Red House At Canoe Creek

Peeper on the Porch

2010-05-20T15:54:00.000-04:00

Rarely can I find a spring peeper when they are peeping. They're small. They're camouflaged. It's dark out. This is one that didn't get away. Last year I heard a peeper in the bush directly off my porch. I looked diligently and I never did find him. It came back to taunt me this year. It made a mistake this time. It moved. From there I was able to track it to the yucca plant and photograph and video it. The pictures turned out very well. The video is a bit shaky, but the sound and movement of his sides and throat pouch as the peeper peeps is great!

Spring peeper video

Spring peeper photos

Fishing Canoe Creek

2010-05-20T15:07:00.003-04:00

Canoe Creek borders the Red House property. It is stocked in the spring. The trout are not fished out as in so many other places. Having an opportunity to walk out of your door and catch a trout in your yard is one of the charms of living here. I often take an hour in the evening to hit the creek and walk up or downstream fishing. Most of the time I catch a rainbow trout. This last time I caugth four rainbows and a native brook trout. While I usually catch and release, the trout pictured here swallowed the hook and I had to take him home. I missed another trout of the same size after catching this one.

The Great Blue Heron Rookery

2010-03-30T21:50:00.004-04:00

Close to Red House a rookery of herons has existed for several years. Great blue herons form a colony or a rookery to raise their young. I counted twenty-four nests last week. The road is some distance from the rookery, so that number may be inaccurate. The birds have been claiming nests for weeks now. I've been graced with them flying over the house singly or in groups. I watched a group of fifteen a week ago leaving the rookery, doing a u-turn, and heading back towards the rookery. I used the car as a blind and tried to get some pictures without disturbing them a great deal. Here are the results.

Turkey and Black Vultures

2010-03-25T20:48:00.008-04:00

The vultures have been back in the area for about three weeks. While most of our vultures are turkey vultures, a number of black vultures have shown up this spring. I watched a mixed group of black and turkey vultures fill up on a deer carcass for several days in early March. They would be there through mid-morning then disappear by 11am. Recently Charly and I have watched the turkey vultures and a few black vultures roost behind the house in a large pine tree. I've seen up to forty birds, but tonight I could only pick out twenty or so.

Black vultures have a shorter wingspan than turkey vultures. They tend to be found further south of here, but they do make an appearance now and then. The two pictures show the difference in wing patterns between the two species. The turkey vultures trailing wing edge is gray to white while the black vulture has shorter wings and has gray-white wing tips with a black trailing edge.

Frogs N' Such

2010-03-23T16:49:00.001-04:00

The wood frogs have been in the little cement pond for over a week now. I can still hear them clucking, sometimes during the day, but also at night. The spring peepers have been slow to start, but last night a fairly large chorus was heard. I even heard a toad trilling. It's a bit early for them, but I guess the early toad gets the girl, or something like that.

2009-11-16T22:29:00.003-05:00

Friday Charly and I were leaving for school. As we left the living room door, she spotted a deer. It took me almost 30 seconds to find it. It was 50 yards away standing by the mailbox. I'm taking her hunting with me this year. These eyes aren't what they used to be, I fear.

I got a couple pics with the camera. Here is one.

Ten Minute Break

2009-10-26T23:31:00.002-04:00

I took a stroll to end of the driveway tonight at 11 pm before tucking myself in for the night. I couldn't help but throw out some screech owl whinnies. I got a response first from what I think was a flying squirrel. A boxy shadow glided from the outer branches of the catalpa tree closest to the driveway to the trunk when I began to call. About a minute later, a small shadow passed about ten feet overhead, heading across the driveway and the garden to the catalpa tree with the bluebird box on it. I soon heard the high pitch whinny from the east across the paved road perhaps at 150 yards distance. After another minute a lower-pitched whinny joined in the chorus directly behind the house, perhaps 40 yards away. I kept each whinnying for a minute or so then stopped, not wanting to disturb them further. The owl behind the house moved to the south and was heard close to the pond. The other owl fell silent. I decided to leave them be and walked back to the front door listening to the lonely call of the screech owl near the pond. I'll stay out of their lives for a few weeks, but I'm sure I'll feel the urge to talk with my neighbors again in the future.

