Category Archives: Education

Education, Mountain Biking, Nature Study, Observations, Uncategorized, Volunteering

Wild Times!

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At Pine Hill Park Summer, 2025

The first day of summer, 2025 was rather typical with spring born wood frogs hopping about the forest floor, chipmunks scurrying about, and various birds including red-eyed vireo, American redstart, blue-headed vireo, northern cardinal, black-and-white warbler, common yellowthroat, ovenbird, raven, yellow-rumped warbler, Eastern towhee, and robin filling the forest with the sounds of their territory and courtship calls.

A few days later a large heat dome covering a good part of the United States, moved into New England bringing park temperatures into the 90s. Combine those temperatures with swarms of black flies and mosquitoes and you ended with with miserable hiking conditions. Luckily such conditions were offset by the sight of colorful birds such as the American goldfinch,yellow-throated vireo, chestnut-sided warbler, common yellowthroat, northern flicker, and one of my favorites, the Scarlet Tanager. You also had the delightful songs of the pileated woodpecker, veery, Eastern towhee, and various warblers to help take your mind off the bugs.

The last week of June, I planted 13 Button Bush seedlings along the South and East sides of Rocky Pond. They produce seeds which waterfowl feed on, and hopefully, more waterfowl will be attracted to that pond. Button Bush grows wild in isolated spots along the shore of Rocky Pond.

During the last week of June, bedstraw, bittersweet nightshade, wild basil, yellow hop clover, blue vetch, yellow woodsorrel, yarrow, Indian pipe, white avens, cinquefoil, fleabane, yellow loosestrife and poke milkweed were all flowering. And in the morning it was not unusual to find northern water snakes sunning themselves on logs, and schools of black bullhead fry swimming in schools at Rocky Pond. On June 29th, I saw my first rose-breasted grosbeak in the park.

On July 2nd, I went on an evening walk and was surprised to hear how quiet it was compared to earlier in the day. And of course, I was enchanted by the flutelike and melodic sound of our Vermont State Bird, the Hermit Thrush.

On my way back to the trailhead, I came upon a broad-winged hawk perched on a branch, focused on a movement in the ground leaf litter below. It dropped to the ground and captured a small rodent.

In mid-July, a sign was posted at the trailhead warning visitors that a sow and 2 cubs had been spotted in the forest, and to keep your dogs leashed. Didn’t see the bears throughout the summer, but did see plenty of signs of their presence. Also, the deer I saw during this time were all looking very healthy.

On July 22nd, I took a long and beautiful hike along the outer trails of the park. Queen Anne’s lace, wintergreen and goldenthread were all flowering. 2 Osprey were flying over Muddy Pond, and many birds were observed including, red-eyed vireo, pileated and hairy woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatch, tufted titmouse, great-crested flycatcher, hermit thrush, Eastern wood pewee, black-capped chickadee, cardinal, gray catbird, Eastern towhee, robin, and American goldfinch.

By the first week of August, blackberries were ripening, and on August 2nd I saw a Baltimore Oriole at Rocky Pond, the only place I ever see them in the park. Bull and Green frogs were both calling, and Muddy Pond was almost completely covered in water plants, mostly yellow pond lily.

On August 11th, two young osprey were seen sitting in their nest on Muddy Pond, with one adult flying overhead. So glad to see the Osprey nest has been doing so well at Muddy Pond over the years. This was also the day I saw my first Spangled Fritillary of the season in the park. The park has such a wonderful variety of butterfly species.

The next day, I came upon a very large pile of black bear scat. And it was a BIG pile of scat. Just past the bridge near the trailhead on Middle Giorgetti. Wondered what brought it so close to the trailhead. Cottontail, gray squirrels, chipmunks were all seen. And acorns were starting to fall upon the forest floor. It will turn out to be a good MAST year. The wildlife should have plenty to eat this season. Also, saw a red-shouldered hawk at Muddy Pond, in the same area I heard it a few months earlier. I wondered and hoped if such a bird was nesting in the area. Only time will tell.

If there is one word to describe the condition of Pine Hill Park in the summer of 2025, that word would be DROUGHT. In the 20 years I lived and hiked in New Hampshire, and the 13 years here in Vermont, I have never seen the forest so dry for so long. My biggest concern was someone inadvertently starting a fire in the forest.

In mid-August, I saw white admiral and cabbage white butterflies flying about, spring born pickerel frogs hopping about, the forest was dangerously dry, and a few Canada geese and wood ducks were seen on every walk to Muddy Pond.

The first week of September continued to be bone dry. A great blue heron was seen at the north end of Muddy Pond, flying in the direction of a heron nest located in the wetland area which feeds into Muddy Pond.

In mid-September, Rocky Pond had heated up enough to provide ideal conditions for the growth of algae, and the pond was starting to take on a green tint. More birds were starting to show up at Muddy Pond as migrant waterfowl were starting to stop over there. Forest birds were beginning to migrate through the forest in increasing numbers also.

On September 15th, while walking along the trail near the Ledges, a small flock of chickadees flew right up to me, some perching just a few feet away from me. All giving alarm calls. Were they looking to me for protection against a nearby predator I couldn’t see? Never happened to me before during this time of the year. Such behavior I have seen many times in the winter.

The next day I had a beautiful red fox run across Crusher Rd. a few feet in front of me.

