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.
