“Go ahead, I dare you,” my brother Jimmy snickered to me. “It won’t hurt you,” he said staring at the gnarly-looking beast from the deep, which had just crawled out of the lake. It was at that exact moment when the ticked off reptile flung its large head and ferocious jaws at my hand, just missing my little finger! However, it did manage to SNAP the one inch stick I was holding, in half, like a thin toothpick. Jimmy just stood there laughing, as if he was trying to demonstrate a hard, nature lesson, from a tricky older brother, to a defenseless baby brother! OK, I got it, just like you assured me six months earlier that the old wire fence around that overgrown pasture was not electric!

The “beast’ is a common critter in Pennsylvania, but mysterious. Most of the time it stays hidden underwater, in a lake, pond or slow-moving river. It’s a prehistoric animal, having been swimming and crawling on earth for millions of years. What it lacks in teeth, it easily makes up for with a sharp beak and very powerful jaws. The creature from under the surface is a Common Snapping Turtle, one of two species of snapping turtles that live in the U.S. The other is an Alligator Snapping Turtle, an even bigger and scarier reptilian monster that lives in the southern states.

  Common Snapping Turtles can weigh up to 40 pounds and some may exceed 50 pounds. Snappers, as they’re commonly called, prefer still or slow-moving freshwater. They like muddy or sandy bottoms with a lot of vegetation. They’re opportunistic feeders, eating a variety of things, including vegetation, dead fish, worms, crayfish, frogs and anything else they want. They spend most of their time laying on the bottom of a pond or lake or floating just below the surface with just their eyes and nose sticking out of the water. On many occasions, I’ve been out fishing in my boat when I glanced over to see a dark, creepy snout with beady little eyes staring back at me. As I try to move closer for a better look, the eerie-looking object quietly disappears into the dark water. These animals are shy and reclusive in the water, usually fleeing when humans approach. But when they are on land (usually females seeking to lay eggs), they have a low tolerance for humans, or other animals, if approached. They have the ability to extend their neck and head out a long way, and quickly-like a snake striking its prey. Even their scientific name, serpentina, means “snake-like.” If you’re within their range, those powerful jaws and sharp beak can inflict a serious injury!

Contrary to popular belief, Snapping turtles are beneficial to our environment. They are efficient scavengers in nature, eating a lot of dead and decomposing animals. Females will leave the water in May and June to find a suitable nesting location (sandy or loose dirt, mulch, leaf litter) where they’ll dig a burrow and lay as many as 50 eggs. Baby snappers will hatch in about 2-3 months, depending on the temperature. Then, if they were lucky enough to hatch, they will attempt to crawl back to the water to live their life, if not eaten by predators such as raccoons, fox or crows, or get run over by a car trying to cross a road. If they make it back to the water, a Snapping turtle can live in the wild for 25 years or more.

Snapping turtles certainly can live up to their name, but these animals play a valuable part in nature and are important part of the food chain. But, one word of caution, “stop” before you stick your hand near that head and powerful set of jaws-especially if you have a big brother watching with a smirk on his face!

As we walked through the shadowy forest, beams of sunlight flickered through the leaves and branches of the large oaks, maples and hickories. Young seedlings and saplings were all around us, stretching upward, as if trying to grab each thin, ray of sunshine. A chorus of songbirds was letting us know they were above us, and you could even smell the old logs decomposing on the forest floor. We paused for a moment, stood silently, and took a deep breath. The trees were here, they’ve always been here, but I think we take them for granted, assuming they’ll always be here. This past Friday, April 29^th was Arbor Day. It’s a day to remind us of trees-their beauty, their importance and the role they play in our lives and the natural world.

Trees are one of our most precious natural resources. They have been growing on our planet for millions of years. In fact, without trees, and other green plants, humans couldn’t live. Besides all the other wonderful benefits (read on) we receive from trees, is the one we require for life-oxygen. A study from North Carolina State University found that one large tree can provide a day’s worth of oxygen for four people! Think about what a million trees can do! More than 20% of the world’s oxygen comes from the Amazon Rainforest. I kinda like breathing every day!

Big trees and little trees, tall and small, they grow on every continent except Antarctica. Want a way to cool your home in the summer, block those cold, winter winds and increase your property value? Plant a tree! Need a little stress relief from your busy, fast-paced life? Plant a tree, or take a walk in a forest or woodlot. Need some fresh apples, oranges or almonds? Plant one of these species of trees and start growing your own food! Birds and other wildlife will also benefit from your tree-planting efforts, and nature has never produced a better filter either. Trees filter pollutants out of the air we breathe, and their roots improve water quality by slowing down storm water runoff, preventing soil erosion and trapping unwanted sediments. Should I continue? Are you starting to see the benefits that trees provide to us, and our environment? To encourage us even more, Arbor Day was created in 1872.