On Sept. 19th, I felt the first cool north wind upon my face, a sign that has always let me know that winter is not far away. New England aster and blue-stemmed goldenrod were in flower and a gorgeous dagger moth caterpillar was seen crawling in front of me on the trail. No osprey seen on the nest, no doubt gone until next spring.

On last thing I would like to tell you about before I end this issue. This summer I was given one American Chestnut seedling to plant in Pine HIll Park. It is a very special seedling. It is called a Best X(by) Best cross seedling have genetic characteristics which suggest this seedling may exhibit blight resistance. A seedling which has been under study for decades. I’ll be giving you updates on the condition of that tree as the seasons and years go by. The hope is that it will someday pollinate and be pollinated by other American Chestnut trees already growing in the same area it was planted.

That’s it for this issue. Please stay on the trails and enjoy your time observing the wonderful wildlife of Pine Hill Park.

Education, Hikes, Mountain Biking, Pine Hill Partnership, Trail Updates, Trail Work, Uncategorized, Volunteering

Summer Repairs

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It’s been a busy summer with KSA Built, Global Action Sports Solutions(GASS) along with VYCC and Youth Works.

KSA Built started in the park in May to repair some of the water damage from 5″ of rain in one week. There was water running down off the rock ledge near Svelte Tiger that was running down the trail tread, across the trail to Sisyphus down across Svelte Tiger again. A ditch was installed with a big settling pond to hopefully catch future heavy rain from hitting the trail tread on Svelte Tiger. A culvert on Sisyphus was put in to alleviate some of the mud that was happening due to people not staying off the trails when they were wet. Bone Spur received a culvert to hopefully mitigate those water issues. Sore Elbow received a lot of rolling grade dips to prevent water running straight down the trail tread.

After repairing a lot of water damage this spring KSA Built moved to the pedestrian trails. Backstairs was rerouted to get it off the fall line as it was eroding heavily. Middle Giorgetti and Lower Giorgetti both received a lot of TLC to help with drainage.

Global Action Sports Solution was here the month of June refining many of our older generation trails by installing rolling grade dips. We rebuilt the upper part of Svelte Tiger as it’s a very heavily traveled trail and needed more love than 3 core volunteers could make happen.

VT Youth Conservation Corp (VYCC) was here in mid-July. One of the hottest weeks we’ve ever had to do trail work in. The crew was excellent in moving dirt to help repair Underdog. It’s taken 3 years of repair work to Underdog which was built in 2006.

Youth Works-a Christian based organization that had been here for 14 year in a row were back since the pandemic. We had two crews one from Maine and the other one from PA. These folks come to Rutland for service projects. I don’t think moving dirt is anywhere on their radar till they get to us which is generally the first day. But they are all troopers and do a great job. We had some 4,5,6th graders from PA that were tiny but mighty!

Memberships and contributions all go back into the trails. Please consider joining or making a contributions. It’s what keeps are park in great shape.

Slowly making progress on the universal trail that will be be near Lower Giorgetti. It’s a slowly developing project with wetland delineation now completed. An archeological study will be done before the grant we have applied for is fully approved.

Education, Hikes, Nature Study, Observations, Pine Hill Partnership, Uncategorized

Wild Times 2025 Spring Report

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By Tom Estill

Two days after the first official day of spring (March 20th) in 2025, the flower Coltsfoot was observed to be the first flower to bloom at Pine Hill Park, as it always is. And after the flowers start to fade and wilt, its leaves only then appear. Most, though not all, of the ice at both Rocky and Muddy Ponds was mostly gone. A few Canada geese and common mergansers were observed at Muddy Pond. The only birds observed were the Song Sparrow, robin,

white-breasted nuthatch, crow, and black-capped chickadee.

On March 31st, the snow was finally gone at the park. More species of birds were observed including the Northern Cardinal, brown creeper, dark-eyed junco, Eastern bluebird, American goldfinch, Black-capped chickadee, crow, white-breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker, blue jay, and tufted titmouse.

During the first week of April, a small flock of golden-crowned kinglets, red-bellied woodpecker and numerous yearly residents were seen in the forest, while one Canada goose was seen sitting on a nest near where the creek from Rocky Pond flows into Muddy Pond. A few Canada geese nest there every year. The first Eastern newt was observed at Rocky Pond and a robin and Cooper’s hawk were seen along lower Giorgetti. Oak trees were beginning to flower and Flowering Arbutus flowers were getting ready to bloom. Wood ducks were heard calling at the south side of Rocky Pond as they always do this time of year, and that wonderful earthly smell was prevalent throughout the whole park. The forest floor was awakening after months of being frozen under the snow cover.

On April 6th, small flying insects were becoming more numerous, gray squirrels were scurrying about, a mated pair of common mergansers were seen at Rocky Pond, and Eastern phoebes, and yellow-bellied sapsuckers had returned.  A northern flicker was also observed, a bird not commonly seen in the park.

By the middle of April, Canada geese were nesting at both Rocky and Muddy ponds, turkey vultures were seen flying over the rocks that overlook the west side of Rocky Pond, and one Osprey was seen next to its nest at Muddy Pond. Trailing arbutus was in flower, its scent truly heavenly. Spring peepers were calling at Rocky Pond, song sparrows were singing in the reeds at Rocky Pond, and a Cooper’s hawk was seen near its old nest near the first bridge on middle Giorgetti trail.

