Crow’s Nest: More Spring Scenes

By Daniel Barringer, Preserve Manager.

Yes, it has been a cool and wet spring so far, and one advantage of that is that blooms last a bit longer. Another is that you appreciate the sun and warmth that much more when it comes.

I haven’t had any spare time yet this year to walk around with my camera but still snap photos with my phone when I see something I want to share.

The light changes a lot depending on the cloud cover and moisture. The photos above and below were taken within 12 hours of each other, roughly 7:30 pm and 7:00 am the next morning.

I spotted this pair of black vultures (Coragyps atratus) on the barnyard wall south of Harmonyville Road. This species was once rare in Pennsylvania but its range has moved north over the last few decades and is now a regular sight here. I think they are particularly elegant.

This morning, in addition to a tiny rainbow, I saw this red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber ruber) in the driveway outside the workshop. For reference that gravel is “red 3/4 stone” at the quarry. I put up a cone so nobody would drive there but the salamander was gone a few minutes later.