Encounters With Animals: Snow Geese at Middle Creek

I've previously written about observing the snow goose migration in NJ with my friend Pastor Chris. That was just a warm up for what I saw two weeks later at Middle Creek.

Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area is located on the border of Lebanon and Lancaster Counties, and
in the middle of the flight path of the Canada Goose, the Tundra Swan, and the Snow Goose. The bird numbers at the peak of migration are enormous - this year the count was sixty thousand birds. And that was one day. The photo to the right is from the website of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, managers of Middle Creek, and well deserves its title of "Winged Chaos."

Having seen the snow geese in New Jersey, I wanted to see them in PA. But the horrible winter weather interfered for both myself and the geese. The birds don't migrate in cold weather. Roads were bad, the interior road system at Middle Creek was impassible, and standing for hours in sub-freezing weather didn't appeal to me. But by the middle of March we had a respite. The temperatures warmed up and the geese began moving. By March 11 the Waterfall Migration Update on the Game Commission website listed sixty thousand birds and noted "It's on."

My friend Dan Glass gave me advise on what to do and what to expect. "Don't fool around. Be there at dawn" he said. While he suggested a weekday visit, my schedule only allowed a trip on a weekend. Dan posted a video to YouTube from his visit on Friday March 14, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=559VRdxtcTk, and it shows the "swirling" he told me I would see when I visited.

I followed Dan's advice, and arrived bleary-eyed at 6:30 AM to Middle Creek. I found the parking area for

Willow Point, the prime observation area, and snared one of the last parking spots. The half-mile hike on the paved Willow Point Trail was an easy walk, and would have been quiet if it weren't for the noise of roosting birds. Since Middle Creek Lake was frozen over, the birds were roosting on the ice in the middle of the lake. At Willow Point itself fifty people had gathered, setting up cameras with enormous lenses, clutching thermoses full of coffee, shivering in the cold, and waiting on the birds' next move.

And the birds did move. While I couldn't capture good images of the birds swirling, I spent two hours watching and photographing the migration. Wave after wave of snow geese, along with the solitary tundra swan, filled the sky. Nature is majestic.

By nine AM the hours of standing, and being up early, was taking a toll on me. So I left Willow Point and drove to the Visitor Center, and from there I followed the driving tour of the park. This was the first day the park roads were open, and while there were patches of snow and ice the driving was generally easy. The views of the birds were good, although not as good as at Willow Point.

I left Middle Creek at ten AM, heading for home tired but amazed at what I'd seen. I was glad I didn't let the cold or other matters interfere with my seeing one of the grandest spectacles of nature.

Encounters with Animals: Elk at Hick's Run and Winslow Hill

Last week I posted about attending the elk rut, and how awkward it is to explain to a seven year old just what the elk do. The photos in that post were from Benezette, specifically the Elk County Visitor's Center and the fields and roads around it. But there are several places in Elk County to view the animals. Two of my favorites are Hick's Run and Winslow Hill.






To the east of Benezette on PA 555 is Hick's Run, which has an enclosed blind with several viewing locations. Even when the elk aren't in rut, Hick's Run is a delightful place to visit. The pathway to the blind runs through a stand of old-growth pine, and in addition there's a small family burial plot to explore. It's a bit disconcerting at dusk to be wandering around the stones of the Hicks and Dent families and hear the elk bugling. There is a free state forest campsite, with chemical toilets, located two miles down Hick's Run Road. And while there's no hiking trail in the immediate vicinity, the forest roads make for a nice walk.

Another good viewing spot is Winslow Hill, three miles up Winslow Hill Road from Route 555. Even aside from the elk this is a nice place to stop, because the view of the surrounding hills is breathtaking. And there are picnic benches a hundred feet or so from the observation area, so you can have lunch while taking in the scenery.

Both Hick's Run and Winslow Hill observation areas feature offroad parking. While its tempting to just pull over somewhere and and watch for elk, please don't. Elk County gets 75,000 visitors between August and October during the rut, and traffic can be heavy on the local roads. Enjoy viewing the elk, deer, wild turkeys, bear, and other animals at the viewing areas, not someone's driveway or lawn.

