Locust Lake and Tuscarora State Park (26-Feb-2017)

I took two short walks at Locust Lake and Tuscarora State Parks. I was looking more for birds than I was for trash. I had recently found out that there were four Tundra Swans on Locust Lake and they were the main reason I went over there. Above is the best shot I was able to get of them. 

At Locust Lake I did pick up a handful of trash, really nothing to write about, but there was this. I found several of these on the path around Locust Lake. I opened one up and found that it was full of nonsense. Who goes through the trouble of making something like this and why would they spread it around a State Park? 

Other than the Tundras, I didn't see much at Locust Lake. I then drove over to Tuscarora in hopes that there would be more waterfowl on the water there. 

No waterfowl, but this Belted Kingfisher was flying around the boat launch. I have found that Kingfishers usually don't stick around for photos. This one did and posed a few times in different trees around the launch. 

Like at Locust I didn't pick up much trash on this short walk either. Above is probably my best photo of a Kingfisher so far. 

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Amphibian Night (25-Feb-2017)

With the temperatures as high as they were and rains coming in, I knew there would be amphibians coming out somewhere in Eastern PA. I arranged an outing with friends Andrew Curtis, Paul Guris and Tyler Sacks to go out looking for the first amphibians of the year around their area. I live too far north and I knew in my area it would still be some time before amphibians were out. To my surprise when we turned onto the road nearing our destination there were signs with lights flashing stating that volunteers were moving amphibians across the roads. Then when we got to the parking lot there were about thirty or so students with teachers and other adults in crossing guard uniforms. It was the biggest crew I had ever seen to move the little critters across. During rain events in spring several species like the Wood Frog above make there way to temporary pools to breed. These pools fill with water in the winter and spring and generally dry up by the end of summer. This means they lack certain predators like fish, giving amphibians a safer alternative to lay their eggs in. On their annual journey to these ponds many amphibians have to cross roads and on some nights there can be high mortality rates. Volunteers moving them across help lower the number of mortality due to traffic and help to preserve these species into the future.   

Since there were so many volunteers we did not spend any time on the roads and instead went to check out the pools. By this point the rain had stopped and there was not much activity. A few Wood Frogs had made it to the pools, but were not in the numbers I had hoped. 

This photo was taken in an artificial pond before we headed out. It is a Green Frog and it seemed a bit early for them to be out. We did not find any at the pools that we visited. 

On the way to the pools we did see some Spring Peepers on the trail and on rocks on the trailside. They were just making there way to the pools and none were yet calling. 

We only found two Spotted Salamanders. On a good night they would be seen in the hundreds at this location. Both were males and the lack of amphibians in general told us that it was still a bit too early for them moving in large numbers. The volunteers must have found the same thing on the roads, all the cars were gone by the time we got back to the parking lot. 

I did remove some trash from the trail and from the pools themselves. Trash items like bottles and cans, can potentially trap and lead to the death of certain amphibians. If you see trash in a waterway, please help out and remove it.

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Lehigh River (24-Feb-2017)

On this trip I set out to finish up on the flood plain just below Lehighton. I knew there were some areas like the small islands I couldn't get to, but I was going to get everything I could on this trip. I parked near the entrance to the D&L Trail and walked up river to the spots I had previously been working on. 

The first stop was in a small area below the Mahoning Creek. I had already gone through this spot, but I only did along the rivers edge. From the road I could see a pile of stuff and started with that. Some of the items looked like they were bags thrown down from the roadway, others like plastic bottles looked like they were deposited a long time ago during a flood. 

It isn't everyday you find a dog bowl, but over the years I have found more than one. In addition to this bowl and plastic bottles, the first stop yielded a lot of packing material and some bows. It looked like someone after Christmas or a Birthday bagged up all of the waste and threw it down by the river. 

With just about a full bag, I decided to dispose of this before heading further on up the river to my main destination. There was a lot more at this first stop than I could see from the road. 

The non-recyclables went in the trash can I collected the day before and left near other cans at the D&L entrance. The recyclables were loaded into my car and it was back up the road and back for more river trash!

The second stop was above the Mahoning Creek. The photo above is the bottom of the floodplain. I had already removed the trash through this section and had to walk up to the top of this area. 

On this day I was determined to remove this kids vehicle. I had let it go the past couple times through the area because of its size. This was the day it needed to go though. 

Sometimes trash makes me laugh and not in a good way. I did so when I read the label on this crate saying it was made of all recycled materials. It made me think to myself, I am recycling all of the plastic bottles I find, just so they can be turned into a different product someone else will throw back into the river. It is a horrible cycle that needs to be broken in our society. We need less disposable items and a much greater conservation ethic. 

Second day in a row I found an unopened Pabst. It really does seem to be the beer of choice on the Lehigh River. I don't care if people drink on the water as long as they take their waste along with them. Too many don't. 

