I made a rare summer visit to Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge (near Smyrna, Delaware) due to the increased number of interesting species found there in prior days. I didn’t manage to find all of them, but the trip didn’t disappoint.
Of particular interest were the Curlew Sandpiper, Glossy Ibis, Sandhill Crane, Black Swan, and Roseate Spoonbill, as well as the host of other birds that visit the Refuge or call it home. Large numbers of American Avocet, Semipalmated and Black Bellied Plover, Mute Swans, Great and Snowy Egrets, Great Blue Herons and a variety of sandpipers and other shorebirds were present.
With many summer wildflowers in bloom, the Refuge was looking lovely. Sadly, the Purple Martin colony seems to have mostly dispersed. I also missed the Black Swan, Spoonbill, and Curlew Sandpiper but was still happy with my day.
Three of the four of Glossy Ibis I saw. One of my favorite birds, up close there is a dazzling array of iridescent plumage.A Great Egret and Great Blue Heron seem offended by each other,I was thrilled to see this juvenile Yellow Crowned Night Heron – a long time nemesis bird and a lifer.A convention of Great Egrets in this tree.Lots of American Avocet were present.Fantastic views of a pair of Sandhill Crane.
If the bird life disappoints, you can always just enjoy the view.
The Hubble 35th Anniversary Challenge for July put the emphasis on globular clusters. These dense star formations are forgiving astrophotography targets, so this month’s batch of photos may be a bit better than the usual mixed bag of results.
A globular cluster is a spherical collection of stars, typically containing hundreds of thousands or even millions of stars, all gravitationally bound together. These clusters are ancient, with their stars often being among the oldest in their host galaxies, and they orbit the galactic core in a halo-like structure.
One of the most famous is Messier 13 (M 13 or NGC 6205) in the constellation Hercules , which contains several hundred thousand stars. Messier 13 was discovered by Edmond Halley in 1714, and cataloged by Charles Messier on June 1, 1764, into his list of objects not to mistake for comets; Messier’s list, including Messier 13, eventually became known as the Messier catalog. Messier 13 is often described by astronomers as the most magnificent globular cluster visible to northern observers.
M 13
Messier 92 (also known as M92, M 92, or NGC 6341) is a globular cluster of stars also in the constellation of Hercules. It was discovered by Johann Elert Bode on December 27, 1777, then published in the Berliner Astronomisches Jahrbuch during 1779. It was inadvertently rediscovered by Charles Messier on March 18, 1781, and added as the 92nd entry in his catalog. William Herschel first resolved individual stars in 1783.
It is one of the brighter of its sort in apparent magnitude in the northern hemisphere and in its absolute magnitude in the galaxy, but it is often overlooked by amateur astronomers due to proximity to bright Messier 13. Though when compared to M13, M92 is only slightly less bright, but about 1/3 less extended. It is visible to the naked eye under very good viewing conditions.With a small telescope, M92 can be seen as a smudge even in a severely light-polluted sky.
M 92
Messier 107 or M107, also known as NGC 6171 or the Crucifix Cluster, is a very loose globular cluster in a southern part of the sky in Ophiuchus, and is the last object in the Messier Catalog. It was discovered by Pierre Méchain in April 1782, then independently by William Herschel in 1793. Herschel’s son, John, in his 1864 General Catalog, described it as a “globular cluster of stars, large, very rich, very much compressed, round, well resolved, clearly consisting of stars”
M 107
Messier 62 or M62, also known as NGC 6266 or the Flickering Globular Cluster, is a globular cluster of stars in the south of the equatorial constellation of Ophiuchus. It was discovered in 1771 by Charles Messier, then added to his catalog eight years later.
M62 is among the ten most massive and luminous globular clusters in the Milky Way, showing an integrated absolute magnitude of −9.18. It is essentially spherical.
