Monday, September 3, 2012

Futher Downstream

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
On Saturday (September 1), my wife Mary and I returned to Pennypack Park downstream of the Pennypack Preserve to walk another section of the trails paralleling the creek.  This was only a three-mile walk, unlike last Saturday's six-miler.  We started out on the dirt path on the east bank at Krewstown Road, crossed a bridge over the creek, and returned on the paved recreation path.

The dirt path in this section of the park doesn't get anywhere near as much use as the pleasant path does upstream of Krewstown Road.  As a result, the vegetation grows rankly, is not beat back, and overhangs the trail.  We had to battle through patches of stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), and greenbrier (Smilax spp.).  Mary was not amused. 

A fallen tree excavated by a Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus).  The rectangular holes are a dead giveaway.
There's a stand of really old trees in this part of the park - perhaps 250 years old or more - but invasive porcelain-berry vines (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) are threatening to encroached onto this wonderful woodland.

A wooded slope shrouded with invasive porcelain-berry
Decorative ironwork on the recreation trail bridge spanning the creek

The streambank along this reach of the creek is heavily infested with Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica).  Though I included an image of knotweed with my last post, Mary said, "This is a particularity 'attractive' stand.  Don't you want a picture?"  I obliged.

Japanese knotweed
A father and his two sons enjoying the creek
Steepest hill on the recreation path - a "blast" on a bike
The gentler slope on the other side of the steep hill
Probably Cinnabar-red Chanterelle (Cantharellus cinnabarinus)

No comments:

Post a Comment