Sterling Morton and his wife moved from Detroit to the Nebraska Territory in 1854. One of the first things they did after arriving was to plant many trees, shrubs and flowers, as did many of the settlers coming from the east. Morton became the Secretary of Agriculture in Nebraska, and was so passionate about trees he proposed to set aside a day just for planting them, calling it “Arbor Day.” So, on April 10, 1872, with much support from the State Board and many new pioneers, over one million trees were planted in Nebraska in a single day!

There are literally hundreds of products we get directly from trees. Everyone knows about lumber, furniture and many kinds of food, but did you know we also get certain medicines and cosmetics from wood/wood products. The tiny fibers of wood are called cellulose. Cellulose, and its byproducts, are used in things such as toothbrushes, cellophane, chewing gum, asphalt, paint, detergent, and many, many more. But no matter what we get from trees, or think we get from trees, our lives, and our planet, are better with lots and lots of trees.

One of the easiest and most important things we can do as adults, is to teach our kids and grandkids how “excellent” trees are! Take the time and plan a walk in the woods. Let them get up close and personal with a big tree. Have them look up, down and all around, and encourage them to discover other trees, and other forests! Introduce them to some great books about trees, like the timeless classics of Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree (Harper & Row, 1964), and The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (Random House, 1971). Last, and certainly not least, plant a tree or two with them. Get their hands dirty by planting some in your backyard, or as part of a conservation project in a local park, and come back year after year to visit your tree-because we all need More Trees Please! For more information about trees and tree planting check out the National Arbor Day Foundation (www.arborday.org). If you would like to check out my children’s photo-fact book, More Trees Please, it’s available through Amazon.com. Happy Arbor Day!

On April 22, 1970, Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, wanted to organize a nationwide rally that focused on Americans’ growing concerns about environmental issues. His goal was to bring enough attention to such issues as air and water pollution, pesticides, the loss of wild lands, and the extinction of species, into the political spotlight, that environmental protection would follow-and it did! That first Earth Day led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the passage of some the most important environmental legislation in modern times, including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act. Forty-six years later, we still celebrate Earth Day on April 22^nd. The times may have changed, but the message remains the same. We all live on the same planet and still need clean water, clean air and a healthy, sustainable environment for ourselves and future generations. But what if we tried to “celebrate” everyday as Earth Day? How can we make a difference in our own lifestyles?

                                            Earth Day was a key in creating the Clean Water Act

We may not be able to individually stop climate change, or save an endangered species in the rainforest, but we can do our part, and lots of “parts” adds up to a difference! There are many simple things we could do throughout our day that can contribute to becoming a good steward of our environment. Here are a few simple tips that we can all follow:

Energy Conservation-switch to Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) for lighting instead of incandescent light bulbs; turn off lights in rooms you’re not using and use more natural light if possible; turn down the heat in your house before going to bed, and while away at work (or use a programmable thermostat); reduce your vehicle trips by carpooling with co-workers, neighbors, friends and family, and by walking more; run the dishwasher, washer and dryer only when you have full loads, turn off your computer at night, unplug your cell phone charger when not using it because it still uses energy when plugged in and plant a tree or two around your home, which can keep your home cooler in the summer and break some of the cold, winter winds

Water Conservation-turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, take shorter showers, install water saving shower/faucet heads, re-use water bottles rather than buying new ones all the time, limit watering your lawn, but if necessary, try to water early in the morning, plant native plants that require less water (Xeriscaping)

Recycling & Waste Reduction-bring your own re-useable shopping bags to the grocery store, recycle as many items as you can and try to buy recycled products, use less paper, pack a lunch in a re-useable lunch bag instead of buying lunch in disposable packaging, use a re-useable water bottle, compost yard waste, grass clippings and leaves

Biodiversity/Conservation-plant a tree, shrub or garden, eat more locally grown foods, use less, or no chemicals, on your lawn and in your garden, put up a bird feeder/bird house, volunteer at your local park, nature center, or wildlife preserve, participate in a local stream or beach cleanup

…….and the list goes on and on! There are so many little things we can do each day to help our environment; and by helping our environment, we help ourselves and our children. Don’t let April 22^nd be the only day you celebrate the earth. Make Everyday Earth Day! For more information on available resources and what you can do, go to:   www.epa.gov/earthday

Don’t touch it, you’ll get warts,” my mother exclaimed as she took one step back. She tried her best to convince me that she was a trained toad-ologist before she became a mother. I was eight years old, but I knew better, so I ignored her pleas and continued touching the rough, brown bumps on top of its flat head. It was one of my favorites, the American toad.