During the third week of April, trout lily leaves were starting to emerge from the forest floor, 2 osprey were chasing one another while a third looked on at Muddy Pond, a pair of brown creepers were seen making a nest behind loose bark on a tree near the edge of Muddy Pond, painted turtles were sunning themselves on logs at Muddy Pond, the first Hermit thrush of the season was heard singing in the forest, and a Cooper’s hawk was seen sitting on that nest on Middle Giorgetti trail, while another one was seen feeding on a tufted titmouse nearby.

On the last day of April I saw barren strawberry, common strawberry and bellwort all in flower. 2 osprey were seen at their nest on Muddy Pond and fern fiddleheads were finally emerging from the forest floor.

On May 4th, I saw many red efts walking along the forest floor after a few days of rain had recently fallen on the park.

After nearly two weeks of continuous rain, it finally let up enough for me to hike the park once again. And on May 10th, I was lucky enough to be in the park when our spring migrants were flying through the park. Never in my life had I observed 4 Scarlet Tanagers together on the same large shrub. Without a doubt, one of America’s most beautiful birds. And to see 4 on one shrub! I couldn’t believe it. One of the highlights of my 13 years hiking throughout the park. A house wren was seen building its nest in one of the bird houses near the trailhead. Birds seen included American goldfinch, rose-breasted grosbeak, black-and-white warbler, northern cardinal, crow, chestnut-sided warbler, yellow warbler, American redstart, black-capped chickadee, red-bellied woodpecker, gray catbird, song sparrow, least flycatcher, veery, wood thrush, yellow-rumped warbler, brown-headed cowbird, brown creeper, downy woodpecker,

red-winged blackbird, blue jay, tufted titmouse, Carolina wren, blackburnian warbler, ovenbird, hermit thrush, yellow-throated vireo, robin, Eastern towhee, northern flicker, red-eyed vireo,

blue-headed vireo, black-throated green warbler, and a white-throated sparrow. At Muddy Pond were seen Canada geese, common mergansers, osprey, dark-eyed junco, and a belted kingfisher. What a great day in the forest!

On May 15th, spring born baby American toads could be seen hopping all about the park. Chipmunks were scurrying about, the gorgeous indigo bunting was seen at its usual spot beneath the power lines on the Carriage Trail on the way to Rocky Pond, and the park was filled with the songs of dozens of species of birds.

The next day, May 16th, I saw a number of American Giant Millipedes, Eastern Tiger and Sulfur Butterflies, a deer along the Carriage trail, and numerous species of birds once again.

On May 18th, a great blue heron was seen at Muddy Pond flying towards its nest in the wetland area that feeds into Muddy Pond on its north side.

On May 26th, I saw a bird I don’t see very often in the park, a Northern Oriole. And always at Rocky Pond for just a few days then not to be seen again. A few days later on the 29th, I saw a large garter snake slithering among the rocks that overlook Rocky Pond. Moccasin flower, bunchberry, Azalea, and starflower were all flowering.

During the first few weeks of June, I continued to see numerous birds, most of them already in their nests with males making known to other birds of the same species their territories by singing and chasing off intruders. What a wonderful time to be in the forest. Ox-eye daisies, red clover and king devils were all flowering. Of course, you had to start dealing with the

annoying biting insects this time of year. After coming down with Lyme Disease this time last year, I’ve been extra vigilant when it comes to using bug spray and checking myself for attached ticks when I get home. You, too, need to be very careful when hiking in the forest. Stay on the trails, avoid high grass areas, and don’t hesitate to use bug spray.

That’s it for this issue. Enjoy your time in the park, and please respect our gracious neighbors by staying on the trails.

Education, Hikes, Mountain Biking, Nature Study, Observations, Pine Hill Partnership, Uncategorized

Wild Times At Pine Hill Park

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Winter, 2024-25 Season by Tom Estill


On the first day of Winter in Dec. of 2024, I was feeling bad for the birds and decided to purchase and put up 1 bird feeder and 2 suet feeders near the trailhead. Returned two days later to see what kinds of birds had been attracted to the feeders only to find all 3 feeders gone! No sign of them anywhere. Well, I’m not doing that again.

By Christmas Day, snow was about 6” deep, and temperatures were very cold. On Dec. 26th, the only bird I saw on my 2 hr. hike was a crow. Now that I think about it, I believe I’ve seen crows on just about every hike I’ve been on at Pine Hill Park since I first started hiking there in 2013.


On Dec. 27th, I observed tufted titmouse, crow, and white-breasted nuthatch. Many deer tracks could be seen throughout the forest, along with coyote and small rodent tracks. I was so delighted to once again see porcupine tracks leading up to its den in the rock outcrop near the intersection of the power lines and the Carriage Trail. In years past, I’ve set up a Trail Cam at the spot and have recorded porcupines walking in and out of the den. Coyotes have also denned there in the past.


On Dec. 28th, Dave, Shelley and I participated in the annual Audubon Society Bird Count. Our results are as follows: White-breasted nuthatch-16, Crow-24, Robin-1, Black-capped Chickadee-23, Tufted Titmouse-20, Mallard-3, Downy Woodpecker-10, Brown Creeper-3, Cardinal-1, American Goldfinch-137


By the first week of Jan., both ponds were completely frozen over, and there was about 1” of snow on the ground. The only birds seen those first 10 days of Jan. were crows, pileated woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatches, ravens, and robins.


