Newts and Lillies

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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!