Encounters with Animals: Snow Geese Migration

On Saturday I spent some time with my friend Pastor Chris in New Jersey chasing the snow goose. The snow goose spends its summers in the Arctic regions, but winters in the south. The flyway is directly over the Garden State, and they gather by the thousands in fields and meadows. Sometimes they keep to themselves, but they are often found in a flock with the Canada goose.

After a drive of about twenty minutes we came across an enormous flock of the birds near the entrance ramps to Interstate 195. A minute after we arrived someone, presumably the land owner, startled the flock to get them to leave. The group split, landing in three different nearby fields. Mission accomplished, I guess. Unless he owned those fields, in which case he simply spread around his problem.

We approached one of the groups of birds, but they were alert and kept their distance. I wonder if they heard my comment that on seeing them my first thought was I didn't have a freezer big enough for them.

Encounters With Animals: Elk

I think children should be outside with the birds instead of inside playing Angry Birds. That said, nature is nature, and one needs to be careful what you say to young children. For instance, this conversation I had in September 2012.....

"Uncle Neil"

"Well, if it isn't my favorite seven year old niece!"

"Where have you been, Uncle Neil?"


"I spent a few days up in Benezette."

"Is that far away"

"Five hours drive. Its in Elk County. Do you know what an elk is?"


"Is it like a bear?"

"No, it looks like a deer, but its much bigger. A hundred years ago there were no more elk in Pennsylvania, but then the Game Commission brought them here from the Rocky Mountains, and now there are seven hundred or so living in Elk County around the town of Benezette."

"Why did you go see the elk, Uncle Neil?"

"Lots of people go to see the elk. Every fall the elk go into rut....."

"What's rut?"

"Well, err, ahem, it means the elk, well, they,,,, they get married."


"They get married like Mommy and Daddy!?"

"Oh, I hope not. I really hope not."

"Did you go to the elk wedding?"

"Well, I did. Its interesting. The boy elk will fight with each other before they choose the girl elk they marry. But sometimes the girl elk doesn't want to marry the boy elk."

"Why doesn't she want to marry?"


"I don't know. Maybe she just wants to be friends. I know that's what women always tell me- err, ah, maybe she wants to have a career first before she has a family."

"What job would an elk do?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe lawn care? They are all over the place, eating the grass on lawns. Or they could work at the visitor's center. This one was greeting all the visitors."


"Uncle Neil, you're silly."

"Yes, I am. And you are wonderful. Never change, please. Never stop asking questions."

Encounters With Animals: Possible Cougar Sighting, Mount Davis, PA, August 2010

Stories of a possible sighting of a cougar, also known as a mountain lion, in central Pennsylvania last week prompted me to go public with my account of a possible cougar sighting. I am not a proponent of cryptozoology, and while the cast of Finding Bigfoot might be marvelous fun to hang out with, I don't believe in such creatures wandering around in the woods. Still, this is what I saw, and I believe it was a mountain lion, which according to the PA Game Commission has been extinct in the Commonwealth for a century.

I wrote the paragraphs below a couple of weeks after I returned home after an extended vacation. They are substantially as I wrote them at the time.

"On August 26, 2010, at approximately 10 PM, I was driving to my campsite on Mount Davis after spending the day hiking at Ohiopyle State Park. Mount Davis is the highest peak in Pennsylvania, and the campsite was an unimproved clearing in the Forbes State Forest. The road was unlit aside from my headlights. After I turned onto Vought Rocks Road, I noticed a animal crossing the forest road ahead of me. It was about 20 to 30 feet from the car. I didn't see the creature's head, since it was entering the brush on the left side of the road. But I did get a view of the body. It was tan-colored, with a long tail. I estimate the height of the animal's back as about the height of my car hood. My first thought was "Oh my goodness, that looks like a lion!" It moved like a cat.  I didn't stop to investigate where the beast crossed the road, as it was dark and I didn't know what it was.I didn't have my camera handy so I wasn't able to get a photograph. The sighting was a mile from my campsite. I wasn't too concerned about my safety as I understood such cats to shy away from man.