On Jan. 11th, I collected a sample of creek water and debris underneath the bridge near Rocky Pond just to see what microscopic organisms might be found in that habitat that time of year. In just one drop of water, I observed hundreds of diatoms and Midge Larvae. Midges are those flying insects you see flying about the forest in late winter, commonly mistaken for mosquitoes due to their similarity in appearance.


The first week of Feb., I once again set up my trailcam in an area near the fox den on Middle Giorgetti Trail. But unlike last time, the only animal recorded was a gray squirrel.


On Feb. 9th, I visited the park the day after a major snow storm had passed through the area. Over a foot of snow was on the ground. I was very surprised to see a large flock of Canada Geese in a V formation flying north overhead. Hairy woodpeckers, crows and robins were also seen. Now, about those robins. In all the some 35 years I have spent in VT and NH, I have never seen as many robins in the dead of winter as I have seen this winter. It’s as if they never flew south. They sure were enjoying the various berries around town.


In mid-Feb., I saw a pileated woodpecker, white-breasted nuthatch, large flock of crows and another large flock of robins in the park. I also had the luck to be in the right place at the right time to observe a FISHER walking through the forest near the old Crusher Rd. quarry. At first, because of its light brown color, I thought it was a marten, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was a fisher. I’ve only seen a wild fisher a handful of times in my life and they’ve always been a dark, almost black, color. And that’s what threw me off.
On Feb. 21st, while walking through the forest I heard numerous BANGS, BOOMS, and CRACKS. They’re called Frost Cracks and I hear them every year about this time. They involve the freezing of water in certain cells of the tree, causing the cells to explode with a loud bang. Always fun to hear the sounds on a cold winter day.
Two days later, I was surprised to see numerous cottontail tracks in the snow near the huge boulder at the end of the walkway near the trailhead. Along with the tracks were numerous piles of rabbit droppings. I’ve been seeing more and more of those rabbits in the park as the years have gone by.


On March 3rd, I came across bear tracks in the snow and decided to follow them for awhile. From the Carriage Trail near the intersection which leads to the golf course, I followed the tracks to Rocky Pond where they led across the frozen Rocky Pond outlet-the same place my trailcam had photographed a black bear a few months earlier.


A few days later, winter packed snow was beginning to disappear from the park. On March 8th, numerous flocks of Canada geese were seen flying north. Both ponds were still frozen over, and trails had become treacherous with recent rains turning the compacted snow to ice.
By March 10th, bare patches of snow were beginning to be seen throughout the park.Temps. were in the 40s. It felt like spring. White-breasted nuthatches, red-bellied woodpecker, pileated woodpecker, downy woodpecker, brown, creeper, crow, black-capped chickadee, northern cardinal, tufted titmouse were all seen along with a pair of Eastern bluebirds flying in and out of one of the nest boxes near the trailhead. A red-shouldered hawk was seen near the Rocky Pond outlet where it has been seen in the past, and I saw my first midge flying about.The next day, I saw my first turkey vulture flying overhead and temperatures were in the low 60s! The day after that I saw a red-tailed hawk flying overhead. Both ponds were still frozen over.


By Feb. 19th, both ponds were starting to show open water in a few perimeter spots. In one of those spots on Muddy Pond were seen a few Canadian geese and Common mergansers.


That’s it for this edition. Please stay on the trails and enjoy the wild wonders of Pine Hill Park.

Education, Hikes, Mountain Biking, Observations, Pine Hill Partnership, Trail Running, Trail Safety, Trail Updates, Trail Work, Uncategorized

Carriage Trail is OPEN!

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UPDATE: May 29, 2026: Carriage Trail is now open until loggers return later this year.

Due to logging on the Proctor Library lands, the Carriage Trail is closed from Resting Brook to Proctor. Please respect this trail closure by staying off the trail.

Loggers are using heavy mechanized equipment and we do not need to hinder their progress.

Our understanding is the Carriage Trail will be closed until fall of 2026. Loggers will continue to work through the winter and spring.

Thank you.

Education, Nature Study, Observations

Wild Times in Pine Hill Park

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Tom Estill has a great fall report!

The first day of Fall 2024, was a very quiet day in Pine Hill Park. Very rarely have I taken a hike through the forest and not seen or heard a single bird. Sept. 20th was one of those days. Not only was the forest very quiet, but the only living things I saw were grey squirrels scurrying about.

That all changed a few days later when, on Sept. 22nd, numerous migrating passerines could  be seen throughout the forest flying south in front of an approaching cold front from the north. Birds seen included red-eyed vireo, cape may warbler, black and white warbler, black-capped chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, hairy woodpecker, crow, and tufted titmouse, and at Muddy Pond, a few Canada geese, a few wood ducks, and a great blue heron.

On Sept. 27th, Shelley texted to tell me she found 2 chestnut burs on the Svelte Tiger trail near where the 1st wild American Chestnut tree was discovered a few years ago. I immediately headed up to the park, found the burs lying where Shelley had found them, and spent the next couple hours searching the area for the tree that may have produced the burs which contained fertile seeds. To my great disappointment, no such tree was found. So, the mystery as to where those 2 fertile burs came from remains a mystery to this day. By the way, the mature American Chestnut found on Svelte Tiger could not have produced those burs. First, you need two trees to produce FERTILE seeds, and secondly, that tree has been dying the last few years, due to it not only being infected with the blight, but also irreparably damaged by that hard frost in May of 2022, and the infestation of the spongy moth.

