Delaware River: Near Wi Hit Tuk Park (24-June-2016)

I had an errand to run for a family member that took me to Phillipsburg, New Jersey. Before returning home I decided to go down river a bit on the PA side to Wi Hit Tuk Park and do a clean-up on an island in the Delaware. Last year I worked on this site and I am trying to get back to every place I was able to get to last year. 

Before walking out to the island I picked through some strainers and debris piles. In these areas I found almost all of the recyclables of the day. 

After wading out to the island I started spotting washed up Shad. These fish recently left the ocean and traveled up the Delaware to spawn. I think most people are more familiar with Salmon, which make the same kind of journey. Unlike Salmon, not all Shad die after spawning. The ones that do, like those above, help to ad nutrients to the river system and will feed a variety of wildlife.

Plastics bags quickly became the theme of the day. Small and large, they were all over the island.

A Fowler's Toad, the first of the species I have seen this year. How can you tell a Fowler's Toad from an American Toad? Look at the darker spots on the toads back. Fowler's have many warts in each spot, where American Toads only have two or three warts per spot. Isn't that an odd way to determine a species. Often Fowler's are much lighter in color as well, that is not always true though. 

The largest plastic pieces of the day. Most of the bags were found like this as well caught in trees on the islands edge. 

If you decide to go inner tubing on the river, please make sure that you have a tube that can handle the river. I often find discarded pool toys like this that easily pop. If the item is labeled for pool use, please do not take it on the river. Especially if the item pops in a set of rapids you could be putting your life at risk. 

Just over two bags of trash off of the Delaware on this trip. I will be back to this area this coming month and will try my best to get this island cleaned up as best as possible.  

This was it for recyclables. I expected to find more.

Crossing the rocky bank to get to the tree line where most of the trash was caught up, I had two pairs of Killdeer making some noise. Killdeer nest in these rocky areas and they have a very cool way of getting predators away from their nest. The adults fly away from the nest, land and act as if they are injured. If you walk towards them they will fly again and do the same display a little further away. Displays like this could easily draw away a predator like a fox. I have seen this display many times before, but I had never seen a nest. My only intention was to make it to the tree line, I watched my step and too my surprise I actually spotted the nest and it was full...

I know it isn't much of a nest, it is though, the home to these four juvenile Killdeer. This photo was taken with a zoom lens and I kept my distance from them. I also did not stick around long. It was extremely hot and I did not want to stress the parents anymore than I already had by walking through. 

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