The American toad (Bufo americanus) is an amphibian native to Pennsylvania. It is one of three native toads we have here in our state. Toads differ from frogs because they have dry, bumpy (“warty”) skin and shorter legs than frogs. Toads also have something else frogs don’t have, a pair of poison glands on the top of their backs called parotoid glands. These poison-filled sacs are used as a defense method against predators. If a hungry raccoon or opossum bites a toad, the nasty tasting poison will usually cause the animal to quickly spit it out, and most likely avoid the toad in the future. It’s because of these poison glands and the well-known myth that toads give you warts, that toads have been mentioned in history for hundreds of years!

Witches, warlocks, and wizards of all shapes and sizes would claim that a toad used in   magic potion could cast a spell on their enemy that they could never recover from. Others believed that drinking the mixed ashes of a toad in a thick, “tasty” liquid could make that person invisible. Even Shakespeare mentions these plain, bumpy hoppers in his famous play, Macbeth. Still, after many centuries of being marked as dark, ugly and as an ingredient in magical potions, toads have managed to live on, and prove their beneficial role in the natural environment.

In the flower beds around our home, the American toad is a welcome visitor! They eat many common pests such as slugs and beetles, so we’re always happy to see them hopping around the yard in the late spring, summer and fall. Similar to many other amphibians, toads return to water each spring to mate and lay eggs. The males arrive before the females and begin calling their long, drawn-out “trill.” The eggs are laid in long, jelly-like strings in a shallow pond, roadside ditch or local wetland. Although they may lay as many as 20,000 eggs, most do not survive to become adults. After hatching, the new larvae, called tadpoles, swim around their watery home for several weeks breathing through gills and eating algae. As the tadpoles change into adults (metamorphosis), they lose their gills and develop lungs to breathe. The young toads move up on land and begin their never-ending search for food. Their brown and gray color helps to camouflage them in the leaves of the forest floor, dry grassy meadow, or backyard garden. As the days grow shorter and temperatures begin to fall, the American toad seeks out a cozy spot to hibernate for the winter-ready to begin the entire cycle over again the following spring.

A week after playing with that toad and proudly showing my mother my new pet, I discovered a small, red welt on my hand. Just another “kid scratch” to me, but after close examination, my “amphibious field doctor mother” smirked, and said, “See I TOAD you so!” Good one Ma!

Sounds of Spring

On our calendars here in Pennsylvania, spring arrives this Sunday, March 20^th at 12:30 am. This is also known as the vernal equinox. However, I’ve been hearing spring for almost three weeks now. Nature is already in full swing with this changing season. With temperatures last week climbing to almost 80 degrees, I sometimes feel we move from winter directly into summer, with very little spring. By late February, I was already hearing the familiar call of the Red-winged blackbird coming from a small stand of cattails in the local wetlands. “Conk-a-deee, Conk-a-deee,” it seemed to say, over and over again, puffing out its bright, orange shoulder patches.

click here to hear the male Red-winged Blackbird calling from the cattails

Even before I flipped the calendar, I was excited to hear several bird species (usually the males) singing and calling-establishing territories and preparing “to attract girlfriends.” In addition to the Red-wings, our neighborhood becomes a morning chorus of coos, chirps, warbles and calls from Cardinals, Mourning Doves, Tufted Titmice, and Carolina Chickadees. As I sip my coffee, a Carolina Wren and a Red-bellied woodpecker exclaim their nearby presence, and a small flock of American Crows holler loudly as they fly by. They all know it’s time! But many of you may be asking, “What about Robins?” Yes, it’s true, Robins are also considered one of those first harbingers of spring, especially when several of them drop down in your grassy backyard looking for a few worms at this time of the year. The males are also up at dawn singing loudly, and chasing each other from yard to yard. But many Robins have been around all winter, feeding on berries until the ground thaws.

click here to hear the male American Robin singing

Look and listen overhead and you may also observe large flocks of Canada Geese or even Snow Geese, honking in their well-known V-formations, headed north to their Arctic breeding grounds. Nature begins to turn up the volume in March!