I made my way into Lycoming County back in September. Before we head there, here are some remaining shots of Sullivan County, featuring the town of Muncy Valley. This particular house, on a sharp turn on Route 42, is always decked out with lots of flowers, in season.
The view from the firehouse across the road.
I travelled into Lycoming County on this trip because I specifically wanted to see Rose Valley Lake, which is known as a birding area. The lake is a reservoir that covers 389 acres (1.57 km2) in Gamble Township. The three-hundred-and-sixty-acre artificial lake is owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and was given its name, “Rose Valley Lake,” in May 1973 by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, following approval by the commonwealth’s Geographic Names Committee. Created by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, via the construction of a twenty-five-foot-high, four-hundred-and-ten-foot-long earthen dam on Mill Creek in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, Rose Valley Lake is a three-hundred-and-sixty-acre artificial body of water. The most common game species of fish in the lake are largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, muskellunge, yellow perch, chain pickerel, pumpkinseed and walleye.
The area around the lake is quite scenic.A small church in Lycoming County.A valley farm.Another interesting old church.Mt. Zion Lutheran Church. A lot of ancestors and relatives are buried here.Eating lunch at the Lairdsville Cornerstone Restaurant.An interesting player piano.And an old stove.
Finally, the Lairdsville Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge over Little Muncy Creek in Moreland Township, Lycoming County. It was built in 1888 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is also known as the Frazier Covered Bridge. The window with the exposed beams is a unique feature.
On my way to Sullivan County, I took the opportunity to visit a few covered bridges that I had not visited before or failed to photograph for the blog. Outside of Allentown, I took a look at the Bogert Covered Bridge. This area was busy on a sunny Monday holiday, so I took a few photos and got the neck out of there. Bogert Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge is a 145-foot-long (44 m), Burr Truss bridge, that was constructed in 1841. It has vertical plank siding and a gable roof. It was restored by the Allentown Parks Department
Moving on to Columbia County, the Sam Eckman Covered Bridge was the first of three that I know that I have seen before. The bridge is a wooden covered bridge located at Greenwood Township and Pine Township. It is a 65.1-foot-long (19.8 m), Warren Truss bridge constructed in 1876. It crosses Little Fishing Creek. It is one of the 28 historic covered bridges in Columbia and Montour Counties. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
This distinctive farm is nearby.A barn I saw on my travels. It has some notable stars, which look like they are for sale.
Next was the Jud Christian Covered Bridge, a wooden covered bridge located at Jackson Township and Pine Township. It is a 63-foot-long (19 m), Queen post truss bridge constructed in 1876. It crosses the Little Fishing Creek. It was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. I remember some interesting cattle near this bridge when I visited before, but, sadly, they were no here on this day.
Little Fishing Creek.An adjacent farm with some really neat buildings.
The diminutive Shoemaker Covered Bridge is another wooden covered bridge located at Pine Township. It was the lone new-to-me bridge in this bunch. is a 49-foot-long (15 m), Queen Post Truss bridge constructed in 1881. It crosses West Branch Run and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is all decked out for a picnic. It might be privately owned but is not posted.
Finally, the Wagner Covered Bridge is one of the relocated covered bridges in Pennsylvania. It currently sits near the entrance to a housing development. The Wagner Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge that was originally built in Locust Township. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The bridge was dismantled on March 23, 1981, and the pieces stored at Knoebels Amusement Resort until it was rebuilt at its current location in Hemlock Township. When built in 1856, this historic structure was a 56.5-foot-long (17.2 m), Queen Post Truss bridge with a tarred metal roof. It originally crossed the North Branch of Roaring Creek. When I first saw it years ago, it was covered in graffiti. It is looking much better today.
Travelling east over Route 154, turn north on Rock Run Road. You will soon come down to the Loyalsock Creek where you can cross via this interesting bridge.