On Sept. 29th, both grey squirrels and Eastern chipmunks were out and about collecting various seeds for winter storage. There were only a few plants still in flower including silverrod, blue wood aster, and New England aster being pollinated by a bumblebee. At Muddy Pond I observed about two dozen Canada geese, and a dozen wood ducks, while throughout the forest were seen white-throated sparrows, hairy woodpecker, white-breasted nuthatch, tufted titmouse, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, Carolina Wren, crow, and a brown creeper.

On an Oct. 2nd late afternoon hike, I found, once again, a very quiet forest with the fall foliage nearing its peak. I was surprised to see a yellow-breasted sapsucker so late in the season, drilling another hole in a white birch already covered with hundreds of sapsucker holes.

Black-capped chickadees and hairy woodpeckers were the only other birds seen in the forest, but over a hundred Canada geese were seen at Muddy Pond.

On Oct. 11th, a huge flock of common grackles was seen flying through the forest, Canada geese now numbers in the low hundreds at Muddy Pond along with a few mallards, wood ducks, and an Eastern Kingfisher, and the beaver pond at the West end of Muddy Pond showed signs of recent activity. It’s been getting bigger for the last few months. But what surprised me most that day was the sound of green frogs still calling from both ponds. I collected button bush

seeds from shoreline plants at Rocky Pond and later placed them in a refrigerator for planting in the spring. Beechdrops were in flower along the 2nd Giorgetti trail.

Mid-Oct. saw numerous V-shaped flocks of Canadian geese flying south and the forest was covered in a thick layer of multi-colored leaves. And as late as the third week of October, a Hermit Thrush was seen in the forest along with the usual winter inhabitants, black-capped chickadees and white-breasted nuthatches. Most trees had lost their leaves with the exception of oaks and beech trees, and at Muddy Pond, Canada geese numbered in the hundreds.

The first week of November found a large number of robins flying through the forest, seemingly associated with a passing cold front from the north, most oak trees had lost their leaves after a stormy and windy November 1st, and a couple hundred Canadian geese were still seen at Muddy Pond.

A hike during the second week of November found the forest very quiet with no snow on the forest floor and wood ferns, Christmas ferns and lycopodium providing a green color to the ground.

On November 15th, ice first started to appear on some edges of Rocky Pond, with a few hundred Canada geese at Muddy Pond, and a single winter moth(Operophtera brumata) flying about. Two days later, to my surprise, I saw dragonflies mating at Rocky Pond, along with a single Eastern newt swimming along the shore, and now, hundreds of winter moths flying about.

On November 20th, after a long hike, I was beginning to wonder where all the winter resident birds were. Not a single bird was sighted.

On Nov.24th, for the first time at Pine Hill Park, I saw a snow goose, along with about 50 Canada geese and a single bufflehead duck at Muddy Pond. The next day, the only bird I saw was a pileated woodpecker.

Dec. 13th was a very cold day. Rocky Pond was now completely frozen while Muddy Pond was frozen over with the exception of a small area in the middle of the pond. No snow on the ground, but did have a snow storm the week before. The only birds seen were a white-breasted nuthatch and a murder of crows( that’s what they call a flock of crows!) harassing a red-tailed hawk.

Two days later, both ponds were now completely frozen over, and a loose association of

black-capped chickadees, tufted titmouse, downy woodpecker and white-breasted nuthatches could be seen near the trailhead. Bare ground in the park.

That’s it for this issue. Please stay on the trails and enjoy your wildlife sightings at Pine Hill Park.

Education, Nature Study, Observations

Wild Times Summer 2024

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By Tom Estill

(Truncated version due to Tom picking up Lyme disease earlier this summer.)

The first day of Summer, 2024, found all of New England in the middle of a week-long heat wave. The soonest I was able to get into the park after a long battle with Lyme Disease was July 20th. By then, blackberries were ripening, button bush was in flower, and gray squirrels were seen feeding on acorns. All these things seemed to be occurring a little earlier than usual, and my notes from previous years seem to support that idea. I’ll be very curious to see what changes will be occurring in the timing of park wildlife activities in the years to come. By this time of year, the forest is becoming increasingly quiet. On July 20th, I saw just a few birds including cedar waxwing, Eastern wood pewee, tufted titmouse, and American goldfinch. Jumpseed, goldenrod, Queen Anne’s lace, wood aster and tick-trefoil were about the only plants flowering.

While on a hike on August 23rd, I saw white-breasted nuthatches, red-bellied woodpeckers, black-capped chickadees, Eastern wood pewee, blue jay, pileated woodpecker, and American goldfinch, while at Muddy Pond could be seen a single Osprey sitting on its nest, a few mallards and a few wood ducks. To my surprise, all the beaver lodges on the west side of Muddy Pond were now gone, and the large old lodge on the Eastern side was completely overgrown, indicating it wasn’t being used for awhile. Still, a single beaver could be seen swimming in the pond, perhaps using the single small lodge at the north end of Muddy. Many green frogs were seen at Muddy Pond and a single Bullfrog could be heard croaking. At Rocky Pond, a black water snake was seen sunning itself on a rock, and a pickerel frog was hopping through the tall grass.