click here to hear the honks of migrating Canada Geese

As the birds continue to “sing their hymns” overhead, some of the amphibians have been busy down below. The Spring peeper, a frog that’s only the size of the end of your thumb, calls its raucous, peeping call from the grasses of wet meadows and marshes. In many places, hundreds will call together, like a blaring, rock band repeating the only chord they know, over and over again! As you approach them to try and see where the sounds are coming from, they go suddenly go silent, so as to not give away their hiding spot.

click here to listen to the peeps of the Spring Peeper

Wood frogs have also started their mating calls, and in fact, may have been calling while there was still leftover ice on many of the forested wetlands. These small, beautiful critters can be found in the forests of PA where vernal (seasonal) pools of water are formed each spring. But, different than the small peepers, their call may fool you if you’ve never heard it before, sounding much like quacking ducks. It tricked me the first time I wandered into their breeding area. This small, cool-looking frog with a black mask can be found throughout the U.S. They are the only frog that lives north of the Arctic Circle.

click here to listen enjoy the “quacking” of a chorus of Wood Frogs

As March fades into April, another amphibian will begin its vocalizations-many times from the same pools of water the peepers and Wood frogs called from the month before-the American toad. This brown, “warty-looking” animal will sit in the sunshine of small waterways, wetlands and even drainage ditches, bellowing out its long, monotone trills as its throat inflates to look like a kid blowing a bubble from a wad of gum. It reminds me of my childhood!

click here to listen to the “bubblicious” sounds of the American Toad

There are all kinds of animals that begin audible communications when spring arrives. From our feathered friends, to the smallest frogs, and even mammals and insects, wildlife lets us know a new season is coming-not by what we see, but what we hear! Enjoy!

We drove to the sky the other day. It was a warm day for late February, and the gray clouds that surrounded us only allowed the sun to peek through every once in a while. The sky is a big thing, and I’m not sure where it actually starts or ends. Technically, by definition, the sky is the area above the earth where the clouds, sun and stars are. OK, so we didn’t actually drive to the sky, but it felt like we came close!

As part of a long weekend in central Virginia recently, Theresa and I took a day and visited Shenandoah National Park, driving the entire 109 miles of the famous Skyline Drive-from Front Royal to Rockfish Gap. It was beautiful, very brown at this time of year, but still beautiful. It’s a humbling feeling to gaze out on the distant mountains and valleys for miles- looking west past the Massanutten Mountains, as the sun sets over the Alleghenies in West Virginia.

Turn 180 degrees and you can stare over the Piedmont, toward the historic city of Fredericksburg and the meandering waters of the Potomac River. You can see  a whole lot when you’re drive in the sky!

Skyline Drive is an engineering marvel. The vision of the planners in the early 1930’s was to construct a road along the Blue Ridge, where popular new “motor cars” could reach the peaks and give visitors inspiring views from all directions. It was so important that construction began even before Congress established the national park.

Even though the landscape of Shenandoah National Park was dull brown and grey, and most living things were dormant, there was still a sense of awe driving along the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains at 3,000’ +/- elevation, for over 100 miles. We did encounter many deer, including one that wore a radio collar for some type of research, a few squirrels and the ghostly calls of soaring Common Ravens that seemed to echo from each mountain top.

Probably the most interesting part of our driving tour was seeing the many ice formations along the roadway. These large frozen sculptures are created when water runs over rock outcroppings during the day, then re-freezes during the cold nights. Some of them towered almost 20’ high. I couldn’t understand why Theresa was reluctant to stand close to one so I could create a photographic memory. Stop after stop, I kept trying to coax her to get a bit closer, until a large chunk of melting ice came crashing down a few feet from her. I politely asked her to step over the fallen iceberg so I could get a good focus. The last thing I remember was a few choice words, and what I thought was a large piece of hail, came thrusting through the air at my head. The photo opp was done! The falling ice almost claimed Big Blue as well. We quickly stopped in the middle of the road (keeping one eye out for traffic) to snap a couple pictures of a cool-looking tunnel surrounded by ice and snow, when a piece of ice about the size of large basketball made a landing about 50’ from where the truck was parked. When we got back in the truck, we gunned it through the tunnel entrance at warp speed, hoping a landslide of ice and rock wouldn’t cover our trusty vehicle, only to find a safe, secure parking area on the other side of the tunnel!