"I knew it wasn't a deer or bear. It was too large to be a bobcat and the coloring was wrong. It didn't look like a wolf or coyote. I assumed it was a mountain lion, and still believe this. I didn't file a report with PADCNR or the Game Commission because I wasn't aware until yesterday that the mountain lion/cougar is officially considered extinct in Pennsylvania."

I'm open to other explanations of what I saw.

Encounters with Animals: Seagull Alpha at Kinzua Dam, September 2012

I've seen bears, rattlesnakes, eagles, and hawks, but I've never been attacked by them. Alpha was different.

In September 2012 I spent a rainy day exploring part of north central Pennsylvania with my friend Judy. As part of our travels we drove to Kinzua Dam and the lake it created. The dam itself is an impressive piece of engineering, spanning the Allegheny River with one of the largest structures of its kind east of the Mississippi. Canoeing on the lake is a wish I never manage to get fulfilled, sadly, even though I've been in the area a few times.

Canoeing wasn't in our plans today either. Time was short and I was still fatiguing far too soon. So we walked and took photos. I must have tripped some invisible security alarm at the dam, for no sooner did I take out the camera and start snapping away than I was accosted by security.

The bird didn't say a word. Being a seagull and not a parrot, I wasn't surprised. But I was shocked at how seriously the avian agent took its job. The sign at the dam's gated, secure area said "Force Protection Level: Alpha", so I took that to be the seagull's name. Alpha shot me a dirty look and made gull noises at me. Not planning to trespass and assuming the gull would understand my intentions, I stood my ground taking photos. And then this happened.

Judy kept her distance, documenting the encounter. Not wanting to be strafed by the gull again, I retreated. As I did I had a bad flashback to Sea Isle City, New Jersey three decades ago, and my youngest brother getting hit by a rock he'd thrown to a passing seagull. That gull was just doing beach patrol. Who knew what this bird was carrying? I wasn't going to find out. 

Kinzua Dam is worth visiting. And worth photographing. Just keep in mind security watches over it from the air. Respect them. Don't fall afoul of the fowl.

Freedom Trail, Tallmadge, Ohio

I needed a recovery ride. I'd done my longest ride in two years the day before, and pushed myself hard at the end to avoid getting rained on. I was tired, and I needed a slow bit of pedaling to unwind. Fortunately, Metroparks Serving Summit County had the trail for me.

The Freedom Trail is a new multi-use path in development on an abandoned commuter rail line. The trail currently runs 4.2 miles in the city of Tallmadge, but plans are for it to continue into Akron and connect with the Northside Station of the Cuyahoga Valley Railroad and the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath. On the other end, Portage County will bring the Portage Trail to a connection, which will mean residents of that county can have an off-road path into Akron, north to Cleveland, and south as far as the towpath goes. 

I was joined on this ride by my buddy Aaron, and Aaron's pal Samson. Aaron rode and Samson walked, connected to Aaron's bike by a special mount on the seatpost. Samson seemed enthusiastic. Then again, he's a German Shepherd. The trail itself is wonderfully planned, wooded for most of its length. For much of the ride I couldn't even hear traffic noise. Once we passed the small Metropark on the trail and entered downtown Tallmadge road crossings and traffic noise were there, but aside from waiting at crossings we had no trouble. 

Or, I should write "we humans had no trouble." Samson has been on long walks and rides before, but at the turn around point Aaron noticed his dog was bleeding on one of his paws. Something on the asphalt surface, or the gravel next to the trail, irritated his pads. My friends took it easy riding back, walking the bike at times. Samson is a strong dog, and after a couple of days with his paws wrapped he's recovered and reportedly wants to go for another run/ride with his human.

 I finished the ride, and the day, with ten miles. I rode back and forth near the end while Aaron was talking to Samson and checking his paws, which explains my increased mileage.

Memories of Roscoe - Hickory Run State Park, May 2013

Among the first posts to A Taste For The Woods were accounts of hikes with my friend Mike.The Texan is a long-distance truck driver, and while he had a layover outside Hazelton I took him on some short hikes in Hickory Run State Park. But Mike wasn't alone; his traveling companion Roscoe came with him. The three of us had a great time, two men and a dog.

