The following collection of stories took place during 2008. July 31, 2008 Pearl Crescent This female Pearl Crescent was just one of the twenty different species recorded on the butterfly survey conducted today at the Brunner Island Wetlands. POSTED BY: KAREN AMENT July 28, 2008 Dogs retrieve crowd Lake Took-A-While at the Susquehanna Riverlands hosted a demonstration of highly-trained Labrador Retrievers recently as part of a clinic on the sport of waterfowling, delighting the 30 or so people in attendance. No matter how far from shore they got, the dogs responded instantly to the whistles and hand signals of their human partners and quickly found each of the decoys that had been flung into the lake. While there was clearly a close, loving bond between the dogs and their trainer, what impressed spectators most was the obvious enthusiasm these animals had for their work. They seemingly couldn’t wait for the next opportunity to streak down the shore and plunge into the water. And while it may just have been imagination, you couldn’t help but think they looked a little disappointed when it was time to go home. The photo above shows Maverick waiting patiently for his turn to show off his skills. POSTED BY: CLEM MCINTYRE July 23, 2008 A success story On his morning drive to Lake Wallenpaupack, Fred Gast, PPL's community affairs specialist, saw an injured pileated woodpecker lying in the road. After pulling over to evaluate its condition, he thought that it might have been hit by a car and was stunned. Since the bird was still not moving after a few minutes, Fred decided to put it in a box and bring it to the center until he could come up with a solution. He didn't want the bird to be hit by another car. By the time he arrived at the lake, the bird was sitting up and alert in the box. He released it near the center and the woodpecker immediately flew to a nearby tree. POSTED BY: KATIE GILL July 22, 2008 Hungry little buggers I thought these caterpillars were monarch caterpillars, but I soon found out they are in fact milkweed tussock caterpillars. Each will eventually grow into a large caterpillar with striking black and orange coloring to warn birds that they are poisonous and would not make a good meal. They are known to feed viciously on milkweed plants, leaving a lacy pattern on them. They are also known as milkweed tiger moth. Our local butterfly expert told me that out of the 50 or so tiny caterpillars in this leaf, maybe one or two will make it to adulthood. POSTED BY: KATIE GILL July 15, 2008 Tiny toad I found this toadlet (a baby American toad) near the stormwater basin at Martins Creek during an inspection on Friday. POSTED BY: JOHN DRABIC July 14, 2008 The hustle and bustle of nature It's summertime and everyone is running around making plans. Sometimes it's nice to take a break and observe nature. I spent some time watching the environmental gardens this morning. The activity is never-ending! Baby frogs are getting acquainted with their newly formed legs. Red spotted newts are hanging out in the bottom of the water garden while water striders skip along the top of the water. Dragonflies land on water lilies while cabbage butterflies and bumblebees flutter about in the milkweed. It's amazing what you see when you stop and smell the flowers. POSTED BY: KATIE GILL July 3, 2008 Up, down, all around It was easy to walk right past this nest of the Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), which was built at the base of a tree struggling out of a rock out-cropping. It was less than two feet off the ground and made of leaves, twigs and lined with fine grasses and feathers. As you go birding, remember to look up and down. POSTED BY: KAREN AMENT July 2, 2008 In full bloom Naturalist Jim Smith (far right) explains how to identify the rosebay rhododendron found in the woodlands south of the Martic fault. The rhododendron are very predominate in the lower creek beds in the Holtwood Environmental Preserve. They are in full bloom in late June and early July. Come enjoy them! POSTED BY: KAREN AMENT June 30, 2008 A beautiful hike The native rhododendron are in full bloom in stream bed hollows at Kelly's Run and Mill Creek at the Holtwood Environmental Preserve. What a treat for tomorrow morning's scheduled hike. As we wander up the trail along the waterfalls, we’ll be surrounded by the blossoms of native rhododendron and wild hydrangea. POSTED BY: KAREN AMENT June 26, 2008 A rare sight During a school trip today at the Wallenpaupack Environmental Education Center, we discovered a Luna moth resting on the screen of the lab window. Although they are common throughout the eastern U.S., the fact that they fly at night and only live as an adult moth for one week a year, makes them a rare sighting. With a wingspan of up to 5 inches, it is one of the largest moths in North America. The kids and I truly enjoyed our first up-close look at this beautiful insect. POSTED BY: KATIE GILL June 26, 2008 Riverlands butterflies On Saturday, June 21 we held the 15th annual 4th of July Butterfly Count at the Susquehanna Riverlands. These counts are conducted by volunteers in order to monitor butterfly populations, and also serve as an opportunity to educate the general public about these eye-catching insects.  