I had to sneak the Sonestown covered bridge in here as it was on my route that day. The Sonestown Covered Bridge is a covered bridge over Muncy Creek in Davidson Township, Sullivan County built around 1850. It is 110 ft (34 m) long and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1980. It is also known as the Davidson Covered Bridge. It was built to provide access to a grist mill which operated until the early 20th century.
The Sonestown bridge is a Burr arch truss type with a load-bearing arch sandwiching multiple vertical king posts for strength and rigidity. The bridge construction is cruder than the other two surviving covered bridges in Sullivan County, with each Burr arch formed from six straight beams set at angles instead of a smooth curve. The bridge was repaired in 1969 and after flood damage in 1996, 2005, 2013, and 2020. It was also restored in 2001.
The Sullivan County courthouse in Laporte, the county seat.I like the cardinal decor on this house in Laporte.Into the Loyalsock State Forest, we come to Dry Run Falls.There is a picnic area along Dry Run Road.As well as a Ranger Station.Best sign in the Forest. I’ve heard Shanerburg was a logging camp. If anyone knows anything about it, please comment.
Eagles Mere is a borough in Sullivan County with a population of 151 at the 2020 census (full time residents). Eagles Mere was laid out in 1877 and incorporated in 1899. The Eagles Mere Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. Eagles Mere’s name literally means “the eagle’s lake”, the word “mere” being a poetic synonym of “lake”. The town has an extensive history of tourism, having been developed as a resort town and was once served by a narrow gauge railway. My family has visited the area since I was a child.
Some of the summer sailboat fleet.The clubhouse at the lake with a swimming beach.St. John of the Wilderness Episcopal Church.The Eagles Mere Inn.
Worlds End State Park is situated in a narrow S-shaped valley of the Loyalsock Creek, just south of Forksville, Sullivan County. Surrounded by the Loyalsock State Forest, the 780-acre park offers visitors diverse recreational opportunities, such as hiking, fishing, camping, wildlife viewing and hunting, within a pristine natural environment. As evidenced by the Loyalsock Canyon Vista below, the rugged natural beauty of the Endless Mountains landscape provides many photo opportunities.
My cabin on this trip. It looks like another CCC creation.The neighbors.The other neighbors.I love this snack shop. It’s a great thing to have in Sullivan County.A sneak peak at the beach (which was closed) along the Loyalsock Creek. The water here is always “refreshing.”Another view from the Vista.A taxidermy paradise at the park office.A rare cinnamon black bear.This is what fisher actually looks like. If I had a dollar for every mink, weasel or whatever that someone thinks is a fisher …This bobcat looks surprised to be in his present condition,
I used my trip to the Poconos to stop and visit some historic covered bridges in the Allentown area.
My first stop was the Wehr Covered Bridge, a wooden covered bridge located in Lehigh County. It is a three span, 117-foot-long (36 m) Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1841. It has horizontal siding and gable roof. It crosses Jordan Creek. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. There is and adjacent park, appropriately named Covered Bridge Park and a dam across Jordan Creek forming a small waterfall.
Another interesting bridge with a nice setting is Manasses Guth Covered Bridge. It is a wooden covered bridge near the Wehr Covered Bridge. It is a 108-foot-long (33 m) Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1858, and rebuilt in 1882. It has vertical siding. It also crosses Jordan Creek and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. There is some interesting architecture near the bridge.
The Geiger Covered Bridge is a is a 112-foot-long (34 m) Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1860. It has vertical plank siding and an entry portal of stepped square planks. It also crosses Jordan Creek within the Trexler Nature Preserve. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Finally, the Schlicher Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge that is 108-foot-long (33 m) Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1882. It has vertical plank siding and a gable roof. It crosses Jordan Creek near the Lehigh Valley Zoo. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980
The annual weekend trip to Lake Naomi in the Poconos was blessed with lovely weather – and I got to extend it by a day. Here are some views of the lake.
A panorama of the same area.This woman with three small dogs was quite the character.St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church in nearby Pocono Summit. I’ve always been fascinated by this Church and decided to take a closer look.
