Middle Creek Trip: A Modest Success

Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area is located near Kleinfelter'sville in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Game Commission manages it primarily for waterfowl, although numerous other types of wildlife may be found.

Deputy Wildlife Conservation Officer, Anthony Carbaugh and I traveled there on Tuesday morning of this week in hopes of seeing the vast flocks of snow geese that visit here during the spring migration, but few of the birds were to be found. It seems most had moved on in the yearly journey to nesting grounds on the arctic tundra.

We did find several other species of waterfowl, but most were too far for good close-ups, even with the powerful telephotos. In a few cases, birds did come close enough for decent photography.

Male Ring Neck Duck

The ring neck duck is a common late winter, early spring visitor to Pennsylvania, but they are ordinarily not seen in large numbers. It seems that ring-billed duck would be a more appropriate name because of the prominent white ring behind the tip of the bill, but there is a narrow band of slightly different colored plumage near the base of the neck, from which the name is taken. The band is not visible in the above photo

Female Scaup

Scaup also pass through Pennsylvania in the same period and look somewhat like the Ring Neck Duck, when one compares males to males and females to females, but notice how the Scaup has a broader beak with no ring near the tip. There are other differences as well, but these are the most prominent.

Camera Critters: Cow Elk In Winter-Short Video Clip

Elk are primarily grazing animals, but will browse if desirable woody growth is available.

Cow Elk Browsing On Autumn Olive Shrub

Filming Bull Elk With Canon XL-H1

Here is a short video clip of late winter in Pennsylvania and shows a small portion of the best video footage that I obtained on last weeks trip to Benezette, in Elk County. (The eagle was filmed in Fulton County, but it is possible to see them in the elk range).

Blogger does not do justice to the clip in comparison to what this looks like in wide screen, high definition, on a modern wide screen television, but it is still well worth the time to watch it.



Winter In Pennsylvania's North Woods

For more Camera Critters Photographs, click Here!

The Truth About Pennsylvania's Elk Herd"-Benezette Elk

The Pennsylvania Game Commission Video, "Pennsylvania Elk: Reclaiming The Alleghenies" is a comprehensive overview of the re-establishment of the Pennsylvania elk herd, while "The Truth About Pennsylvania's Elk Herd", which I completed last year, was made from the point of view of an eco-tourist, serious photographer, and student of nature.

Filming a Pennsylvania Bull Elk

While "Reclaiming The Alleghenies" laid the groundwork for public acceptance of a modern day elk hunt, "The Truth About Pennsylvania's Elk Herd" questions how the hunt was implemented and covers many controversies surrounding the hunt.

Perhaps the most notable controversy was when the area immediately around the village of Benezette was to be opened to elk hunting during the 2006 hunt. (There was originally a significant area where no hunting was permitted to protect the elk around the public viewing areas). After a firestorm of public protest the decision was reversed.

Benezette Bulls

There are three basic options in dealing with elk that "move into town". One is a hands-off approach, while the second is trap and transfer of problem animals. The third is the "lethal" solution of opening the area to hunting. This is the most cost effective method, but is it the right thing to do?

Yearling Bull In No Hunt Zone

Is it more valuable to society as a whole to mange elk for hunting purposes, or as a viewable resource? Can these activities co-exist to the benefit of both sides? The film addresses these issues, and more!

Stay tuned for more about the controversies surrounding Pennsylvania's Elk Herd, along with information and photos on other Pennsylvania wildlife.

Camera Critters: Pennsylvania Elk In Winter

Here are more photographs from the trip to Pennsylvania's Northwoods earlier this week. For more photos from this trip, check the previous post.

While elk often feed in the meadows in early morning and late evening, they ordinarily spend the rest of the day in the woods.

Elk In Woodland

The animals spend most of the day resting, but periodically move about and feed. Sometimes they rub their antlers or other body parts against trees and saplings.

"Scratching The Itch"

While he sometimes made antler contact with the sapling this bull mostly rubbed his head and neck against it.

A Battered Warrior

This bull was quite the warrior in the rut last fall as two of the points on the right antler just above the head are broken.

For more Camera Critters photographs, click Here!