We located 31 different species during the day and counted 767 individual butterflies. The most common of the 31 species was the Cabbage White, making up nearly half of all the butterflies sighted. The highlight of the day was the sighting of an Atlantis Fritillary, a new species for the Riverlands' count. POSTED BY: JOHN FRIDMAN June 24, 2008: Wild grasses at Martins Creek The coreopsis (yellow) and fleabane (wild daisy) and the rest of the wild grasses and wildflower fields near Martins Creek are in bloom. These photos were taken along with the new pedestrian trail that is being installed by Lower Mount Bethel Township as part of a grant they received from the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. PPL provided the township with an agreement that allows the trail to join up with the Tekening Hiking Trail at the north end where the new community center is being built, as well as at the south end near the Cedars Pavilion.  POSTED BY: JOHN DRABIC   June 16, 2008 Relocation This weekend, we re-nested 10 kestrels at the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve. Seven of the birds – six males and one female – were brought into the Tri-State Bird Rescue Center in Newark, Del., and then delivered to me on Saturday. I fed and banded all the birds before placing them in the nest boxes. Due to the habitat Martins Creek has to offer, these young falcons have a great opportunity to survive to become nesting adults. POSTED BY: PAUL KARNER June 14, 2008 A rare sight During our Eagle Watch, we had a very rare sighting of a mother hummingbird sitting on her nest. This is the same nest we saw earlier this year under construction, so we knew where to look, but we were amazed at witnessing such an event. POSTED BY: KAREN AMENT June 9, 2008 Caterpillar season is here Have you wondered why there are caterpillars littered all over the roads this time of year? We are in the thick of caterpillar season here at Lake Wallenpaupack. The caterpillar pictured is an eastern tent caterpillar, which forms nests that resemble tents. They feed on black cherry and other fruit-bearing trees. The forest tent caterpillar, which looks very similar, is typically seen "stringing down" from the trees. They feed on a wide variety of species including sugar maple, ash, cherry, apple, beech and birch. Be careful not to confuse these with the gypsy moth caterpillar, which hatches last and is the smallest of the three. The gypsy moth was brought to the United States in 1869 in a failed attempt to start a silkworm industry. Escaping soon after, this moth has become a major pest in the Northeast. Many people have allergic reactions to all of these caterpillars so you should not handle them. POSTED BY: KATIE GILL June 5, 2008 Happy accident Employees at PPL’s preserves are always looking for opportunities to improve habitat for wildlife residents but sometimes it happens accidentally. When repairs had to be made to a portion of the towpath trail along the North Branch Canal at the Susquehanna Riverlands, a finer gravel was used to complete the walking surface. Local snapping turtles have taken advantage of this for nesting sites and sometimes are lined up three-in-a-row along the repaired area either digging nests or laying eggs. Unfortunately, most of the eggs will not hatch because nest predators such as skunks and raccoons will locate the nests before the young turtles have time to develop. POSTED BY: JOHN FRIDMAN June 4, 2008 Why band songbirds? Paul Karner and I spent Tuesday evening banding tree swallows and blue birds found in nesting boxes throughout the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve. Banding birds is valuable to: trace their movements during migration uncover their range expansions and contractions Monitor their population Investigate their ecology Raise awareness in the public Come join us on June 28 as band Eastern bluebirds.  