A trip tp eastern Lancaster County provided a look at the following scenes:
A group of vultures found something dead and furry by the side of the road. There was one black vulture and several turkey vultures.
There were also plenty of horses enjoying their Sunday off. I think almost everyone likes horses.
The presence of a snowy owl in the area causes great excitement. Even the local news take notice. A bird in eastern Lancaster County recently created the expected onslaught of birders. I set out one Saturday to have a look as well. Note to self: don’t go looking for an owl without your “good” camera.
The bird was close to the road but not in front of the most photogenic backdrop. The online consensus is that it is a “she,” but I’m not sure how you tell juveniles from females.
Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lebanon and Lancaster Counties is great spot for bird watching or just enjoying a great day out. On my recent trip, I saw nearly 30 species of birds. I also passed dozens of horse drawn buggies on the way there and back. In one parking lot, I came across the following interesting sight:
A trip to the Octoraro Lake area for some birding did not produce what I had hoped for on the bird front. I saw some ducks and great blue herons and managed to take some of the worst bird photos I have ever attempted. I did better with photos of the surrounding countryside.
Finally, a shot from northwestern Chester Country, because I like it and don’t have another post to put it in.
Disclaimer: There are no pictures of horned larks in this post
The grapevine (okay, Ebird) continued to carry news of horned larks, Lapland longspurs, and snow buntings in farmers’ fields in northwestern Chester County near Honeybrook. As mentioned in my previous post, I had visited this area over the Winter in connection with a trip to try to find a snowy owl that had briefly been seen nearby. On the first try, I had no luck. This time around I spotted horned larks in small flocks, which is a new species for my life list. This is a very picturesque area with lovely farms that merited more photos.
This young farmer was fertilizing his fields for Spring.
Here’s a better look.
Cattle feeding and soaking up the sun.
Two Amish schoolhouses are close to each other in this area.
Some looks at the farms and fields.
The plastic tubes are there to protect the young trees as they grow along this riparian boundary. The tubes will biodegrade over time.
Pennsylvania “standing stones.”
My trip to central Pennsylvania this past October came to and end, and I made my way back home slowly that Sunday. Blessed with some nice weather, it was a great drive.
My first stop was the Logan Mills Covered Bridge and surrounding village. This bridge is located in Loganton, PA in Clinton County. The bridge is a 55-foot-long 12-foot-wide, Queen post truss bridge. It was constructed in 1874 and crosses Fishing Creek. It is the only remaining covered bridge in Clinton County. The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
My next stop was an overlook on Jones Mountain Road in Union County in Bald Eagle State forest. This was a spectacular vista, with nothing visible but trees and mountains all the way to the horizon.
A made a quick drive through Raymond B. Winter State Park and came across this enchanting scene:
Sometimes you just encounter some fun or interesting stuff while out with your camera.
I traveled to Lancaster yesterday to pet superstore That Fish Place/That Pet Place to check out a small vendor and hobbyist swap they were hosting in conjunction with the Aquarium Club of Lancaster. It was a great event. especially if you were in the market for cichlids or plants. Alas, as I was looking for some specific types of community fish, shrimp and snails, I didn’t get anything. The store is well worth checking out, and I bought some supplies – some fish food, nitrifying bacteria supplement for a new tank and test strips. One of the coolest things in the store is this shallow ray tank:
I took route 741 across Lancaster County and saw quite few buggies and horse plow teams out on a sunny Saturday. Hopefully I can get back for some pictures soon. I also stopped at Stuaffers to pick up some catnip plants for my cat, Kona. He wouldn’t be happy if I came back empty handed.
