From a distance it looked like a snake crawling forward very slowly. I should have said “moving” forward because it wasn’t actually crawling, although its parts were. On closer inspection, it was easy to see that the “snake” was composed of hundreds of tiny quarter-inch larvae in several layers. The top layer was moving forward over the lower layers. As the leaders dropped down to the
Migrating Fungus Gnat Larvae
substrate, those following wriggled over top of them. The process continued like a living conveyor belt with the mass rolling forward at about an inch a minute. This group was only about six inches long but others were almost three feet in length. Each individual larva was somewhat transparent with a black head capsule. They had no legs, so wriggled along over each other. This was a migration of fungus gnat larvae, a tiny mosquito-like insect as an adult. The larvae typically feed on fungi found in mulch, decaying plant material and sometimes on vegetation. Very wet conditions due to the recent rains have caused them to migrate to a slightly drier place where they can feed and grow into adults. This is a rather unusual event that is not witnessed very often.
Butterfly Day at Montour Preserve
September 13, 2011 at 12:27 pm (Activities, butterflies, conservation, education, insects, migration, Montour Preserve, Pennsylvania)
Despite cloudy skies on Sunday, September 11, MontourPreserve’s annual Butterfly Day, co-sponsored by the Central Susquehanna Valley chapter of the North American Butterfly Association attracted a number of kids and adults. Educational programs and fun activities on butterflies culminated with the tagging and release of live monarch butterflies. Both adults and children delighted in gently handling these long-distance migrants as they began a southward journey to Mexico.
Releasing a tagged monarch butterfly at Montour Preserve
Birds and breakfast on May 21 at Martins Creek
May 9, 2011 at 12:40 pm (birds, conservation, Martins Creek, migration, nature, observations, outdoors, Pennsylvania, trees, wildlife)
Tags: birds, Martins Creek, Pennsylvania
Join experienced birder Jane Bullis for a spring walk in search of songbirds from 7-9 a.m. Saturday, May 21, at PPL’s Martins Creek Environmental Preserve.
We will identify birds by their song, field marks, behaviors and habitats. Following the hike, a light breakfast will be served, allowing participants to discuss their favorite birding adventures.
This program will take place at the Lower Mount Bethel Township Welcome Center. For directions, visit www.pplpreserves.com, click on “Martins Creek” then select “Directions.” Registration is required. For more information or to register, contact PPL at 570-542-2886 or pplpreserves@pplweb.com.
The Martins Creek Environmental Preserve, in conjunction with PPL’s Martins Creek and Lower Mount Bethel Energy power plants, offers 215 acres of woodlands and meadows for hiking and exploring and boasts five miles of trails with views of the middle Delaware River, which has been designated by Congress as a Wild and Scenic River.
Hope to see you there,
Alana Roberts
Become A Citizen Scientist for A Day
May 7, 2011 at 10:12 am (Activities, bird count, birds, conservation, migration, Montour Preserve, nature, observations, outdoors, Pennsylvania)
Saturday, May 14, is Pennsylvania Migration Count Day. Part of a nationwide North American Migration Count, it is an opportunity for volunteers to help scientists monitor bird populations, particularly migratory birds. The rules are simple: spend a day in the field counting birds in a specified area, and keep track of hours & miles by foot, car, boat, or feeder watching. There is a compiler for each county who will organize the day’s data. To find the compiler for your county or to get data forms follow this link: http://www.pabirds.org/PAMC/Index.html. If you want to help with the count at Montour Preserve, join Senior Naturalist Jon Beam at 9 a.m. for a Spring Birds walk.
Woodland Dilemma
April 26, 2011 at 3:33 pm (birds, flowers, migration, Montour Preserve, native plants, nature, observations, outdoors, Pennsylvania, plants, wildflowers)
Dutchman's breeches look like miniature pantaloons hanging in the breeze.
This time of year it is difficult to know whether to look down or up. On the forest floor spring woodland wildflowers are lovely treasures with brand new blossoms. Trout lily, Dutchman’s breeches, spring beauty, Virginia bluebells are a few that are blooming now along Goose Woods Trail at Montour Preserve. This weekend these wildflowers should reach peak bloom. Overhead, recently returned birds are showing off their colors. Several species of warblers, rose-breasted grosbeaks and the first Baltimore orioles add both sight and sound to woodlands that have wakened from their winter dormancy.
PPL and Millersville University team up to educate about vernal pools
April 5, 2011 at 12:56 pm (Activities, conservation, migration, nature, wetlands, wildlife)
Tags: Millersville University, Randy Cassell, vernal pools
PPL and Millersville University’s annual environmental lecture series presents “The Ecology of Vernal Pools,” which takes us through the seasons of a vernal pool. Join us for this program from 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, at Roddy Hall, Room 261, Millersville University.
Randy Cassell, a biology teacher for 29 years, has studied and produced documentaries on the migratory and breeding behaviors of salamanders using vernal pools. The lecture begins with the fall migration of marble salamanders and progresses through the late winter and springtime breeding of mole salamanders. Along the way, we will examine aspects of each species’ biology, courtship and ecology and ultimately the impact timber harvesting can have on a vernal pool community. Cassell’s films have appeared on the BBC and Jack Hubley, local naturalist, has highlighted some of Cassell’s work on the “Wild Moment” segment of WGAL evening newscasts.
This free lecture is sponsored by PPL and will be held at Millersville University, Roddy Hall, Room 261, 50 E. Fredrick St., Millersville, Pa. For additional information, contact Karen Ament at 717-284-6274 or kament@pplweb.com
Hear all about bird songs at PPL’s Lake Wallenpaupack
March 28, 2011 at 1:15 pm (birds, Lake Wallenpaupack, migration, nature, observations, recreation)
Tags: birds, Lake Wallenpaupack, Northeast Audubon Society
Do you hear the lovely songs of the birds in the morning? Ever wonder what type of bird is singing them? Learn to recognize a bird by its song during this program at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 3, at PPL’s Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center.
Join the experienced birders of the Northeast Pennsylvania Audubon Society to get to know the various species we frequently see and hear in our area. Bring the kids and enjoy this short program of bird slides and songs.
For more information, call Barbara Leo at 570-253-2364.
For directions to this event, please visit www.pplpreserves.com, click on “Lake Wallenpaupack,” then select “Directions.”
Wandering Waterfowl
March 15, 2011 at 5:15 pm (birds, conservation, migration, Montour Preserve, nature, observations, outdoors, Pennsylvania, seasons, wildlife)
As ice continues to melt on Lake Chillisquaque at Montour Preserve, waterfowl species are quickly changing as birds push north. Yesterday there were many ring-necked ducks, a few tundra swans and 3 bald eagles. Today saw northern pintails, green-winged teal, hooded merganser, ring-necked ducks, American wigeon, wood ducks and tundra swans. Snow geese numbers have decreased drastically and it is possible that the peak of their migration has passed. Two immature bald eagles were feeding on a deer carcass while 10 crows watched.
