As my first weekend in Horsham continues, I took a trip to two nearby reservoirs to try my luck at finding some migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. It has been an interesting transition with having gotten a bigger room than I had last spring*, nearly getting Poison Ivy (
Toxicodendron radicans) the first day here, dealing with itchy bug bite ridden legs from having refused bug spray at a barbeque on Labor Day, and anticipating the prospecting of using washing machines that I'm fairly certain use a type of detergent that I'm allergic to. Other than that, it's been smooth sailing.
As I left this morning, I drove along the familiar routes that I'd taken in the spring to a local spot called Bradford Dam Recreation Area. Located about 5 minutes up the road from where I'm currently living, it's where I saw my first Bobolinks (
Dolichonyx oryzivorus) and Broad-winged Hawk (
Buteo platypterus) of the year. As I trod near to the pond, I looked at the murky pond weed-ridden water. It looked disgusting and it smelled like sulphur too. But despite these reservations, the surrounding fields were a buzz (literally) with grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets. Swamp Cicadas (
Tibicen tibicen) with their maraca-like buzz, whined in the tall grass and bushes, while skippers, and Clouded Sulphur butterflies (
Colias philodice) danced among the flowering plants. A smaller brown butterfly also caught my attention as it skipped and skimmed the grass on the side of the earthen dam. I had to pursue it for a few minutes before I could get it at an angle where I could identify it properly.
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| Mystery skipper on a thistle |
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| Clouded Sulphur on a clover |
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| "Buckeye? Who the hell is Buckeye?" |
The white on the forewing, as well as the eyespots indicated that this was a Buckeye (
Junonia coenia), a butterfly I'd always wanted to see, but never knew where to find it. After seeing plenty of fritillaries, whites, and eventually a few Monarchs (
Danaus plexippus) (but still too few in my opinion) this summer, I was pleased that I had a new species on my life list.
As I rounded the edge of the pond, the long grass scratched my mosquito bites. While the red bumps on my feet were starting to fade, the ones on my calves were getting stimulated over and over by the constant nagging rub of the greenery. I pushed on regardless and was rewarded for my persistence when I came across a group of foraging shorebirds. While the obvious Killdeer (
Charadrius vociferus) peeped and cackled for attention anytime I so much as batted an eyelid, the others went about the business of eating for their long flights ahead. While I snapped photos, I noticed the tall, thin Lesser Yellowlegs (
Tringa flavipes) probing the sticky mud for invertebrates as the smaller Least Sandpipers (
Calidris minutilla) and at least one Pectoral Sandpiper (
C. melanotos) looked on. It was at this point that I looked down and was confronted with a plant that I'd never seen before. Its leaves resembled chestnut leaves and was bright green. Then again, everything around me was bright green, but this wasn't the surprising thing that caught my eye. The plant next to it however did. Leaves of three and glossy green, twas an incy wincy Poison Ivy plant. I immediately made the assumption that the other plant must have been Poison Oak (
T. diversilobum), P.I.'s equally annoying cousin and peddler of urushiol oil. I beat a hasty retreat, cursing my stupidity under my breath. But after noticing a few more of these "Poison Oaks", I noticed that they weren't that at all, but seemed to be a common meadow plant instead. I still am not sure what they were, but was careful to wash my feet off later with cold water just in case of another exposure.
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| An immature Green Heron (Butorides virescens) perched on some snags |
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| "A yellowlegs, a least, and a pectoral all walk onto a flat..." |
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| The ever present Killdeer |
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| Patience itself manifesting as a Great Egret (Ardea alba) |
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| The plan I mistook for Poison Oak but might instead be a type of leafy green. |
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| Keeping watch |
Having gotten onto an actual path, I continued on towards a shallower part of the reservoir where I hoped to find some teal. Instead I was met by continued blasts of gunfire which meant there was either a gun range nearby or that hunting the elusive tree snipe had finally begun. Either way they were having a blast (pun fully intended). I didn't find them, but took the opportunity to turn back to try my luck at another reservoir called Pine Run. As I headed back, grasshoppers flew and jumped in waves ahead of me as the sun beat down from above. After crossing the top of the earthen dam that separates the sludge pond from a small stream on the other side, I made my way back to the car park and headed north.
After a 15 minute drive and two turn arounds, I reached a small cul-de-sac where a grassy, goldenrod lined trail headed off into some undergrowth. I gulped at the prospect of more P.I. as well as ticks, but I got my things together and headed off. The grass was thick and itchy and rang with the buzzy chatter of grasshoppers. The humidity didn't help either as the sun blazed on up ahead and I sweated more and more with each footstep. The only joy of taking this trail was having my sandals splash through the cold puddles and hopefully wash any of the oils from the pesky P.I. off my feet.
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| Pros: Cooled feet off and got muddy. Cons: Having your feet look like this knowing you need to return to "polite" society afterwards... |
As I arrived at the shore, I noticed several small flocks of shorebirds. They wheeled away in a flushed mob, as a heron flustered at the sudden disturbance did the same. The small birds fluttered off to my left and started feeding again on a nearby mudflat. To my right, a flock of Green-winged Teal (
Anas crecca) (my second FOY bird along with the Pectoral Sandpiper) flew away up the shore and wasn't seen again. I turned my full attention to identifying the shorebirds. More Killdeer made their presence known by complaining loudly in the bright sun, while yellowlegs and two Solitary Sandpipers (
T. solitaria) fed nearby. The peeps were a mix of Semipalmated (
C. pusilla) and Least Sandpipers and fed diligently in the mud and slop that bordered the shoreline. I dipped my toe into the water to check the temperature. It was like bathwater!
Feeling satisfied, I clicked some more photos and started to head back along the trail. As I did so, some crows and jays cawed and cackled, clearly having just found something to complain about. And so ended an excellent start to my fall season in Pennsylvania and while I wait out this thunderstorm to put the chickens in (even here I have animal chores), I rejoice in the warmth, brightness, and beauty that is the last days of summer before eventually succumbing to the waning embers of autumn.
*The opinions and statements expressed in this blog, as well as mentions of my work and opinions, thoughts, and other statements are entirely my own and not those of where I am employed. While I will not directly mention where I work, through simple deduction you should be able to figure it out. Cheers.
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