On the Visitor Center

2009-10-13T16:41:00.007-04:00

I stopped at Canoe Creek State Park and helped set up an activity for tomorrow at the visitor center. Heidi, the environmental educator, pointed out a roosting bat behind the light outside of the door. After we were done, I walked around the outside of the building looking for other animals coming up with a woolly bear caterpillar, an assasin bug, and the bat. All these animals are preparing for winter in their own way. Woolly bear caterpillars are the folk weather forecasters with cinnamon red and black stripes. The caterpillars find a safe place to overwinter - under rocks, in the leaf litter, and in logs. In the spring, they'll spin their coccoons and Isabela tiger moths will emerge. This woolly bear will hopefully be moving to more sheltered location for the winter. The assasin bug pictured here is one I frequently find in my own house. These overwinter in the cracks and crevices of houses, in rocky areas, and other sheltered spots. Known for their predatory behavior, these Hemipterans are quite adept at stalking prey. Their piercing sucking mouth part acts as a tube that exudes digestive juices and ingests the soupy nutrition it creates. Assassin bug is more of a general term, applying to some 3,000 species. The bat, probably a little brown, has found safety for today. I hope after a good day's rest this bat moves to a sheltered cave or some warmer abode. Temperatures are dropping into the 30s tonight.

Thoughts on Tomatoes

2009-08-12T23:38:00.004-04:00

I planted a garden this year and I am having more success than last year, but not great success. The key to my progress this year is a fence. The deer haven't eaten my tomatoes. But, I still have a ways to go. My tomatoes grew fine, and I now have red ripe cherry tomatoes and some good canning tomatoes. But now my tomato plants' leaves are turning brown and shriveling up. It starts from the lowest leaves and is working its way up. Maybe the roots are too warm. I'm going to shake off the mulch and pull up the plastic under the mulch tomorrow. Then there are the zucchini plants. I have small zucchinis developing, but the first ones produced were eaten on the vine. Not the entire zucchini, just chunks taken out of it. Then there are (were) the beans and peppers. I planted them. The beans never came up and the peppers were eaten by an insect that I couldn't find to identify.

Thank God for the grocery store.

2009-08-12T23:38:00.001-04:00

Summer is Coming

2009-06-18T21:08:00.002-04:00

This week has seen cooler temperatures and changes in the bird calls, animal behaviors and blooming flowers. Most notably, no turtles have been seen laying eggs in a week. Walking past the gravel bank reveals no new digs or disturbances that I can see. The page is turning. Many of the birds have nested and the fledglings have moved out into the wide world. Mourning doves that can barely fly, tree swallow fledglings, robins, and chipping sparrow fledglings have been seen repeatedly. We have been without rain for five days, too. Until last night. A good soaker dropped up to an inch and a half of rain on the area. A rather tall white flower has emerged along the roads and is now blooming in the yard. I hope to look it up when I go inside. Tonight, as I sit on the porch writing this, spring peepers are peeping again. Earlier I heard a toad trilling. The vernal pool along the dirt road is full again. I won't be mowing the trail through the wet meadow anytime soon.

I've been teaching 2nd through 4th graders about "Creepy Crawlies" - the overlooked and often feared spiders, insects, crustaceans, worms, slugs, and millipedes. In my quest for course materials, I found two lovely lady dobson flies near my porch light. The rich browns and delicate wings were lovely, but those formidable-looking mouthparts made me pause when I caught them. The cold has kept the ladybug invasion down, but as I sit here, I am seeing the lady bugs rising from the grass and flying about. I hope the next week brings their numbers up and we can get the "Christmas tree effect" we had last year.

Lightning Bugs Appearing

2009-06-16T23:28:00.002-04:00

I noticed the first one two weeks ago, I believe it was June 3rd. Just a little yellow-green light in the unmowed grass near my flower bed. I saw several others that night. Over the past two weeks, their numbers and flights have increased, with most activity occurring after a rain on warm and humid evenings. I was hoping for more activity, but I haven't had the chance to see the trees light up like Christmas trees as they did last year. I'll keep looking.

I read in an article in the Clearfield Progress newspaper that lightning bugs are declining in some areas. In addition to beetle pesticides killing off the larva, keeping grass short can cause them problems. I'm showing my solidarity with the little night lights by not mowing 2/3 of my property. Viva la luciérnaga.

Egg-citing News From the Reptile World!

2009-06-03T10:25:00.008-04:00

The wood turtles are laying eggs! Last week, I stumbled up the bank near the creek and spotted a freshly dug nest. I shifted my gaze a few inches higher, and found the excavator herself - a large female with a carapace length of perhaps eight inches. I left her, and thought her gone for good. Until yesterday.

