Pennsylvania isn’t named after the Penns for nothing – and nor is it called sylvania for nothing. It’s full of trees. It’s the most tree-rich state I have seen so far.
As I drove up the Allegheny river’s course there were trees everywhere. Trees and rivers.
It’s May and so the mayflies are flying. Here in the USA the mayflies are bigger than ours – as you might expect. The Pennsylvania rivers had their fishermen, and the occasional fisherwoman, trying to fool the fish into taking their flies rather than the juicy large mayflies on offer. I have no idea if the fish were fooled or not.
I spent the day in a leisurely way driving through wooded valleys and over wooded hills to Ithaca, NY where I am staying with friends and visiting the world-famous ornithology lab too. It was a leisurely day because I had driven further than planned last night – I couldn’t find a motel, and so today’s travel was a short one.
My friends’ house, in the woods, provided yellowthroat, cardinal, hairy and red-bellied woodpecker, rose-breasted grosbeak, scarlet tanager, gray catbird, ruby-throated hummingbird and more over dinner. And a short walk before dinner added swamp sparrow, house wren, pine warbler, blue-winged warbler, eastern towhee, black-capped chickadee, veery and alder flycatcher to the trip list – it’s good to have friends who are birders!
Tomorrow is a birding day.
PS actually today! Had internet connection problems, now resolved.
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So what is the warbler tally so far, Mark ? And whats the target – both species count and individual target species ?
Roderick – 16 warblers so far, I think. Just happy to see what comes by… Although Arizona later in the trip may add quite a few species.
I was quite disappointed to get up this morning and not have a blog to read. Glad to see normal service has resumed! I take it from today’s post you are turning up at hotels on spec and not booking in advance. What kind of prices are you having to pay? I’m wondering how much money I would need for a similar, if shorter, holiday.
Darren – happy to give more info when I’m back but cheap motels are in the order of $60/night. All have wifi (free), ensuite bath/shower, microwave, enormous bed (or two) and enormous TV. Petrol (gas) is around %3.70 per gallon (but gallons aren’t the same!).
Not much luck with the camera batteries I take it?:(
DOuglas – none so far!
Mark, really enjoying the US road blogs again and references to all those wonderful North American birds. The warblers are very impressive. I spent a few days in Ithaca when Tracey was campus visiting and I was looking after our 2 year old son. It was a very cold February and we visited quite a few toy shops (as places to keep warm & entertain Matt) in major US University towns. You’ve missed a very late Spring, launch of the ‘State of Nature’ report by your friends in the ‘Tangled Web’ and another promising Springwatch. Oh, and in the national parks we’re still just getting on with doing conservation.
Jim – many thanks! Keep doing that practical conservation work because advocacy doesn’t seem to have much traction with this government. I have no plans to visit toy shops.