Middle Creek Reservoir (14-Nov-2016)

I picked up around a pack full of trash on this trip, but I am not including it in this post. I went to Middle Creek Reservoir in Lancaster County with, father and son, Joe and Jeff Greco. The Reservoir and surrounding lands are owned and managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Although it is State Gamelands a large portion of the area is not open to hunting. Migratory birds use this large waterbody as a stop on their long journeys and at times hundreds of thousands of geese and other waterfowl can be seen congregating on the water. By not allowing hunting here, the Game Commission has given these migratory birds a large safe haven for them to rest and feed. We were too early for the large migrations of Snow Geese, but on sections there were many Canada Geese. Our main goal for this trip was to see a variety of duck species and we managed to do just that.

Here Joe is scanning a smaller pond disconnected from the main lake by the road. All of the waterfowl here stuck to the far shore and nothing really came in close. Joe and Jeff did spot Canada Geese, Black Ducks, Mallards, Mergansers, Ring-Necked Ducks, Gadwall and an American Coot the first time we stoped at this location. 

The visitors center was closed on Mondays, but we did park at it and did some birding around it. If you are interested in going to the visitors center it is always closed on Mondays and during the winter from Thanksgiving to January 31st. Above is a Red-Bellied Woodpecker that was in one of the trees around the center. 

I walked down one of the access roads while Joe and Jeff were birding around a small empty impoundment. Somehow I spotted this Brown Creeper and by the time they caught up with me it was gone. They said this was hardest bird to find out of all that we saw on the trip. I wish they could have seen it too. 

This is a mammal that shouldn't be found in wildlife management areas. Feral house cats are very good at stalking and killing wild birds and other small wildlife. If you have a house cat please keep them indoors and never release them into wild areas. They really can do a lot of damage to our native wildlife. This was one of several we noticed around the management area. 

These deer looked like they knew they were in a protected area and didn't pay too much attention to us. We passed this small group a couple times and they didn't move far from where we spotted them in the morning. 

Canada Goose on the left and Ring-Necked Ducks in the middle and to the right. You can click on the photos to enlarge them for a better look. 

In this photo there are Common Mergansers to the left, a Gadwall with wings up in the center and in the back and to the left Canada Geese.

The only bird in focus and in flight in this shot is the one bird I wanted to see on this trip. It is a Northern Shoveler and this was only the second time I have ever seen one. They get there name from their wide, long bill which kind of resembles a shovel. 

I didn't take many photos of the main portion of the reservoir. There was very limited access at this time of year and most of the birds that were close on the water were Canada Geese. 

A Pileated Woodpecker flying over the reservoir. I have been trying for a long time to get closer photos of a Pileated. For me that seems to be impossible. 

A special thanks to Joe and Jeff Greco for letting me tag along. Before I left for home I got to see this Opossum in their yard. I hope that you, the reader, have enjoyed the photos. I would have done more trash collecting on this trip, had I been able to access some of the areas. I could see a lot of trash on the waters edge at least in the areas along the road. During the summer when there are not large numbers of waterfowl the reservoir is open to boating and I do plan on going back for an on the water clean-up. 

You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project here: Help Fund Taking Out the Trash

Like this project? Like it on Facebook: Taking Out the Trash in Eastern PA

Nescopeck State Park (12-Nov-2016)

On this excursion I went back to Nescopeck State Park to hike trails I haven't been on before. I parked at an access off of Honey Hole Road where the bridge above can be seen from the entrance. Before hitting the trails I took a side path up stream on the creek the bridge crosses. 

From the bridge itself I could see a beaver dam and that is what drew me to take the side path. 

Before getting to the dam I found a fishing spot that had a bit of trash around it. This would end up being the trashiest spot of the day.

The beaver dam looked like it still had beavers maintaining it. When I got to it I could see that the trail continued, but it was on the other side of a small channel that was filled by the dam. I couldn't go any further and headed back to the main trail.

Back on the main trail I met a hunter who had just arrived and walked with him for until we made it to the Wood Frog Way Loop. I always try to talk to hunters that are in the areas I am cleaning up. When I do I ask what direction they are headed in so I can respect their space and take a path away from where they plan to be. He was trying to harvest a turkey and when we got to the loop I wished him the best of luck and took the path away from him.

I found no trash along the loop and on the way out decided to take the smaller path down the stream. There I found a few items, but also found myself surrounded by small game hunters. It was then that I decided it was time to leave the woods to the hunters and head back to the car. I have no objection to hunting and I believe it is necessary without large predatory species which we have lost in Pennsylvania. When there are too many hunters in the woods though, it is not a place I want to be.

