Travel Day through Pennsylvania and into New York
June 11, 2007
I left the park early, driving toward Pennsylvania by back roads. Three new species in a little over a half hour, including Wild Turkey and Purple Martin over a power plant reservoir. And a surprising Green Heron flying over. But I was still three short for MD, so I knew I'd have to get back while I was in Eastern PA on the return. Didn't stop much in Pennsylvania, only one state park with a big boggish lake, and some Boreal warblers. But curiously they were Black-and-White, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue, Blackburnian, and an Ovenbird (ta-dah). Some of those were new. I wasn't feeling too driven, knowing there would be some days in PA on the return trip. I picked up a few more species driving, Waxwings and such, but was set on getting into New York, the first of the seven New England states I wanted to work on. My New York list was already pretty strong, 93 species, thanks to one traverse from west to east several years earlier, and a couple of trips to Jamaica Bay in New York City, and a try at Long Island, where I was turned back, nay, repulsed, by the Hamptons. I tried to look at the ocean there, and only found signs warning off the un-rich.
I got as far as Utica, before thinking about stopping. I wanted to see Fort Stanwix National Monument. I was too late to get in but walked around the perimeter. Have to say I wouldn't want to be an attacker, it was very well made for the time, and a lot bigger than I expected, almost like Civil War forts, but not brick, and way better than the earthworks common during the Revolutionary War. A little way north of there is Delta Lake State Park, where I stayed. Showers and even laundry. It was getting dark, and I was getting my first taste of the mosquito challenge.
June 12, 2007
I made a quick run to a C-store in the morning for semi-food, and detergent. Clothes in the washer I set out birding around the park. It had a pretty good variety of wetland forms, open water, lagoons, and marshy areas as well as mature woods. Clothes in the dryer, and some grassy areas and open small woodlands. But I was really ready to get into the Adirondacks. That took a couple of hours driving, and some serious elevation gain.
I left the park early, driving toward Pennsylvania by back roads. Three new species in a little over a half hour, including Wild Turkey and Purple Martin over a power plant reservoir. And a surprising Green Heron flying over. But I was still three short for MD, so I knew I'd have to get back while I was in Eastern PA on the return. Didn't stop much in Pennsylvania, only one state park with a big boggish lake, and some Boreal warblers. But curiously they were Black-and-White, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue, Blackburnian, and an Ovenbird (ta-dah). Some of those were new. I wasn't feeling too driven, knowing there would be some days in PA on the return trip. I picked up a few more species driving, Waxwings and such, but was set on getting into New York, the first of the seven New England states I wanted to work on. My New York list was already pretty strong, 93 species, thanks to one traverse from west to east several years earlier, and a couple of trips to Jamaica Bay in New York City, and a try at Long Island, where I was turned back, nay, repulsed, by the Hamptons. I tried to look at the ocean there, and only found signs warning off the un-rich.
I got as far as Utica, before thinking about stopping. I wanted to see Fort Stanwix National Monument. I was too late to get in but walked around the perimeter. Have to say I wouldn't want to be an attacker, it was very well made for the time, and a lot bigger than I expected, almost like Civil War forts, but not brick, and way better than the earthworks common during the Revolutionary War. A little way north of there is Delta Lake State Park, where I stayed. Showers and even laundry. It was getting dark, and I was getting my first taste of the mosquito challenge.
June 12, 2007
I made a quick run to a C-store in the morning for semi-food, and detergent. Clothes in the washer I set out birding around the park. It had a pretty good variety of wetland forms, open water, lagoons, and marshy areas as well as mature woods. Clothes in the dryer, and some grassy areas and open small woodlands. But I was really ready to get into the Adirondacks. That took a couple of hours driving, and some serious elevation gain.
posted by JP Valentik at 8:51 AM
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