A stroll down the road to the sight of last week's excavation was productive. As a peered over the guard rail to scan the gravel bank, a female wood turtle - perhaps the same one as last week - had her lower body immersed in a hole in the gravel. I left to tell a neighbor who I thought might be interested in seeing this. Upon our return, he spotted a second turtle five yards away from the first. Both had holes started.

That was around eight in the evening on June 2nd. Today, June 3rd, I found the turtles still digging, but at different locations at nine in the morning. The orange legs and torso, the slatey green-brown backs, and the pyramidal concentric rings were clearly evident. I took some pictures and left the ladies to do their thing undisturbed.

Researching these turtles has reminded me of some of the amazing attributes of their physical construction, their behaviors, and their life histories. More on those things later.

A Hodge Podge of Nature

2009-05-28T22:06:00.002-04:00

I've been able to stay at home and work a lot more with the end of the semester. Walks around the yard, strolls up and down the road, and drives into town have provided a great deal of fun and some interesting observations.

Walking around the yard has yielded at least seven active nests. Just outside the door above the light by the driveway a phoebe has nested again. The carport by the shed has what I believe are two vacant robin nests and a vacant phoebe nest built on the handle of the weed eater left hanging there by the previous owner of the house. This year a robin is raising its young in a new mud and grass nest right above the lawnmower and a dove has raised two young not more than five feet from the robin. Near the creek, a piece of bark has peeled back to make a beautiful horizontal shelf. A robin found it to its liking, and had five eggs in it earlier this week. I put my hand in today and found nestlings, so I will let them be from now on. Moving towards the paved road, at least two pairs of starlings have nested (unfortunately). And I discovered today the bluebird box that fledged young last year has young in it. I assume they are bluebirds, because that is what has been entering and leaving the box. But the nest has feathers in it, like a tree swallow would build. Perhaps there was some competition for the box, and the nest is a composite of leftovers and new materials.

The amphibians have been active, too. I had wood frog tadpoles in the vernal pond on the east side of the property, but the pond dried up last weekend. Spring peepers went silent this week, with bullfrogs and green frogs vocalizing in the evening. As the weather has turned wetter, I heard one toad trilling this evening and some peepers are calling this evening. The pond next door has had pickerel frogs, green frogs, and bullfrogs along it.

Reptiles have been sparse, but that seems to be from my not looking, not them not being about. I believe the garter snake still lives in the wood pile. Shallow depressions have appeared in the gravel near the bridge. I was surprised today to find a fresh hole, not looking to be more than a few hours old. Shifting my gaze up, I found a wood turtle about 10" in length sitting next to the road. I left her to go about her business.

I've started to investigate the fish in the area, through fishing and putting out the minnow trap. While I know there are trout in Canoe Creek, I can't catch them with rod and reel. I did manage to trap some black-nosed dace, two 4" long creek chubs, and a crayfish there. In the pond across the dirt road, bluegill and redbreast sunfish are within my ability to catch, but the bass and crappie I have seen are not.

Each day I find something in the yard or the neighborhood that I can't identify. I'm spending some time with the field guides and song tapes I have, solving new mysteries and refreshing my memories of the flora and fauna found locally.

Jack In The Pulpit

2009-05-18T20:43:00.007-04:00

I've been mowing between rainstorms and finally after a week reached the back of the house. Much to my surprise, the leaves-of-three that greeted me were not poison ivy but jack in the pulpit. At least two were flowering. I always enjoy finding such an unusual and beautiful flower. Having it next to my house is a pleasure. With a spathe and a spadix, the flower is shaped like a pitcher with a folded flap of striped petal over the top of a rod-shaped green "jack" sitting in the middle of the pitcher. The shade of the house should provide a good spot for them to grow and spread.

First Whip-poor-wills Heard

2009-05-03T23:33:00.000-04:00

I stepped outside to retrieve some things from my car a few minutes ago. Above the rushing water of the stream, I could hear the "whip" note of a whip-poor-will. I cupped my hands behind my ears, changed my position several times, and eventually I could make out the complete call of the first whip-poor-will of the year.

Reptilian Guest

2009-05-03T20:07:00.004-04:00

While cleaning up some debris from last year's construction project, I uncovered a nice-sized garter snake. Fortunately, my daughter was here to take a look at it, too. He was very nervous and struck a couple of times. I would be scared too. After retrieving a woolly bear caterpillar to look at, we covered him back up and I'll let him enjoy the debris pile for the summer. He was so lovable.