                                 Like creepy alien critters, water flows under a sheet of ice

The Shenandoah Valley is a special place. A landscape bounded by mountain ranges where the Shenandoah River lazily snakes its way past farms and small towns. And standing to the east, the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, with a scenic road that connects peak after peak. We will return in one of the green months, and hopefully, in the autumn to enjoy some brilliant fall foliage. But most of all, we look forward to returning to the sky!

Sunrise. Dawn. Daybreak. Early Morning. First Light. Call it would you like, but every sunrise brings new life, new challenges and new opportunities. One quote I found several years ago, simply states, “Every human should rise early at least once per week and experience a sunrise. No chores, no obligations, just wander outside and look, listen and breathe it in.” I agree wholeheartedly! Early morning is also my favorite time of the day, when nature awakens and begins to stir.

 Most critters become active as the sun begins to rise, prompted mainly by the need to find food. Whether it be hunting another animal, or simply searching for seeds or berries, animals must eat, especially after a long night of not eating. Birds are most active at dawn. Visit a Pennsylvania forest in late May or June at daybreak, and you’ll have a front row seat to a magnificent concert of some of our native songbirds. If you ask any hunter or angler when the best time to harvest game or fish is, I bet most will tell you they prefer to be in their tree stand or boat, at first light. There are a few exceptions in the animal world to this sunrise rule-reptiles, amphibians and many insects. These animals are cold-blooded, which means their body temperature is dependent on the air temperature. As the sun rises higher and warms the air, snakes, turtles, frogs and toads begin to move about, and many types of flying insects take to the wing. However, unlike most animals, many humans may not embrace a sunrise like I do, while others thrive in the early morning.

A Great blue Heron takes off at sunrise

My wife is a morning person. Many days she reminds me of the old promotion slogan for the Army, “Doing more by 8:00 am than most people do all day,” including me! Almost every weekday morning, she’s up early with the two beagle boys before there’s even a hint of sunlight. She’ll finish a couple reports for work, throw in a load of laundry and make plans for that night’s supper-then quietly jumps in her car for work and heads east toward the rising sun! When not working, she simply enjoys watching the sun rise, and often joins me on the weekends for an early morning birding trip, or local hike. On the other side, is my daughter, who still enjoys the outdoors, but does not classify herself as a morning person. She prefers to sleep in a bit later and will wait to hear about my morning adventures and stories after she’s had her coffee and the sun is much higher in the sky. But our children have seen the sunrise on several occasions. In spite of some peaceful objections, we’ve always tried to catch at least one sunrise together as a family during some of our past vacations. We’ve been blessed to watch the sun rise over some special places, such as the north rim of the Grand Canyon on a brisk November morning, over the rolling waves of the Atlantic from the warm sands of the Turks & Caicos Islands, and sat in awe as the early morning sun peaked over the Wasatch Range in Utah. We shared some early morning rays of sunshine together in the rainforest of Belize and witnessed a fantastic sunrise over the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior in Northern Wisconsin.

I think most people who rise early would tell you one of their favorite things about sunrise, is the sunrise! There are so many wonderful places to view the rising sun and each location can create a special memory, even in your own backyard. Every season can bring new views and fresh vistas as the sun rises over the eastern horizon. As an outdoor photographer, I see a warm, orange sky at dawn in June, or a crimson horizon on a cold winter morning like a canvas that’s been freshly painted, begging me to take its picture.

As Mark Twain once wrote, “A sunrise is like a new opportunity, if you wait too long, it will be gone!”  So, jump out of bed, throw on some clothes, get outside and watch the sun rise. I promise it will be well worth it! Enjoy!

I walked slowly along the frozen streambank, the thin sheets of ice that stretched out over the flowing current echoed with loud cracks and knocks. I knew the sounds served as a warning not to venture out any farther, or risk going home very wet and cold. But, I had to get a bit closer to check out the tracks that I discovered on the snow-covered ice packs along the edge of the stream. What animal could have made them? The clues were right in front of me. They were small, about an inch long, showing five toes with claws. The pattern in the snow revealed the animal’s gait (how it was moving). It looked as if it was running, only pausing to investigate an old tree root. The animal was hunting. Then just as quickly as I found them, the tracks were gone, disappearing at the water’s edge. The nature mystery continued.

