Today Tim Schreckengost and I decided to start out the new year by attempting to build up our Clearfield County year lists. We started off near Luthersburg, where we found a light morph Rough-legged Hawk. Birds were hard to come by in the single digit weather.
We then ventured off to the Moshannon State Forest in hope of some winter finches. After a quick stop at Parker Dam State Park we headed out to one of my favorite areas, Wallace Sphagnum Bog. Despite it’s name there is actually little, if any, sphagnum present in the wetland. However, remnant Black Spruce is present in good number throughout the area, which gives it the northern feel. Japanese Larch is present throughout the higher areas around the wetland. Eastern Hemlock and White Pine are also scattered throughout the forest surrounding the wetland.
Wallace Sphagnum Bog in the Moshannon State Forest
Winter is usually pretty slow with today being no different. We only had four bird species; American Tree Sparrow, Common Raven, Downy Woodpecker, and White-breasted Nuthatch. I have had limited success birding here in other seasons. Plenty of Alder Flycatchers and rails calling in the marsh have been the highlights. Breeding birds with a northern affinity inhabit the surrounding forest, such as Yellow-rumped Warbler and Blackburnian Warbler. A few years ago, Red Crossbills were reported during the middle of the summer suggesting that they may breed in the area.
Black Spruce, a tree not usually found in Pennsylvania, make this a unique wetland
posted on 22 February at 22:49
That is not the Wallace Sphagnum bog, that pic is of the swamp along Wallace mines road. The Sphagnum bog is along the Caledonia Pike