Heat Wave

2009-04-27T23:15:00.002-04:00

Temperatures have been in the high 80s since Saturday. This after sleet and rain on Wednesday, April 22nd and snow and rain on Monday April 20th. Still, the migrants are back in force. I stopped at the Hollidaysburg Library this afternoon and had four chimney swifts (they were twittering long before "twittering" on phones took place) fly by in formation. I believe I heard an oriole this evening, and a hummingbird did a flyby.

It's actually hot. While I am sure this will generate some great tans and lawn work, I'm praying for a lot more rain and milder temperatures. Things are still dry. And the rain needs to come.

Other noteworthy nature stuff: toads have been trilling for two days. The peepers continue peeping. There are at least 21 great blue heron nests in the nearby rookery. And three deer were grazing in my yard last evening when I pulled in.

Turkey Vultures

2009-04-14T20:31:00.002-04:00

Last night I spent 15 minutes watching the vultures come into roost. The largest count was 85 turkey vultures spiraling around in a large, wide kettle on the north-facing mountain on Beaver Dam Road. Some close views occurred as the slid across the sky over the house, but in spite of my careful looking, I couldn't turn any of them into black vultures. I am told black vultures have roosted here, too, but I haven't seen them yet. It could be I'm just missing them. It could be with the cold temperatures (in the 40s around 6:00PM yesterday and 26 this morning at 6:30AM) they simply aren't roosting this far north yet. I will continue to watch for the black heads and different underwing pattern of the black vulture. I hope they are here.

More Frogs and Two Bats

2009-04-04T16:48:00.002-04:00

Thursday night April 2 found my daughter and I at Legion Park in Altoona. As dusk was settling, two bats flitted across the parking lot. I'd have to say the wingspan of both bats were about 10 to 12 inches. I saw some cream colored markings on the wing of one bat, but I can't say which species it might have been.

Getting out of the car at home, the spring peepers were at full tilt. The temperature was in the upper 50s. Then I picked up the trill of toads probably 150 yards off to the southwest. It was great to hear toads. It wasn't until the next morning at 6AM that I heard the third species, wood frogs. Their unusual quacking was a welcome edition to the chorus.

Rain and probably snow is in the forecast for the next few days. But winter is losing the battle and the advance of spring is definitely in the air.

Peepers, Toads, and a Red Fox

2009-04-02T23:23:00.001-04:00

It was 60 degrees today and beautifully sunny. The past twenty-four hours have been full of springtime fun. Last night, I could hear spring peepers loud enough to penetrate the closed doors and windows of my house. Around ten in the evening, three sharp barks were heard outside of the house. From past experience, these were the calls of a red fox. He must have been a few yards from the porch, because I could hear him from inside the house.

Tonight, the spring peepers were louder than ever when I got out of the car. A new sound joined them. The trill of toads. The toads weren't present in any great numbers, but they were there. Charly and I listened to the spring peepers and toads with the door open for a few minutes, then closed it and continued to hear the spring peepers.

Rain is coming tonight and thunderstorms tomorrow. I can't wait.

Sixty-Eight Deer and a Red Fox

2009-03-30T22:03:00.003-04:00

With the lengthening days, I have actually been able to return to home before dark. This evening as I drove down Beaver Dam Road, dozens of vultures were circling the northwest-facing mountain preparing to roost for the night. Driving across Canoe Creek and turning onto Scotch Valley Road, I watched as a red fox darted across the road into piles of stored construction materials. I pulled the car off the road and watched the field, quickly realizing that I was being watched by the fox. Approximately 100 yards off, his face was dark, but the large pointed ears were aligned to pick up any noise I made. Within seconds, he trotted across ten yards of open field into the lumber and pallets, disappearing from site. Last week I had heard a fox doing its scream-like bark at one in the morning. Every ten seconds or so, it would let go with this hoarse, high-pitched bark, apparently identifying its territory or perhaps courting a lady friend.

Excited by the sighting, I drove slowly through Scotch Valley towards Frankstown. First, a deer jumped across the road. Two more moved silently out of the brush and crossed behind the car. Next five more deer were spotted. Then eight in a field. The numbers added up quickly with eight here, thirteen there, five in that field, and a few more there. The last sighting was the most spectacular. I had passed the Scotch Valley Country Club and cut through to Turkey Valley. As I crested the hill, the field to my left was filled with deer. After two counts with binoculars, twenty more deer were seen. The final count was sixty-eight deer.