As I took a step forward, the layer of ice I was standing on suddenly collapsed. My trustworthy, winter boot sunk to the bottom of the small creek like a lead anchor, as frigid water began to pour in. Not only did I proceed to shock my warm, comfy foot, I also made enough noise to scare away any other living animal within one square mile! However, I could easily see across the stream to the other shoreline, and there was no trace of any animal tracks-another clue. I had briefly considered the tracks might have been made by a squirrel, raccoon or even a skunk, but if they had decided to cross the stream I would have easily located their tracks coming out on the other side. So, by process of elimination, it had to have been an aquatic mammal, which could have slipped off the ice and gone under water. In Pennsylvania, that would narrow my findings to possibly four animals-a Beaver, Muskrat, River Otter or Mink. I knew this tributary was too small for a Beaver or Muskrat, which prefer lakes, ponds or deeper, slower-moving rivers or creeks. Lastly, the tracks of a River Otter are much larger, about 3” in length. The source of the prints in the snow had to be from a Mink.

A fresh snow reveals fox tracks leading to a local stream.

Mink are members of the Mustelidae family. Here in the Keystone State, its relatives include the River Otter, Fisher, Striped Skunk and Weasels. In other parts of the U.S. the Badger, Wolverine, Martin and Ferrets are also members of this family. All of these mammals have glands that can produce strong “musk” smells, the most famous is the skunk. Mink are small, slender, mostly dark-colored mammals that live near water. All the ones I’ve seen here in Pennsylvania are chocolate brown-colored, with a small white patch under their chin. I have observed Mink in the Adirondacks in New York that are more slate-gray color.

Mink are carnivores and will eat a variety of food, including fish, frogs, crayfish, mice, snakes or birds. If available, they’ll also prey on muskrats. They live near water, finding an old tree root along a streambank, hollow log or pile of boulders to make their den. Its fur is thick, soft and covered by oil guard hair, which makes it coat waterproof.

In 2015, I was privileged of seeing many Mink in my travels. Maybe it was simply because I got “out and about” more last year, visiting the places they inhabit, or just lucky to be in the right place at the right time. We even have one regular (we think it’s only one) that wanders frequently near our office, which sits along the Perkiomen Creek. Each one I’ve watched, never sat still very long. They would hop and lope along a waterway, zig-zagging all over the place, in and out of holes, fallen trees, rock piles and diving underwater. They reminded me of a small child, full of energy and curiosity, playing on a playground. If they did stop, it was only long enough to eat whatever they caught. These sleek, beautiful animals truly enjoy “living on the edge!”

It was 4:10 am on December 30th and I was out the door headed south to Octorara Reservoir on the border of Chester/Lancaster Counties. My goal was to hear a Long-eared Owl before the faint hint of daylight emerged through the heavy fog and cloud cover. This is an uncommon bird that usually only wanders into our area during the winter months. I had missed this bird twice last February, and really wanted to put it on my list before ending my Big Year. Since I wasn’t going out on the 31st, this would be the last day of my 2015 PA Big Birding Year, my last chance to add any new species to the year-long list I had started back on January 1st.

On that day, one year ago, I started my personal quest to see how many different bird species I could find in Pennsylvania in one calendar year. I had decided to start this adventure at a local hot spot, Green Lane Park, only 15 minutes from my home in Montgomery County.  I felt a trace of winter in the early morning air, but overall,  it was fair weather for early January, with no snow cover.  My first bird was a striking male Northern Cardinal. After only a few hours, my new list included 34 species-not bad for day one in January!  It was then time to head home for the traditional pork and sauerkraut dinner to start the new year!

Big Years are not new in the birding world. Many birders have done them in their home states, and some even dare to do a Big Year throughout the U.S. (check out the film The Big Year starring Owen Wilson, Steve Martin and Jack Black), and the ultimate, the recently-completed global Big Year completed by Noah Strycker, who, on December 29th, checked off his 6,000th species while hiking in the Himalayas, breaking the previous world record by nearly 1,400 species!  But, it would be a new “test” for me and my birding skills. I really didn’t have much of a plan or strategy, although looking back over the past 12 months, I wish I had! The list of words that describe my year-long quest are fun, tiring, frustrating, appreciative, discovering, wife-support, family-support, new friends, guidance, snacks, water, more snacks, driving, walking, tripping, falling, hot, cold, wet, dark, bright, beauty, weird, snow, rain, sleet, wind, mud, ticks, bugs, briars and finally, exhilarating!

