Show of hands how many dislike the new Blogger platform?? It is very unstable, and will probably crash and destroy years of our blogs, I think that change could wait while we go through SO much social change. I want some sameness, some familiarity and some security! But since we have no say we are at the mercy of the tech wizzards who seem to be going backwards, all the new technology, to me, seems like Im playing with a toy, its dumb and dumber approved? APP-ed out.
Anyways this morning which is June 3rd by the way, I went birding early to walk around one of the WMA areas close by...OH it was so gnatty I had to waer my head mesh, and it got hot so back by noon-thirty I was ready to sit in the cool and catch up on other stuff...laundry, cooking, etc.
May 12, 2020
I have 3 north eastern counties to bird so I chose Landsford Canal State park for my Chester County stop. Landsford and I have some history...my sis and I went white water canoeing there once...and we capsized..lol she blamed me, but honestly I was trying very hard to NOT fall over and drown, LOL, she said something like go to the left, I was trying to figure out left/right, next thing I know we are buttressed up against a rock and bloop! In we go. I think that's the last time we were in a boat "together." We can laugh about it now...kinda of...hehehe
Along the way there a Hooded Warbler flew across the road in front of me, so I did a U turn and stopped and birded the Hanging Rock Creek area for an hour...Glad I did I had some super birds there even tho it was a busy road intersection.
Not very co-operative for photos, but none the less I was thrilled...This Indigo Bunting was good he was still for about 30 seconds...
I think that little smudge is a leaf or something anyways...his color was sooooo stunning. I was phishing and making a spectacle of myself roadside, I have decided to pretend that Mr John Q Public does not exist and if I need to appear like I just escaped the psycho ward, so be it. So I'm stomping back n forth across the road looking up at trees and making weird sounds and tweeting like a bird.
It got the attention of this female Black Throated Blue Warbler...and since a stop sign was there people were forced to stop and the weather was cool so windows were down I overheard one man say to his son, "she is bird watching." Yes so some people do get it! I wanted to correct him and say "now a days we call it birding." But he scored 100 in my book.
Can you see it in the center? Someone is always watching!!
This bird first peeked at me thru the bushes, then he jumped out and I snapped one fuzzy shot of the Chestnut Sided Warbler, before he shot across the road...I have not seen one since 1995 or something like that.
I never got that Hooded to show again, when I played his song he did answer me,,,,so eventually I continued on..I made a list via my phone on ebird...another technology challenge, it's so touchy. I have ended up with some weird stuff on my list... Fumble fingers...I didn't see 280 crows...come on...
I never got that Hooded to show again, when I played his song he did answer me,,,,so eventually I continued on..I made a list via my phone on ebird...another technology challenge, it's so touchy. I have ended up with some weird stuff on my list... Fumble fingers...I didn't see 280 crows...come on...
Heathwood Manor...the Heath family were/are Cotton Mill Barons...
After the sign the short entrance road was very active, with lots of woodland and migrating birds. Yep you guessed it, Im out acting cuckoo again, tweeting up at trees and ignoring passing cars... and it paid off look at the beautiful Summer Tanager that appeared...
And even tho he moved and blurred my photo this Northern Parula is a gorgeous bird...
I don't know maybe Im the one that moved..
The Visitors Center is housed in this cool old log cabin style building it was closed due to you know what so not worries...
yep got it...can't use the playground...
Maybe next time...
this park is situated right alongside the Catawba River. Named for the Catawba Tribe that is still in tact today in this region...they have a special pottery using the clays of this area...I have one piece in my scant collection follow that link to read more and see some images of their pottery. I was pretty hungry so I ate most of my snack before heading out onto the hiking trail...there is a picnic area right in front of the VC.
this park is situated right alongside the Catawba River. Named for the Catawba Tribe that is still in tact today in this region...they have a special pottery using the clays of this area...I have one piece in my scant collection follow that link to read more and see some images of their pottery. I was pretty hungry so I ate most of my snack before heading out onto the hiking trail...there is a picnic area right in front of the VC.
For some reason I have trouble saying Swiss, so I call it Swish cheese...It's not vegan I have slipped but plan to try harder to find substitutes....even I laugh at myself but I just can't seem to get it right....So to me it's Swish...And look what was checking me out...notice in the rafters...yep Im being watched AGAIN.
another beautiful Prothonotary Warbler I think he wanted an Awlive..lol more pronunciation problems...
and here is the mighty Catawba, I can honestly say it's COLD water..lol especially if your entire body become immersed in it..BRRRRRR.
RIGHT SIS?
The first bird that caught my attention on the trail was a surprise,
the Scarlet Tanager!!
The trail follows right alongside the river for the most part. There is old Canal Ruins here made to help the boats navigate around the rapids of the Catawba. So this trail was part of the old canal route.
The canal was made of this hand shaped and locally quarried stone, Mules used to pull the barges or boats up and thru the canal and there was a locking system too...I won't bore you with how a canal works if you're curious you can google up this park and get the entire history.