But the highlight of August 23rd is what I observed that evening. Hundreds of nighthawks were flying south in a huge flock that just never seemed to end. For half an hour I watched the birds, all migrating south. It was a sight I had never seen before, and one I will never forget.

A few days later I was back at the park feeling pretty confident that I wouldn’t be bothered by mosquitoes, as they hadn’t bothered me at all during the last few weeks. Boy was I wrong! They were a terrible nuisance on my 8/26 walk.

Bottle Gentian, illustration by David Jenne

Chipmunks were out and about in big numbers, the gorgeous and rich blue colored Bottle Gentian was in color and the forest was very quiet. If you want to see the Bottle Gentian, look along Crusher Rd. just north of trail marker #12. That’s the only place in the park I’ve seen them, and then, only in August and Early Sept.

The next day, August 27th, was a delightful day for a walk in the forest. A blue-headed vireo was observed, along with the more commonly seen tufted titmouse, northern flicker, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, and raven, and at Muddy Pond was seen a wood duck and an Osprey sitting on its nest. But the best part of the hike is something I had never seen before- PINK colored Indian Pipe. With sunlight low in the sky filtering through the forest leaves, the light falling on the plant made for one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen in nature. And, of course, it was the only day in 12 years I had left my iPhone at home, so I couldn’t take a picture.

Sept. 1st was the last time I saw an osprey at its nest this season. I know that at least one young osprey was successfully fledged this year. Also seen at Muddy Pond was the rarely seen red-shouldered hawk migrating on its way south, a kingfisher and a painted turtle sunning itself. A red eft was seen crossing the Carriage Trail and goldenrod, touch-me-not, wood aster, common boneset, redshank, Queen Anne’s lace and purple loosestrife were all in flower.

A week later, I was surprised to see a Viceroy butterfly flying through the forest. So similar to the Monarch, but just smaller, and a wing coloring pattern so similar to that of the Monarch that you have to look carefully to distinguish the two. The Viceroy does not feed on milkweed so is protected by its Mimicry.

On Sept. 10th, I checked my Trail Camera which had been set up near the outlet to Rocky Pond 3 weeks earlier and was delighted to see a picture of a doe and its fawn, a big beaver, and a BLACK BEAR. I wasn’t too surprised about the bear because I had picked up its scent in that area a few days prior to picking up the camera.. Many chipmunks scurrying about including very young ones, likely the offspring of a second brood, which is not unusual.

In mid-August I hiked up to Muddy Pond hoping to see hundreds of migrating Canada geese, but only saw a few. I was happy to see that the beaver lodge at the north end of the pond was active with lots of recently chewed branches piled on the lodge. Numerous green frogs were seen at both ponds and a gray tree frog was calling near Trail Marker 24. A great blue heron was seen at Rocky Pond. On a short hike on the last official day of summer, the forest was very quiet, gray squirrels were out and about and a Great Blue Heron was seen at Rocky Pond.

That’s it for this issue. Please stay on the trails and enjoy your time observing the wonderful wildlife of Pine Hill Park.

Education, Hikes, Mountain Biking, Programs, Trail Updates, Uncategorized

Spring Wild Times Report

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by Tom Estill

Near the first day of spring, 2024, a major snow storm came through the area and dumped about 18” of snow on the ground. On a late afternoon walk the forest was relatively quiet with just a few birds seen including, yellow-crowned kinglet, tufted titmouse, crow, black-capped

chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, and a turkey vulture flying overhead. On March 26th, snow continued to melt, but it was still very deep. I was hoping to see some of the first migrants to arrive, but saw only tufted titmouse, pileated and downy woodpeckers, crown, white-breasted nuthatch and a red squirrel near the trailhead.

On a March 28th hike, snow was melting rapidly, with bare ground becoming a more and more common sight. A good day for birdwatching with a cardinal, mourning dove, Carolina wren, dark-eyed junco, tufted titmouse, black-capped chickadee, American goldfinch feeding on birch catkins, crow, golden-crowned kinglet, white-breasted nuthatch, ruffed grouse, and pileated woodpecker, all being seen.

On March 30, the first wildflower of the season was seen flowering where it’s always seen-in the wetland areas adjacent to the boardwalk near the trailhead. That flower is, of course, COLTSFOOT. Also, on this day was seen the first migrating warbler, the black and white warbler. Dark-eyed juncos were chasing one another, establishing their territories, and a few Canada geese were sitting on their nests on the little islands on the west side of Muddy Pond.

Also, on the pond were a few pairs of mallards, and about a dozen common mergansers. It felt like an early spring day.

On the last day of March, a Cooper’s hawk was seen bringing nesting material to a nest it was building near the Lower Giorgetti trail, close to where last year’s Cooper’s Hawk nest was located, but which has since been abandoned. A second Cooper’s Hawk was seen perching near the nest they were building.

By the first day of April, Eastern chipmunks were out and about in large numbers, a red squirrel had set up a nest near the trailhead, the first butterfly of the season was seen, the Mourning Cloak(always the first!), and always seen in the few open areas in the park where the American chestnut trees were planted in the past, flying insects were becoming more numerous, many painted turtles were sunning themselves at both Muddy and Rocky Pond, and one Osprey was seen on its nest at Muddy Pond.