The rest of my time in this area was spent picking through small debris piles. There wasn't a whole lot left in this area after the previous clean-ups. 

This was everything I had to haul out. It wasn't that bad after I made it up to the road. I was able to wheel the kids car on two wheels and the crate fit in the trash bag. 

Everything from the second round. This completed the clean-up of this area and it should be good at least until the next flood. The small islands are still a mess, but there isn't any way to get to them until I start getting out on the water in a boat. 

Before going to do the Lehigh clean-up I made two quick stops at Mauch Chunk Lake. Signs of spring were in the air, water and popping up out of the ground. Above a Red-winged Blackbird is calling atop a Cattail. This species arrives early in spring and the males pick territories. When nesting some Red-winged Blackbirds will fiercely protect their territory. I have seen males dive and hit both humans and dogs that got too close to their nest site. 

The first turtle of the year! This painted turtle was basking not far from the observation blind. I think I also spotted the head of a Red-eared Slider poking out of the water, but couldn't get a good enough photo to id it for sure. 

Another first for me for the year! Skunk cabbage was finally rising from the ground. A sure sign that spring is on its way. 

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Mauch Chunk Lake (23-Feb-2017)

A nice, warm, sunny day got me really wanting to get out on the water. So it was over to Mauch Chunk Lake after an earlier clean-up by the Lehigh. Since we didn't have much ice for ice fishing this past year and since not too many people have been out on the lake, I knew there wouldn't be too much trash. 

The first on-the-water trash item of the year. A beer can floating in the lake. 

It felt like spring, but there was still a reminder that winter had not yet come to a close. On the upper portion of the lake a large ice sheet still clung to the surface of the water. From a distance it looked like just slush, but after running into it I found there was still solid ice. 

I paddled up to the top of the lake, passing by the ice sheet then came back down and had to go around the ice sheet again. It was still attached to the lakeside and couldn't pass on the one side. I paddled down the edge then for awhile and finally back to the boat launch. 

Did find a couple lure to add to my collection.

What I collected was just about what I expected. Can't wait to get out on the water again!
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Lehigh River (23-Feb-2017)

Earlier in the year when we had a few days of nice weather I started working on a flood plain off of the Lehigh River just below Lehighton. With another nice day I decided to go back and continue on where I left off. The above photo shows where I started and where the Mahoning Creek flows into the Lehigh.

One of the first finds of the day! This one wasn't even broken, like in most cases though it was full of sediment.

I had found this barrel on my first walk through this section and I figured this trip was as good as any to remove it. It too had a good amount of sediment inside which I had to clean out before hauling it out. These kinds of barrels are somewhat common in the river. Often times they are used as trash cans in parks and somehow find there way into the river if they are not chained down. 

This is the kind of area that would be nearly impossible to pick through later in the year. When the leafs start coming in all of the trash becomes hidden. Early river clean-ups on foot do have benefits.

These are two larger items I pulled out of the are in the photo above this one. This is not the first time I have found parts of target deer near the river. 

A river beer and and assortment of other items I found picking through the debris piles. From what I have found Pabst is the most commonly lost beer on the Lehigh, I have found many unopened ones.

What drew me to working on this area originally was the bucket in this photo. I saw it every time I passed over the bridge in Lehighton and I really wanted to get it. The problem is it is on an island and not retrievable at this time of year by foot. From the bridge it did look like I could possibly get to it.

A full contractor size bag, a barrel, wheel and fake deer part made a pretty good haul for the day. Still there was much more to take out of this area and I would be back again for more. 

After hauling everything out I sorted the recyclables from trash by the entrance of the D&L Trail. The trash was left in the barrel by other trash receptacles at this site. Soon I would be back to get more out of this location. On this day though I wasn't going out for another round, instead my next destination was Mauch Chunk Lake for the first paddle of the year!

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Beltzville State Park (21-Feb-2017)

For this trash hike I just went back to good old Beltzville State Park and took the Christman Trail. Often many of the offshoots of this trail that end at the lake have lots of trash and most of the time I go directly to them. This time I took my time and was looking for trailside trash off of the main trail. 

This is one of two creeks on the Christman trail that flow into the lake. This is the smaller of the two and doesn't seem to get as much traffic. The other is Wild Creek which has a waterfall and attracts many more visitors. 

By the lake this would be a somewhat common item. This though was in the woods. I wonder if a mammal liked the smell of it and dragged it up into the woods. 

The largest single pile of the day. The bag in the back was filled with water bottles and other items. If you have a bag, if you have filled it with trash, please take it out with you and dispose of it properly.

Everything found along the trail. I didn't even hit some of the normally trashy side trails. 

Since I didn't see any wildlife along the Christman Trail here is a Bluebird I spotted at the Pine Run Access the same day. 
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