Spring Birds and Weather

2009-03-16T23:00:00.002-04:00

This morning's walk to the car brought a sound to the ear that I haven't heard in many months. The raspy call of the eastern phoebe, returned from parts unknown, was heard 40 yards away at the edge of Canoe Creek. Herons did a fly over, leaving their rookery on Beaver Dam Road. A song sparrow performed its long and melodic song. A warm enjoyable way to start the day.

The evening was equally pleasant, while the birds were quiet, a steady light rain was falling. Warm air, gentle rain, and longer days and awakening the slumbering world, and driving us forward into a spring of returning birds and emerging flowers.

The Return of Old Friends

2009-03-06T16:07:00.001-05:00

Today I stayed at home and enjoyed the last day of my spring break. The turning Earth and warming trend brought back some old friends. The early morning is now beginning to be filled with the chorus of many birds. Red-winged blackbirds, grackles, killdeer, and bluebirds are calling more and more and arriving in greater numbers. This afternoon, three great blue herons passed over the yard heading back towards the rookery near Gamelands 166. It's a positive relief to see days lengthening and the birds returning.

WARM WEATHER

2009-02-27T18:38:00.002-05:00

Temperatures in the 50s for several days have reawakened the world. A male red-winged blackbird was calling this morning. A thunderstorm rolled through with at least one clap of thunder that rattled windows and shook the house. A great blue heron was feeding in Canoe Creek right beside the house. The morning was filled with bird song - a Carolina wren, a bluebird, and white-breasted nuthatches. The fields are still brown, but the ground has thawed enough that the morning drive to work produced no less than 11 deer out in the fields grazing for roots and shoots. It will be cold again in a few days, but for now we will enjoy the break.

THE PRODIGAL BLOGGER RETURNS

2009-02-23T21:06:00.002-05:00

After an extended absence, I've returned to the blogosphere and I hope to regularly post events and happenings from Red House and the local area. The winter has been cold. Colder than usual I believe. I'm happy to be sitting in my red chair with the wood burner emanating heat from its red and orange coals and occasional tongues of flame. If I can keep the fire going, the furnace doesn't turn on and the house - even furthest from the wood burner - will hold a temperature of around 60 degrees when outside temperatures are in the 20s.

The cold temperatures and work have kept me away from my passions of birding and wildlife watching, but I squeeze in a few minutes daily walking between classes or passing from the car to the grocery store. One and maybe two snowy owls have been overwintering in Cambria County near Patton. They (or it) has also shown up near Ebensburg and between Eckenrode Mills and Chest Springs. Pine siskins have been steady visitors to bird feeders, including mine at Red House, since December. While I have yet to see them, white-winged crossbills are popping up everywhere in Pennsylvania. In spite of the cold and the irruption of Canadian visitors, spring is creeping in. Wednesday, February 12th saw the first red-winged blackbirds and grackles at Canoe Creek State Park. Dead skunks are populating our roads, indicating the mating urge is upon them, in spite of the weather. And the days grow longer. Today, I was outside at 5:45 PM standing and watching gray snow clouds move slowly from the west towards us in Altoona and daylight was still with us. I'm thankful for the longer days and the gradual warming of the year. I hope it comes sooner than later, but there is nothing I can do about it so I'll just enjoy cold while it is here.

Calling Owls - Screech On Video

2008-09-16T21:36:00.004-04:00

In the continuing adventures of calling owls, I took a break Sunday evening around 8PM and stepped outside to enjoy the growing darkness. I decide to do the whinny and tremolo call of a screech owl, to see what would happen. Within a minute, three screech owls were calling and one was bopping from tree to tree above the driveway. I decided to try the video camera out on the owl, switching to night vision mode. The results, however rough, are for all to see. I heard a screech owl last night also above the buzzing sound of a neighbor's chain saw. Tonight, I'm inside as the temperatures drop into the fifties and I work on assignments for class.

Stars and Owls

2008-09-01T22:52:00.002-04:00

A warm day in the 80s with blue skies gave way to a quickly cooling night with dark skies that brought out the stars in abundance. The Milky Way was a white smudge across the sky from the south to the north. Cygnus the Swan, the Big Dipper, Cassiopeia, and the Pleiades were easily seen. While walking and watching, I heard a screech owl. I called back and after a few minutes, I had him on a branch not more than 10 feet away. It was dark, so only the silhouette was visible. While not time for a meteor shower, three white streaks from shooting stars crossed the sky over a twenty minute period. It was quite wonderful. After the screech owl left and was gone for 20 minutes or so, a great horned owl began hooting about fifty yards away. I returned home to work with some fond memories of owls and shooting stars. A night to remember for years to come, I'm sure.