Got to take some new trails and found that the area is relatively clean. It was a good day, a little shorter than I wanted to do though. I probably won't be back to this area for at least a year for a clean-up. 

You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project here: Help Fund Taking Out the Trash

Like this project? Like it on Facebook: Taking Out the Trash in Eastern PA

Locust Lake State Park (11-Nov-2016)

This was just a short walk at Locust Lake State Park. Since I have been here so many times I didn't expect much trash, but almost always there are some new items. I stuck to the trails closest to the lake and for those of you who haven't been here before there is a nicely paved path all the way around the lake. It is nice for those who may have trouble with trails.

 Only did find a few items on the walk around. These are the only bottles I found and removed.

The fishing pier. This also has paved access down to it and allows those who might not be able to get out into a boat a better cast into the lake for fishing. 

From the dam to the moon. Just days before the moon was closer to the Earth than it had been in over 60 years. I did try getting shots of the super moon, none turned out to be the greatest. 

A small pile for a short walk around the lake. Every little bit makes a difference, when you are out on a trail or at a local state park I really hope you decide to make a difference when you come across litter!

You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project here: Help Fund Taking Out the Trash

Like this project? Like it on Facebook: Taking Out the Trash in Eastern PA

Swatara State Park (10-Nov-2016)

I took a break from the blog for awhile. I have kept the Taking Out the Trash in Eastern PA Facebook Page up-to-date though. Earlier this month I did visit Swatara State Park for a hike and clean-up. My first stop was at a section along Swatara Creek accessed at Sand Siding Road. At the access you can either take the Swatara Rail Trail or smaller paths that lead down to and follow the creek. I chose to go right to the creek. 

This was not my first visit to this spot, but I didn't remember seeing tires on my last visit. After finding several I decided I would be taking them along with me on the way out. None were buried so I did not feel the need to contact the park before moving the out to the access. Had they been buried I would have notified the park because it would leave a disturbance behind and some parks would rather just leave the tires in that case.

There were small items here and there, but really the small trails along the creek weren't really that trashy. This is a really beautiful area that I do want to paddle sometime. 

I found two tires in the creek itself. This is the before and after of the only one I could remove. The other was in deeper water and it was too cold to retrieve it.

Some of the small items found along the creek side.

The view up the creek. The access I started at is on the other side and around the bend. 

On the way back to the car I grabbed the tires. Like what I did in the Lehigh Gorge I would take two carry them up the trail, drop them off and go back for the other two. Only four in total on this trip.

Penny is never pleased when I carry out tires. She has to go back and forth with me and doesn't seem to enjoy that at all. 

In no time I had the tires out to the access. I left them at the trailhead for the DCNR to dispose of. Hopefully they will be properly disposed of and will never make it into or along our waterways again.

This was everything else from this stop. I sorted out the recyclables from non and loaded them into the car. From here it was off to another trail and another area I have previously worked on. 

The second stop of the day. My goal here was not only to pick up trash, but to go further than I have before on these trails. The Trout Run Trail led me to the Moonshine Trail, which then led me to the Swatara Trail. Both the Moonshine and Swatara aren't really trails, but old closed roads. 

A couple of the items on the short Trout Run Trail. How did a toilet float get there?

A portion of the Moonshine Trail which for a short section parallels the main road. 

The Swatara Trail. On a previous trip I had made it to this trail, but didn't go far. This time I followed the road until I had a sack full of trash. 

This Ring-Necked Pheasant was lucky I wasn't a hunter. It came right out of the brush in front of me. Ring-Necked Pheasants are not native to Pennsylvania or even this country. They were originally imported from Asia by sportsmen. Most of the Pheasants in PA today are raised in farms and released for hunting. Generally they do not have long survival rates although there are some areas that do have breeding populations. 

Off the side in a turn in the road I found a whole pile of bottles. This must have been the place to litter when the road was open. Almost all of the items looked like they were from the 80's to the early 90's, I am not really sure when this road was closed to traffic. 

This was certainly the coolest bottle find of the day. I did some searching and this was a sarsaparilla bottle. None of the other bottles I found had any good graphics on them. This was different and the first time I have found one of these. 

All the trash from the second hike of the day. It might not seem like much, but the glass made it a heavy haul out. It was nice to see that most of the trash here was older and there wasn't too much newer trash along the trail and closed roadside. 

You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project here: Help Fund Taking Out the Trash

Like this project? Like it on Facebook: Taking Out the Trash in Eastern PA