The Sunday Walk in the Park

This week's Sunday walk in the Dykeman Spring Nature Park features some more blooms, a pair of turtles sunning, and my friend Wade Asper heading off to start the season's first haying.

The Arrowwood Viburnum along the Dykeman Walking Trail is in full bloom

More Blackberry blossoms in the wetland

Two Painted Turtles sunning in the bog pool

Wade heads off to start the season's first haying

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

Shippensburg In Bloom

Shippensburg has entered full Summer mode. Gardens are flourishing, the Roses around town are all in full bloom, porch planters are overflowing with color, and the hanging flower baskets are up on King St. I went for a walk around town this morning to take it all in.

Red, red Roses on King St.

A porch planter on King St.

A Rhododendron in the garden at the Widow Piper's Tavern

Petunias in one of the King St. hanging baskets

Begonias in one of the King St. hanging baskets

English Ivy climbing the King St. bridge over Branch Creek

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

Small World

I went for a walk on the Rail Trail this morning and ended up spending a lot of time in a bank of Multiflora Roses observing nature in miniature. In that single bank I ended up counting five Orchard Orb Weaver spiders in their webs; these are my favorite small critters in the woods, a small green dot to the naked eye, and a rainbow observed up close. I also found a Multicolored Asian Ladybug munching on the leaves of those roses. Come take a look.

Walking along the Rail Trail

Leucauge venusta, the colorful Orchard Orb Weaver

The same Venusta escaping my camera

Harmonia axyridis, the Multicolored Asian Ladybug

A small section of that large bank of Multiflora Roses

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

A Little Ramble

I did a brief ramble in the Dykeman Spring Nature Park this morning, getting it in before the heat settled in for the day. We're getting in to the 80s this afternoon, but while I was in the park it was in the mid 70s with a pleasant breeze blowing. Lots of flowers, a Song Sparrow, and a Painted Turtle sunning on a rock in the north duck pond were the chief subjects today, plus a panoramic shot of the pond from my favorite bench under the Kentucky Coffee Tree. It was all very laid back!

The Multiflora Roses are adding their sweet scent throughout the park

This Painted Turtle actually let me get quite close

My favorite view in the park

Daisy Fleabane along the trail in the wetland

A Song Sparrow singing away

Yellow Wood Sorrel along the trail in the wetland

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

This Week's Sunday Walk in the Park

So this weekend is the unofficial start of the Summer season, being Memorial Day weekend, but you wouldn't know it - it's overcast and gloomy, threatening rain, and cooler than the seasonal average. But it's certainly lush enough for Summer, and there are plenty of May flowers in full bloom. This morning's weekly walk in the Dykeman Spring Nature Park was proof of that.

Stork's Bill blooming along the Dykeman WalkingTrail

Yellow Flag in the marsh by the ball fields

Here comes Peter Cottontail, hoppin' down the Dykeman Trail...

After 10 years I still haven't figured out what this plant is

A female Redwinged Blackbird keeping a wary eye on me by the north duck pond

Blackberry blossoms up on the meadow

 © 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

Walking in the Woods

I felt a need to walk in the woods today, so I headed over to the Dykeman Spring Nature Park and the Upland Trail, which rises out of the wetland and heads up to the meadow. Of course, I had to go through the wetland to get there, and of course there were birds. And a Painted Turtle. So it wasn't just a walk in the woods.

Dame's Rocket in the woods along the Dykeman Walking Trail

A male Red-winged Blackbird singing in the wetland

A Blue Jay in the wetland woods

A Warbling Vireo in the Kentucky Coffee Tree by the north duck pond. It has such a beautiful voice!

A Painted Turtle and its reflection in the bog pool next to the north duck pond

The woodland stairway on the Upland Trail

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

More Nature on a Sunday Morning

Today's walk in the Dykeman Spring Nature Park was another interesting one, with one long-awaited event. The event was that Mother Goose finally hatched all her babies, and she and Papa were out on the water with them when I got there today. There was also a young skunk wandering around by the north duck pond, but I couldn't manage to get an in-focus shot of it because I was too intent avoiding startling it and getting sprayed. I did manage to get a really good shot of one of the Solitary Sandpipers visiting the wetland on their way up to their breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra. All in all, it was a good day in the park!

Dame's Rocket in the woods along the Dykeman Walking Trail

A deer trail in the woods framed by trees like a gateway

Daisy Fleabane in the Dykeman wetland

A Solitary Sandpiper in the creek

Mama and Papa taking the kids out on the north duck pond

A Crow along the nature trail on the way home

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

Racing the Rain

We have a lot of rain and much colder temperatures heading our way, starting this afternoon, so I got out this morning to hit the Dykeman Spring Nature Park and then do some fill-in grocery shopping. Unfortunately, the rain beat me. Not badly, though; just some occasional light rain, no downpours. It didn't cramp my style at all. Still lots of birds, all singing up a storm. I saw two Orioles up in the tree over the north end of the north duck pond, but they were out of range. Also, Mother Goose's eggs must have finally hatched; I saw one and maybe two goslings peeking out from under her wings as she sat on her nest; there were five eggs in the nest, so the other three may not have hatched yet. I couldn't get close enough for a good shot; Mama was glaring at me and Papa was hovering menacingly, so I kept my distance. The main attraction this morning was the flying circus provided by the Swallows. The Rough-winged Swallows just darted about with no stopping, but the Barn Swallows took turns flying up to a branch hanging over the north duck pond, and them I got pictures of. It was a fun morning despite the rain!

A Gray Catbird chattering away along the nature trail

More Dame's Rocket along the trail

In the heart of the wetland

Two Barn Swallows hanging out over the pond

Mushrooms up on the meadow; I call them "fairy umbrellas".

© 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger

Beltane 2020

Today is Beltane (aka May Day), the gateway to Summer. Fertility is the central theme of this sabbat, for humans, plants, and animals. May is when farmers begin to plant their fields, and the season for their children to pair up; it's said that May Day romances make June weddings. I went on a Beltane walk in the Dykeman Spring Nature Park this morning. Everything is greening up and blooming, and bird song filled the air - Cardinals, Robins, Yellow Warblers, Red-winged Blackbirds, Catbirds, and both House and Carolina Wrens were the dominant voices, but I heard a couple of Orioles and some Red-bellied Woodpeckers as well, and saw a few Goldfinches. And the turtles have emerged! I saw about three Painted Turtles (and got a nice close-up shoot with one of them) and a couple of big ol' Snapping Turtles in the bog pool next to the north duck pond. Mama Gaia was celebrating Beltane with a lot of panache today! 

Gray Catbird

Lilacs by the north duck pond

The Painted Turtles have emerged from hibernation

Mama Redwing was busy building a nest...

... and Papa Redwing stood by to supervise.

An Eastern Kingbird sat quietly in the Kentucky Coffee Tree and allowed me to take his portrait.

And I have some Beltane/May Day music for you as well. Loreena McKennitt's "Huron Beltane Fire Dance" is a welcome addition to any Beltane celebration. This video is from her 2006 concert at the Alhambra, and that's Hugh Marsh on the frenzied violin!

One of my favorite songs for Beltane/May day is "Hal-an-tow", a tune from Cornwall sung to welcome the first day of May and the start of Summer, as well as a farewell to Winter. This is my favorite version, sung by the Glasgow Madrigirls.

Have a blessed Beltane and a happy May Day!

Photos © 2020 by A. Roy Hilbinger