My 12-month journey included traveling over 7,000 miles in the Keystone State, and tallied birds in 28 different counties. I covered rural habitats and urban areas. I explored mountains and valleys, forests and fields and lakes and rivers. My birding treks sometimes started hours before the sun came up,  lasted all day, and once in a while, continued after the sun set.  Along the way I had my share of experiences, funny stories and interesting encounters. For some of these, please scroll back to read older posts The Quest (February, 2015) and The Quest Continues (April, 2015). My travels took me to many out-of-the-ordinary places to see birds, where, on occasion, I met several nice law enforcement officers who were very curious about what I was doing, and sometimes politely advised me to leave (no officer, it’s not a camera, it’s a spotting scope)! I only got Big Blue stuck twice (both were due to the combination of snow/ice and deep ditches) where I needed assistance to get out, and one of those I managed to get the nice guy who stopped to help me in Monroe County, stuck as well! Sorry Larry!  You were a good sport about it! Unfortunately, my birding activities were not all about finding the next new species. there were plenty of those not-so-glamorous moments that most birders would like to forget-mostly due to other natural factors.

As spring rolled into summer, my biggest obstacles seemed to be insects, or simply called bugs after a while. I was constantly picking ticks off me (only a few out of me), trying to swat away a billion gnats that always targeted the inside of my ears, and having my blood drawn by herds of mosquitos and a variety of different horse/deer flies. I was stung by a few “pretty-looking,” wasps and bees, and had the misfortune of stepping on a ground nest of yellow jackets in Cumberland County that sent me running wildly through the woods like a deer being chased by a lion! Did you know that shrieking loudly while running does not scare off yellow jackets? I don’t think a single one heard me. My face-to-face meetings were not limited to police/security officers and bugs.

In early July while looking for warblers in Carbon County, a mama Black Bear with two cubs stopped momentarily to give me a brief stare down (I turned away first), and a camouflaged movement along the side of a trail in Lycoming County was the only thing that prevented me from putting my foot down on a Timber Rattlesnake that never rattled. But most of my flashes came from the lack of using good judgement while caught up “in the heat of the birding moment.” Whether it was the small, freezing cold stream I tumbled in to while trying to cross an ice-covered log in Pike County (that one hurt), or the wetland in Lancaster County where I sunk my boot in mud that was a foot deep while looking for a Marsh Wren. After 15 minutes of trying to dislodge my foot/boot from muck while deer flies chomped at my head and arms, and sweat rolled off my face, I finally managed to get it out, then proceeded to trip, fall on my gut and sink my binoculars in the same stinky grime! After a long, uncomfortable drive home, I was seriously thinking about ending my big year-until a Pacific Loon was found at Nockamixon SP the next day, and I quickly forgot about the man-eating swamp. There were days that I considered uneventful, but most of my excursions always brought back something funny, weird or painful, to share with my wife. She always tried to listen attentively (and seem interested) to my latest bird story, or encounter, while holding back her chuckles.

Throughout the year, there were lost of rarities that showed up in PA (not normally found here) that I chased, too. There was the Harris’s Sparrow in Northampton County in January that the Koch family welcomed birders to see at their backyard bird feeders, a Bullock’s Oriole in February that appeared in a backyard for another winter, only 15 minutes from my home, and a lonely, male Chuck-wills-Widow in Lebanon County in June (on land owned by the U.S. Army’s Ft Indiantown) that returned to the same location, calling each night for a mate. Click below to hear the recorded call of the Chuck-wills-Widow.

A Pacific Loon showed up at Nockamixon State Park in July, and an Anhinga, normally found in FL, stayed several days in October near the John Heinz NWR at Tinicum in Philadelphia, making a few daily flights over the refuge. An adult White Ibis landed in Green Lane Park and put on a good show for many birders. My year ended with two other really good finds-a Western Tanager visiting a backyard feeder in Centre County in November, and a Pacific-slope Flycatcher hanging out in Berks County, just before Christmas-a bird which normally would be found on the western coast of Mexico at this time of year.

                                    An Anhinga (above left) being chased by a Chimney Swift and a Pacific-slope Flycatcher (below left)

My best Big Year birds were the ones I found with a few trips with family members, including my awesome wife, my enthusiastic sister, my birding dad, and a special afternoon with both my kids that were home for the holidays, to join me to see the young Snowy Owl in Lebanon County! And, I can’t forget my always-encouraging mother-thanks Ma! My 2015 PA Big Year was assisted by many people. I could not have found many of the species without the guidance of dozens of experienced birders who recommended some good birding spots and reported many of the rare birds to PA Birds and Facebook. They were also very patient with my many emails and “private messages.” Thank you!