Cardinal Flower

2008-08-27T06:09:00.000-04:00

Three weeks ago, I became very excited when I found two cardinal flowers blooming in my yard. Since then, I have found almost 60 on my property or along the edge of the creek. While many people would not want to have wetland soils on their property, I've been very happy with the plant life and wildlife it brings to area. I remain a bit soggy and happy!

Owls around Home

2008-08-27T06:03:00.000-04:00

The past week or two has been a time of increasing owl calls. Last night as I was drifting off to sleep, a screech owl was sounding off from the front yard. I've been hearing screech owls mostly after 10:30 PM and before 1AM, but two nights ago on a short evening walk at sunset, I heard one to the east of the house. There is nothing quite like the whinny call of a screech owl.

While screech owls have been heard most frequently, I have heard one barred owl to the west of the house and Monday morning, August 25th, I had a great horned owl hooting to the east. The calls of owls really bring out the wild side of the night. May they hoot and whinny forevermore!

August 3rd - Sounds from the Porch

2008-08-03T23:36:00.000-04:00

This is really the first relaxing night I've had in weeks. Work on teacher institute presentations have consumed my life since early July. I'm on my porch working on finishing some university work and I've been here since my daughter went to bed at 9:30PM. The annual cicadas were first replaced by katydids. A high pitched chatter occurred on the north side of my house and something went under the porch (under my feet) to the south side of my house. I watched a shooting star briefly appear in the southwestern sky. A screech owl was heard around 10:30 to my north. Later, what might have been raccoons were heard vocalizing (fighting maybe?) to my northeast. Around 11:30PM, I heard my first ever pair of coyotes vocalizing, one almost due south and another probably a quartermile away southeast of the house. They were followed by a barred owl southeast of the house. Green frogs have barked, a bullfrog has sounded, and I can only remember one car going by in the last two hours.

It's good to be home and recharging, even if only for an evening. Tomorrow, another chapter in work begins. Tomorrow night, I'll be back on the porch letting nature rebuild me.

Newts and Lillies

2008-07-02T13:27:00.000-04:00

I was able to spend the entire morning back in Game Lands 166 on July 1st. The cicadas are waining, with their buzz being much quieter than the past weeks. The rains of recent days brought the red efts - a subadult of the spotted newt - out in force. I believe 16 were seen. A rather impressive Canada Lilly (red variant) was seen also. The squaw root is up as is another parastic plant - the indian pipe. A pretty amazing morning to say the least. I've included several pictures for your viewing pleasure.

The Cicadas are Here!

2008-06-16T23:03:00.000-04:00

For over a week, the buzz of the periodical cicadas have been heard throughout the area. This brood seems to be from Frankstown down into Huntingdon. None have been heard by me in Hollidaysburg, Duncansville, Altoona, or Loretto. The black stocky bodies with orange trimmed wings are spooky. The red eyes make them look positively satanic. I've attached a few pictures and a video of sound to mark the event.

Flowers and a Whip-poor-will

2008-05-29T23:19:00.000-04:00

Today was one of the first days I’ve actually spent some time at home. While the morning was filled with work, the afternoon consisted of digging up some wildflowers and replanting them. A friend was removing excess plants at her house in Hollidaysburg and offered me some great plants. We dug up some purple cone flower, bee balm, feverfew, turtlehead, and yarrow. I started some of these species from seed, but they are so small (< .5 inches) that I don’t think they’ll make it. The rootstock of these transplants should do well. I placed them strategically in the yard with the idea that they will be the start of a meadow full of wildflowers.

The past month has been rainy and cooler than expected. I tried to plant a small garden in what I thought was a high spot in the yard, but the soil remained saturated with water until the past few days. I scattered some wildflower seed there, but I think that area will need to be planted with wet-loving plants. I’ll gather some seeds from cardinal flower, joe pye weed, and ironweed this summer after I get some advice from a friend who knows more about wetlands than I do.

A short walk this evening yielded two deer and a distant calling whip-poor-will. The diversity of birds on and around the house is amazing. I’m including birds seen within a half mile of the place over the past three months.