The second week of April found mostly sunny days with temperatures in the mid-60s. An Eastern phoebe was seen flying in and out of one of the abandoned quarry buildings on Crusher Rd. I could see its nest high up on an overhang near the ceiling. The same place it’s been making its nest for years. Numerous bluebirds also seen near the quarry. Hundreds of wood frogs croaking in the wetland area at the south end of Rocky Pond.

By the second week of April, trailing arbutus was flowering (always second after Coltsfoot), the Hermit Thrush had returned and Trout Lily leaves were beginning to emerge from the forest floor. On the 14th, yellow-bellied sapsucker was back and drumming, while on Muddy Pond, 2 Osprey were seen on and near their pole extension nest.

A day later a doe, and 2 yearlings accompanying her, were seen on Droopy Muffin trail. They would be seen numerous times in the following weeks. Two adult Canada Geese had set up nests on the west side islands on Muddy Pond. They obviously were sitting on eggs, because every time I checked the nests, they’d be sitting there, while their mate was nearby keeping strangers away.

On April 16th, I was surprised at how quiet the forest had become and I saw but a few birds including cardinal, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, and Bluebirds flying in and out of the next they had recently occupied at the top of a dead white birch adjacent to quarry buildings.

During the third week of April, wood anemones were flowering, one of the Cooper’s Hawk was continually sitting low on its nest, very likely keeping its eggs warm, a brown creeper was seen bringing nesting material to its recently constructed nest, a solitary vireo was seen, and the bluebirds were seen flying continually in and out of their birch tree nest.

By the last week of April, trout lily were in flower, black-capped chickadees could be seen feeding on red pine seeds, belted kingfishers had returned to the ponds, bumblebees were out in large numbers, bellwort and sedges were in flower along with various violets, many bullfrogs and green frogs were calling at the ponds, and fiddleheads were opening,

During the first week of May, Dave Jenne, Shelley Lutz and myself went on a 5 hr. birdwalk and saw black-capped chickadees, crow, American goldfinch, tufted titmouse, downy woodpecker, cardinal, Carolina wren, white-breasted nuthatch, robin, brown creeper, American redstart, ovenbird, blue headed vireo, least flycatcher, northern flicker, Eastern phoebe, great crested flycatcher, field sparrow, hermit thrush, Eastern bluebird, hairy woodpecker, yellow-bellied woodpecker, black-throated green warbler, Eastern towhee, blue jay, black-throated blue warbler, red crossbill, black and white warbler, catbird, and white-throated sparrow. At Muddy Pond could be found many painted turtles sunning themselves, Canada geese nesting, and Common Mergansers. Catkins were hanging from the limbs of white birch trees.

During the second week of May, Moccasin flowers, Gay wings, star flowers, foam flower, butter and eggs, wood betony and pale corydalis were all blooming. Numerous reports of a sow and accompanying young bear seen at south side of park, adjacent to residential area. Female Cooper’s Hawk appears to be feeding young. Scarlet tanagers had returned, and after a rain, numerous red efts could be seen on the trails. Had to be careful where I put my foot. By this time of year, emerging tree leaves are making it harder to see birds higher up. Indigo buntings were back in numbers I have never seen before, red-wing blackbirds were nesting at Rocky Pond, ruby-throated hummingbirds were seen for the first time this season, and

Jack-In-The-Pulpit was blooming.

During the third week of May, I saw my first yellow warbler this season, while chestnut-sided warblers, red-eyed vireos, American redstart, black-and-white warbler, tufted titmouse, Eastern wood pewee, indigo buntings, northern cardinals, Carolina wren, veery, common yellowthroat, black-capped chickadee, least flycatcher, osprey and Canada geese were regularly heard or seen on just about every walk I went on in the park.

The last week of May I saw my first northern parula and cedar waxwing of the season.

Forget-me-not, Common buttercups, red clover, blackberries, fleabane, blue-eyed grass, and hawkweed were all blooming, and evergreen pollen was covering the perimeter of both Rocky and Muddy Ponds. The red admiral butterfly was seen under the power lines on the Carriage Trail, a place where I see them every year.

During early June, Field Cow Wheat, Tufted loosestrife, and Blue Flag were all flowering. And on June 7th, I replaced two dead American Chestnut trees with American Chestnut seedlings, and saw a beautiful Hummingbird Clearwing Moth. In Mid-June, the inevitable finally happened after 12 years of walking all around Pine Hill Park, observing the wildlife and planting trees and wildflowers-I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. And it knocked me flat for at least two weeks. So, I’m ending my report here.

Hope you enjoyed this summary. Please remember to stay on the trails, and enjoy watching the Wildlife of Pine Hill Park.

Education, Nature Study, Observations, Trail Updates, Uncategorized

24 Winter Wild Times

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by Tom Estill

We are so fortunate to have Tom checking on our wildlife through out the seasons and write up a great report for us.

During the week of the Winter Solstice of 2023, the forest was relatively quiet with Rocky Pond finally completely freezing over, though with thin ice, on Dec. 23rd. So quiet, that on that day of Dec.23rd, I didn’t hear or see a single bird on my walk to and from Rocky Pond, a very rare occurrence for me.

A few days later on a walk to Muddy Pond, I saw 4 flocks of about 12 Canada geese flying low towards Muddy Pond, white-breasted nuthatch, and black-capped chickadees.Both ponds were completely frozen over with thin ice, with the exception of a few small areas near the shores of both ponds Water was freely flowing into and out of Rocky Pond.