Yesterday morning Mike told me Roscoe had died. I'm sad for my friend's loss of his companion on the road, but I feel a small tug as well. Roscoe was a delightful dog; well-behaved but high spirited, good with children, and loyal to his owner. He behaved himself when he was in my car by himself, let children pet him when we walked by a family picnic at Sand Spring Lake, and followed Mike everywhere. We may never know what first brought man and dog together as friends, but it happened. And in honor of Roscoe's friendship with Mike, here are their photos from our day at Hickory Run.

Chris stalks a deer

During today's ride on the Perkiomen Trail my buddy Chris observed a deer feeding just off the trail. He puts his hunting skills to work in the above YouTube video.

Nola, the trail cat

The Great Allegheny Passage is known for many kinds of exotic wildlife - peacocks, black bear, timber rattlers, recumbent cyclists - but few creatures were as fearsome as Nola.

Just when this ferocious feline began patrolling the trail just past the Deal trailhead isn't known, but I tangled with her on a hot morning in August 2008. Her approach to me was classic cat. She knew I'd slow on seeing her, and so she took her time approaching me. I wasn't going anywhere. As I stopped, she turned towards me and rolled onto her side. I dismounted the bike, as she expected. She looked at me with her feline eyes, as if to say "I have a soft white belly, and I'd like you to rub it."  Then she purred. I was foolish and lured in. I extended my hand towards her belly, and as I got close the trap was sprung. Her claws came out and sprang at my hand. Fortunately I was slightly faster than Nola, and got my hand away in time to avoid scratches. She then rolled back onto her side, and purred again to get my attention. Having had one near miss with Nola, I had no wish  try again. I remounted the bike and continued on to Cumberland.

This was my only meeting with Nola. When I rode through the Deal trailhead in 2009 and 2010 she wan't at her post. In 2011 I'd heard she'd disappeared and was presumed dead. If so, the GAP is missing a mascot and greeter. Nola, wherever you are, I hope the mice are slow and fat, and you have an unending stream of cyclists to greet. 

My First Rattlesnake, Pine Creek Rail Trail, August 2009

A short story of my first encounter with an Eastern Timber Rattlesnake, told from the snake's point of view. I'll add in my defense that I now know I shouldn't have disturbed the reptile, and next time I'll leave it alone. The timber rattler is a protected species in Pennsylvania, and found mainly in the central and western mountains of the state. His proper name is Crotalus Horridus, but this one prefers to be called Doug.

**********

(Back in the snake den, Doug is talking.... and talking.... and talking.... He corners another snake and stops him when he tries to slither away.)

"So wait till I tell you what happened!"

"Gee Doug, the wife was expecting me to bring home dinner, and I need to get a mouse quick."

"Wait, this'll just take a minute. I was in vacation in Pennsyltucky-"

"How did you get up there?"

"I flew."

"Sure, you sprouted wings."

"No, I flew in an airplane."

"Oh come on, tell me another one."

"Don't Tread On Me"

"It's true. Haven't you heard that snakes can be on planes? Well anyway, I was vacationing in a place called the Pine Creek Gorge. It's got lots of nice rocks and flat, level gravel that we can sun ourselves on. So I was resting there, soaking up some rays, conditioning the new skin - I'd shed the old coat, and all of a sudden I feel some water land on me. I looked up to see if it was raining and I saw one of those strange big creatures on two wheels squirting water at me from his water bottle."

"So what did you do?"

"I showed him who was boss. I reared up and shook my rattle at him."

"And what did he do?"

"Well, I'd hoped he'd drop the water bottle and run away, but he didn't. He took out a camera and took photos of me. I was flattered of course, but I realized he may have had more water, so I slithered away. I kept shaking my rattle so he knew I was taking it easy on him. "

"You were lucky. Those two-wheeled creatures are dangerous."

"Yeah. We need to get them outlawed. You should contact all your relatives who are lawyers or members of Congress."