                               Wife Theresa and sister Cathy take a break at a small water fall along the Pine Creek Trail in Tioga County (above). We tried to combine birding with other activities, such as bike rides, whenever possible. This trip gave us great looks at Osprey hunting along Pine Creek (below).

Oh, and by the way, I never got my Long-eared Owl, but did find one final, new bird for my Big Year later in the morning-a male Yellow-headed Blackbird that was among a flock of 50,000+ other blackbirds! My final tally-257 total species. I’ll take that for my first try! What’s on tap for 2016? Stay tuned, and Good Birding!

I went on a series of short Pennsylvania Walkabouts in the past 2 weeks. Not really as part of the traditional rite of passage young, male Australian Aboriginals do, but more so in search of trying to put some venison in the freezer this season. My walks may not have been life-changing spiritual journeys, however, they were still my walks, and still very enjoyable treks”wandering about the bush!” Any time spent outdoors drifting through the forests and fields of my home state, is time well spent. It doesn’t matter if I’m hunting, birding, hiking or just simply taking my camera out for a walk, an excursion through the woods, even for just a few hours, can lift one’s spirit!

Don’t get me wrong, my goal during deer hunting season is to hunt deer, and hopefully harvest one for some delicious meat, but it’s not just a matter of finding something to shoot and kill. It has to be a bit more, since, like this season, two of my days afield, I never even set eyes on a single deer. For me, there is a difference between deer hunting, and simply deer shooting.  A part of Webster’s definition of hunting is “searching for something.” I may not always find deer, but I usually find something interesting or noteworthy on my hunts.

I only hunt deer during PA’s regular firearms season-traditionally starting with buck, the 1st Monday after Thanksgiving. I’ve wanted to get into archery hunting for many years, since the weather is usually pretty nice, and it would be fun to hunt in the fall colors of late September and October. But, I’ve accepted the fact that I just do not have the patience to sit in a tree stand, hour after hour, waiting for a deer to walk by. I admire those hunters that can dedicate themselves to do that, but I’m not one of them. Most of my time is spent walking, and I realize I probably scare more deer away by walking, but I’ll keep “searching” this way.

I don’t just march around looking for deer, I walk, trying to observe the landscape around me and looking for deer and other critters that might catch my eye. I may stop once in a while to check out at a funky-looking fungus, pile of feathers or just to remove a few of the 9,000 burdocks that have attached themselves all over my clothing.  My gait is short and slow, just a bit quicker than a sloth. I like to believe my walk is “carefully methodical,” but I’ve been reminded that it’s probably due to my body type! I compare it to being sent to the principal’s office in 7th grade, when, what should have been a 5-minute walk, turned into a 20-minute wonder tour of Millville High School’s hallways, inspecting the many lockers, making sure none of the fire alarms had been pulled and peering through the doors of several classrooms. The point being that the leisurely journey was more important than the required destination! Along the way, you’ll always find something that will make your walkabout memorable.  One of this season’s “moments” included a sly Red Fox.

As I rested on a mossy log, watching a Grey squirrel gnaw on a hickory nut, I noticed the fox trotting on one of the many deer trails, heading straight in my direction. As I sat perfectly still, I watched it carefully pause in a small clearing between some briars, pointing its nose up in the air, seeking any unfamiliar scents that may signal danger, then cautiously proceed forward. As it turned its head the other way, I slowly reached for my camera preparing for what could have been a fantastic photo opp. But, without notice, I suddenly let out a blood-curling sneeze that not only sent the Red Fox running into the next county, but silenced the entire forest, as if a T Rex was approaching from where I was sitting! Even the chickadees froze motionless on the branches above me! All signs of wildlife disappeared for the next 30 minutes. Although the entire encounter only lasted less than five minutes, it was still pretty cool! My wildlife observation list this deer season included my Red Fox meeting, dozens of Grey Squirrels, a sleek-looking Mink, two bunnies, a confused Woodchuck (possibly due to the very warm temperatures), 24 species of birds, including 4 Pileated Woodpeckers that were playing tag in a large oak tree above my head, and a Ruffed Grouse that I nearly stepped on and scared the bejeebers out of me, and finally, one angry Eastern Mole that would not accept the fact that it couldn’t burrow through my large rubber boot!

……………oh, and no, unfortunately I was not able to put any venison in the freezer, but I enjoyed spending a little quality time with brother James and nephew Richard, and most importantly, completed another successful walkabout!