SPECIES	SPECIES	SPECIES
Canada Goose	Blue-headed Vireo	Yellow Warbler
Wood Duck	Red-eyed Vireo	Ovenbird
Mallard	Blue Jay	Common Yellowthroat
Ring-necked Pheasant	American Crow	Eastern Towhee
Great Blue Heron	Tree Swallow	Chipping Sparrow
Turkey Vulture	N. Rough-winged Swallow	Field Sparrow
Red-tailed Hawk	Barn Swallow	Song Sparrow
American Kestrel	Black-capped Chickadee	White-throated Sparrow
Killdeer	Tufted Titmouse	Dark-eyed Junco
American Woodcock	White-breasted Nuthatch	Northern Cardinal
Mourning Dove	Brown Creeper	Indigo Bunting
Yellow-billed Cuckoo	Carolina Wren	Red-winged Blackbird
Whip-poor-will	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher	Eastern Meadowlark
Chimney Swift	Eastern Bluebird	Common Grackle
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	American Robin	Brown-headed Cowbird
Belted Kingfisher	Gray Catbird	Baltimore Oriole
Red-bellied Woodpecker	Northern Mockingbird	Purple Finch
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher	Brown Thrasher	House Finch
Eastern Phoebe	European Starling	American Goldfinch
Great Crested Flycatcher	Cedar Waxwing	House Sparrow

Leaf Out in Scotch Valley

2008-04-30T23:00:00.000-04:00

Driving down from Saint Francis today the shades of yellows and greens against the mountains. Some trees have already flowered, like the maples, but now those are leafing out. The red flowers of the red buds and the white flowers of service berry offer bursts of bright color contrasting against the dark trees.

Scotch Valley and the Canoe Creek area offer the random placements of these trees in the untamed areas and the neatly planted rows of them in the domesticated landscaping of the homes and lawns of the tame. Give me the surprise of a splash of color. You can keep the neat and tidy landscaping.

Even the birds are coloring up. Goldfinches have their yellow and black feathers back. A male bluebird is frequenting property offering flashes of blue and orange as he flies from perch to perch. Purple finches are frequenting the yard in search of sunflower seed. Their is nothing quite like their raspberry red coloring. Even the female offers a brown and white pattern that is quite pleasing.

Spring Marches Forward

2008-04-25T15:06:00.000-04:00

As April has moved along, warming temperatures accompanying some rain has brought numerous wildflowers and some wildlife to Red House. Spring peepers have been joined by the trill of toads while the wood frogs have fallen silent. April 20th in the evening after a good soaking rain, I found two mallard ducks in my yard. I watched them for a few minutes and then caught some distant movement out of my eye. A large snapping turtle was traversing the wettest part of the property, moving towards a drainage ditch that connects to Canoe Creek. I wished my daughter had been here to see it.

Other noteworthy events include the discovery of the heron rookery I had heard about. I saw 11 nests, but I am told there are 18. Also, I drove (slowly) through Scotch Valley April 17th I think, counting the deer that were emerging as the light of day disappeared. 54 deer were seen. I can't recall the last time I saw that many deer in one day, let alone 15 minutes.

Greening grass and emerging spring wildflowers have also been a pleasure to watch. While skunk cabbage was definitely an early arrival months ago, I have found trout lily, at least two species of violet, and Christmas fern up and active in the last two weeks. Beautiful to say the least.

Energy Bad and Good News

2008-04-07T20:25:00.000-04:00

I came home this evening to an error message on my propane boiler, leading me to spend an hour and a half to figure out why my boiler wasn't working. I called the guy that installed it. Then after some additional attempts to get it to light, we found the problem. No propane. I had been watching the gauge for a month, trying to gauge the costs of this new furnace and the fuel it will consume, and the gauge hadn't moved. I have no experience with propane, and the boiler is an Energy Star appliance so I thought it might be what to expect. I should have realized the propane gauge was stuck. So the propane truck is on the way.

The good news is the woodburner was ready to serve and the living room thermostat is now reading 78 degrees and a fan is blowing heat into the bedroom. A red glowing fire with the occasional cracks and pops of the burning wood is very comforting.

Spring Peepers & Wood Frogs

2008-04-06T22:21:00.000-04:00

The onslaught of warm weather and rains has pushed us into spring. I have added a great blue heron to my yard list, as well as a belted kingfisher, and Canada geese. I have heard a kinglet, but I don't remember if it is a ruby- or golden-crowned kinglet. The most exciting sound in the evening is the frog calls. Wood frogs call their duck like "chucks" while the peepers scream out their peep calls from the yard not more than 30 feet from the house. The attached video is nothing but sound, so don't hope for a picture. It's dark at night and I don't want to silence the chorus with light!