I do enjoy history...but natural history is more what I'm looking for here so this viewing platform of the Rocky Shoals Spider Lily is a pleasant surprise...it is becoming more and more rare, they need this type of swift water to survive...
White eyed Vireos are always curious and easy to pull out of the deepest forest...just Phish a little and there they come..
Here is the male Black-Throated Blue Warbler, and you can see how they go about sweeping up the small stems of leaves and twigs to get the small bugs that we are not even aware of...this is why bugs are so important! NO spraying please!!
Dont forget to watch my Flickr Hosted Video's in this window is Click the center of the video...for some reason Blogger is not showing that little triangle in the middle, so just click in the middle and it plays these are shorties, you can watch in this window..
Dont forget to watch my Flickr Hosted Video's in this window is Click the center of the video...for some reason Blogger is not showing that little triangle in the middle, so just click in the middle and it plays these are shorties, you can watch in this window..
Press in the middle
Can you believe all the bird song in that video?? OMG the trees are wonderful mature hardwoods...its not just birds in the forest, here is a Question Mark? butterfly.
The river is loud and always moving, a river has a life of it's own always changing and in constant motion...I hope you will listen to the sounds and sights of life on and along the river...
PLAY
PLAY
PLAY
I really enjoyed my time at Landsford, and I would def go back I bet fall is beautiful with all these hardwoods. I have 2 more counties up in this area...I will stop here on my way up to those counties because I forgot to stamp my Parks Passport book!
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I want to thank all of you for participating on my emotions post...how can we solve the problems in our society if we can't communicate on a more personal level? Make a point to be open and honest and tolerant at ever chance you get. Transparency does matter!!
PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.
More great pictures and beautiful birds and bird songs. The river was really running fast and hard. And since there aren't many places opened yet in these parks you seem to pretty much have them to yourself. That was cute with the Dad telling his child what you were doing.
ReplyDeleteI wish it wasn't so hot here, some guy posted a lot of pictures of the Elegant Togon both male and female feeding their young. He must have a great camera because his pictures were crystal clear. You know I was eating my heart out.
Keep up your wonderful photos I'm sure enjoying them and you seem to be enjoying yourself out there.
Hi Jo, the attendance at the parks is picking up I tried to visit this one due to the fact they don't have a campground so it's less used. This is a big river and it combines with the Wateree down stream which flows through my county. Then those rivers drain into the Santee and then eventually down to the coastal regions where I sometimes go. Water plays a huge roll in the lives of the people here in SC. I hope to one day get back over there and see the Trogon, they are living there year round now!
DeleteA good trip Sondra. There must have been a fair amount of rain somewhere along that river as its full and fast flowing.
ReplyDeleteSome beautiful colours on the the Scarlet Tanager, Northern Parola and Indigo Bunting, they really are striking. People who are new to bird watching should have no problem with identification. Because of the lock down in the UK many have taken up bird watching and the RSPB have a scheme for used binoculars to encourage more to do it.
You have some interesting parks all within driving distance. All the best.
Hi Dave...In May we had 9 inches of rain! April was dry so we had 2 months worth in one month...some people experienced flooding. This river is not usually this deep but it's always swift there is a bit of elevation drop...Good that more people are getting involved in the lives of birds...that helps to protect them.
DeleteHello, great outing Sondra. The park and trails look nice. I enjoyed seeing all the warblers, they are beautiful. One of my favorites is the Summer Tanager. Wonderful photos and videos. Happy Birding, have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteHi Eileen, the Summer Tanager is really in full form now and I was happy to see the Scarlet Tanager as well...He stayed up pretty high I couldn't get a good shot of his black wings and tail.
DeleteWhat a great outing.
ReplyDeleteYour photographs are lovely to see.
Sending my good wishes to you.
All the best Jan
Hi JAN, thank you I enjoyed seeing your Lakes District photos...really a beautiful place!
DeleteThanks for the link to the Catawba site, the pottery is quite beautiful! The photos are lovely, the birds are out in abundance for you and nice to hear the guy appreciating that you were birding! The butterfly looks a little like the Comma Butterflies we get here :)
ReplyDeleteHi Pam, the pottery is quite striking and it' heavy and very useful too...The comma and question mark are almost identical...only one dot difference between the comma has 3 dots and the question mark has the 4th little dot that is not exactly round, both named for punctuation!
DeleteThe Indigo Bunting is one of my special memory birds ... first seen in Port Aransas Texas... I could not believe how beautiful they were when I woke up one morning to our (RV spot) lawn full of them! ....what a wonderful birding day you had; I enjoyed learning about you not caring what people think as you bird (although somehow that did not surprise me ))) . You go girl! Thank you for sharing your big birding day ... I wonder if I’ll ever have one again.
ReplyDeleteI think you will have a birding day as Nike says Just Do It, I imagine there's places you could go and find space to bird without being around many others...the problem I have is the curious bystander who is hell bent of finding out exactly what Im doing...lol Im learning to be rude without it stinging too hard, like "looking for flying saucers." that normally makes them scratch their head.
Delete