On Dec. 30th, David Jenne and Shelley Lutz participated in the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. The birds they saw and their numbers were: Black-capped chickadees-23 White-breasted nuthatch-15 Tufted titmouse-8 Downy woodpecker-6 Canada geese-16 Dark-eyed junco-4 Raven-3 Crow-16 Hairy woodpecker-2 American goldfinch-2 Unidentified raptor-1 Pileated woodpecker-1 House sparrow-10 Cardinal-1

On Jan. 2, 2024, I saw a white-breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker, pileated woodpecker and had the luck to be at the right place at the right time as I sat on the shore of Rocky Pond listening to 2 different flocks of wild turkeys calling back and forth to one another on opposite sides of the pond.

During those first few weeks of January, snow was starting to fall in appreciable amounts with a good dumping on the 20th, and bright sunny days, though rare, were so welcome. A small herd of deer could be regularly seen between trail markers 16 and 24, hairy woodpeckers were starting to be heard drumming back and forth to one another, tufted titmouse birds had changed their call to short, double “here, here” calls, and Carolina wrens were calling one another. On Jan. 22nd, I had the pleasure of hearing 2 pairs of Carolina wrens calling back and forth to one another over quite some distance. The Carolina wren seems to be a bird I am seeing more and more of as the years go by.

Feb. 5 was a gorgeous sunny day. Snow was mostly gone from the 3 lower Giorgetti trails, but still about 3” deep in the upper trails. The small stream feeding Rocky Pond was frozen over and the pond itself was covered in thick ice. Birds seen that day included cardinal, white-breasted nuthatch, tufted titmouse, hairy and red-bellied woodpeckers. For the next week I saw pretty much the same birds along with pileated woodpeckers and black-capped chickadees.

On Feb. 11th, I was very surprised and delighted to see a Red Squirrel near the trailhead of the park. I see gray squirrels all the time, but rarely do I see a red squirrel. Since then, I’ve been seeing it on a regular basis in that same area, so I know it has a nest somewhere nearby.

By mid-February, gray squirrels were beginning to be seen along with yellow-crowned kinglets. There was one or two inches of snow on the ground. I collected a sample of debris from the bottom of one of the park streams, curious to see what might be alive in such icy cold streams. Through my microscope, I was able to observe a few ciliates, rotifers, a small annelid and a tiny Stonefly nymph.

The last week of February saw me regularly observing downy, hairy, pileated and red-bellied woodpeckers, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, crow, brown creeper, and black-capped chickadees. The only open water observed was a small area surrounding the large beaver lodge on the east side of Muddy Pond, a few small spots of open water along the shores of Rocky pond, and the streams flowing into both ponds. Snow fleas(a sign for me that the worst part of winter is over) were seen on Feb. 21st, nuthatches and chickadees were chasing one another through the trees, hairy woodpeckers were drumming, and the lower trails were mostly bare ground.

On Feb. 25th, I observed a Cooper’s hawk flying near a Cooper’s hawk nest from last year, a barred owl near trail marker 16, where I see them every year, a rarely seen male red crossbill feeding on red pine seeds at Rocky Pond, and a black-capped chickadee feeding on both red and white pine seeds. While standing on the shore of Muddy Pond, I noticed a small area of open water in the distance, near where the main stream feeds into Muddy Pond. This seemed odd to me, in that the pond was pretty much completely covered in thick ice. As I approached the open area I could see the water churning.  I assumed it was fish coming up to gulp air due to the decreasing amount of oxygen in the ice covered pond this time of year. To my surprise, it wasn’t fish gulping air, it was dozens of Eastern newts just coming out of hibernation, coming up for air.

On Feb. 26th, I was surprised to see a large flock of robins flying northward through the forest. Never seen, this time of year, such a huge, compact flock of robins like that before. Both Rocky and Muddy have numerous puddles on their surface, and at both ponds you could hear what sounded like distant thunder, moans and groans as the water was moving about beneath the ice.

On March 3rd, I saw a very impressive huge flock of hundreds of grackles flying through the park. A day later, Canada geese, mallards and hooded mergansers were seen at Rocky Pond. By this time, Rocky was now mostly open water, with only the far east side covered in ice. At Muddy Pond, the only birds seen were one female and three male common mergansers.

March 6th was the first time I saw turkey vultures flying overhead near Rocky Pond, the first of the season.  A few days later, both ponds were free of ice, Canada geese were seen on both ponds, many water insects could be seen in the shallows of Rocky Pond, along with many Eastern newts swimming about.

On March 11.4 inches of snow covered the ground, but by the next day it was mostly gone.

By mid-March, oak tree buds were starting to open, and I couldn’t believe that I heard a few wood frogs calling at Muddy Pond. This time of year, the forest had also become surprisingly quiet. I thought southern migrants may have started to appear, but no such luck.

On March 17th, I spread hundreds of pitcher plant seeds along the shores of the Rocky Pond outlet in areas I felt would make ideal habitat for such plants. I was looking for areas similar to those found on the small islands on the west side of Muddy Pond which contain numerous pitcher plants.

On the last day of winter, I saw white-breasted nuthatch, tufted titmouse, carolina wren, cardinal, black-capped chickadee, hairy and red-bellied woodpecker, crow, and a few deer between trail markers 16 and 24.

That’s it for this issue. Please stay on the trails, and enjoy watching the wildlife of Pine Hill Park.