Coltsfoot Has Bloomed

2008-03-30T18:21:00.000-04:00

At last, the flowers of spring are pushing through the ground and opening their flowers against the chill and the wind. Driving back from church today, I spotted the bright yellow of a group of six coltsfoot flowers alongside the road near the Sternagles home. Walking from the house along the driveway to get the mail, one lone flower could be seen just above the dried leaves from last year. What a cheery sight to see after a relatively snowless, brown winter. The rains of late have been gentle enough to move into the thawing ground, hopefully replenishing the groundwater from last year's dryness. Perhaps this is the way of the future: winter rains replenishing the groundwater instead of snow. Regardless, the recent rains, lengthening days, and moderating temperatures seem to have moved us a step forward with coltsfoot emerging from the ground.

Other notes include:

two deer were a few feet from the porch last night, eating sunflower seeds put out for the birds.
walking the road today yielded a great blue heron, a very cold meadowlark on the wire, and a pair of Canada geese and a pair of mallards on the pond near the house.

First Spring Peeper and More

2008-03-26T00:08:00.000-04:00

I stepped outside around 11PM and heard several feeble peeps from a spring peeper. I've been hearing them in Osterburg on and off from March 15th on. Of course, Friday night March 21st produced four inches of snow and created several cancelled Easter Egg Hunts on Saturday. It also produced a tremendous fallout of ducks on Canoe Creek which I missed. I was called about it and was told the entire lake was covered with perhaps 10,000 ducks. I was in Clearfield so I drove to Curwensville Dam where I found the ice has not yet gone out. Not a single duck was seen.

As spring moves forward, spring beauties are up but not flowering yet. I popped several daffodils in the ground for my daughter to watch emerge. I also dropped a red trillium, white trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit, and maidenhair fern bulbs in the ground hoping to start a shade garden. First, I'd like to see some temperatures above 60 degrees and hear the chorus of peepers and some wood frogs croaking soon. Come on spring!

A Chilly Day at Canoe Lake

2008-03-17T01:18:00.001-04:00

Today was spent in church and assembling a shelf for the daughter. A brief stop at Canoe Lake yielded 87 ring-necked ducks, probably 5 canvasbacks, and 2 mallards. The highlight was a muskrat swimming by at less than two feet distance. The rhythmic wiggling of the tail propelled it silently forward while I watched.

I also planted several daffodil bulbs along my sidewalk and created an experimental shade garden with a jack-in-the-pulpit, a maidenhair fern, a white trillium, and a red trillium purchased at Lowe's. I'll be very interested to see how they do.

Tested the pH of the soil also. An even 7, which is very sweet and will provide some good growth, I hope.

Spring is moving in!

2008-03-15T22:15:00.000-04:00

I drove south to Osterburg to pick up a few essentials. Osterburg is perhaps 20 miles south of here and west. A smile came to my face when I heard spring peepers there. None are peeping at Red House yet.

Also, an eastern phoebe graced us with his arrival today. The first I've heard this year.

Birds on Canoe Lake include: ring-necked ducks, redheads, 4 ruddy ducks (a first for the year), some buffleheads, and perhaps one old squaw.

A New Home

2008-03-15T10:40:00.000-04:00

Last night was the first night my daughter and I stayed at Red House. I purchased it in December of 2007, but installing a central heating system and upgrading the electricity has taken much longer than expected. I hope to add some furniture in the next few weeks, but that will depend on my work schedule.

I'll begin with a brief overview of why I bought the house. The first reason is location. Canoe Creek State Park is just 3 miles away. A 10,000 acre gamelands is less than a mile away. The 1.5 acre property borders an exceptional trout stream (Canoe Creek) and has wetlands on it. I was watching a male bluebird this morning investigating holes in a tree where I am told bluebirds have nested before. A male and female pheasant walked from this property across the road this morning at 8AM. Numerous puddles appear in the lawn (which will be landscaped for wildlife) after rain and rabbits, squirrels, and numerous kinds of birds frequent the area. The house is a hunting cabin, thus the need for some upgrading. The fireplace is definitely the centerpiece. When the house was constructed, I am told that stone from Beaver Dam Road was used in the fireplace. Several stones have fossils from what I believe is the Devonian Period.

I'm looking forward to learning about my new home. It will be a great adventure, I'm sure.