We’ll be meeting at 1:30 p.m. at the Cedars Pavilion on Foul Rift Road. To register, contact PPL at 570-251-6196 or pplpreserves@pplweb.com POSTED BY: JOHN DRABIC May 30, 2008 What a day! On Wednesday, I stopped in at the Wallenpaupack Environmental Education Center before starting a drive around the area to come up with an emergency drill scenario. When I went to park in the overflow lot, I saw a female turkey (hen) with her 8 poults (babies). Katie was a little jealous when I told her about the turkeys when I stopped in the office, but that was just the beginning. When I pulled out of the overflow lot, I saw the hen and poults again on a little road that led down to a dumpster and as I drove on I caught something black out of the corner of my eye. I stopped and backed up and had my first Pennsylvania black bear sighting! As I was driving around not far from the dam I saw a doe meandering about a residential area and as I continued downstream along the Lackawaxen River I spotted a mature Bald Eagle flying overhead. At another location where I observed some fly fisherman wading in the river, I heard the strange sound of a bird called a Veery. It sounds kind of metallic, almost like it should be coming from a synthesizer instead of a living creature. Then on Thursday at the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve, I saw my first fawn of the season and a beautiful Indigo Bunting, as well as the osprey on their nests.  Unfortunately, no photos of any of this and I haven't yet figured out how to download the images in my mind. I'll have to work on gluing a camera to my hip so I don't miss these photo ops! POSTED BY: JOHN DRABIC May 28, 2008: Working together Warm water discharged from the Brunner Island power plant is used to help run Susquehanna Aquacultures, a nearby fish farm. Today, we took a tour of the fish farm and learned that they raise 400,000 pounds of fish annually. That’s 1,000,000 meals! The photo below shows Brent, of Susquehanna Aquacultures, explaining how the fish farm works. POSTED BY: KAREN AMENT May 22, 2008: The importance of grasslands Everyone always worries about saving the forests or saving the wetlands, but not too many people realize that we also need grasslands as habitat for wildlife. A lot of birds like blue birds, eastern meadowlarks, grasshopper sparrows, American kestrels and barn owls need grasslands to survive since that is where they typically get their food, shelter or nesting sites. This photo that I took shows the grasslands at the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve in the morning mist. The photo below shows one of the many tree swallows that nest throughout the grasslands. The bird was banded by Paul Karner, who also provided the photo. POSTED BY: JOHN DRABIC May 21, 2008: Who is watching who? This green heron had been stalking along the edge of a pond before it flew to the branch of this tree to watch me closely as I walked along a trail at Montour Preserve. POSTED BY: JON BEAM May 18, 2008: An avian habitat During a recent hike with the York Audubon Society, we recorded 44 different avian species at the Brunner Island wetlands. POSTED BY: KAREN AMENT May 16, 2008: Tigers and zebras  Birds aren’t the only wildlife at Lock 12. We do have a good population of various butterfly species to match the large variety of plant species here. Zebra swallowtails, whose caterpillars feed on papaw leaves, are abundant. The zebras seen here with a few tiger swallowtails are in the northernmost extent of their range. POSTED BY: JIM SMITH May 15, 2008 Lock 12 Lock 12 at Holtwood is alive, and I mean alive, with nesting migratory birds. As I was down there today, it sounded like a tropical rain forest. Birds were everywhere. Warbling, red-eyed and yellow-throated vireos were heard, as well as Baltimore and orchard Orioles, indigo buntings and cerulean warblers. Other birds reported by birders there today were black-throated blue, black-throated green, blackpoll and redstart warblers. Nesting is rampant: I observed at least three Baltimore oriole nests being built, one of which is visible from the Lock 12 parking lot. Another nice surprise was a ruby-throated hummingbird constructing an almost completed nest on a thin Sycamore branch overhanging the wooden steps up to the Lock 12 interpretive area. This digiscoped picture shows the lichens and spider webs that go into the incredible nest, which is about the size of a quarter. POSTED BY: JIM SMITH May 15, 2008 Snapping turtle A female snapping turtle returns to a pond at Montour Preserve after digging a hole and laying eggs. The eggs will incubate under the warmth of the sun and hatch in late summer or early fall if conditions are right. POSTED BY: JON BEAM May 14, 2008: What’s happening at the lake There’s a lot of activity right now. We have spotted two 3-foot-long carp swimming in front of dam for the last few days. Hummingbirds are back and active at the feeders. Snakes are sunning themselves in the water garden. Robins, Eastern bluebirds and catbirds are nesting around the center. Tree swallows have been diving all around the dam for insects. And there are a lot of woodchucks running back and forth. POSTED BY: KATIE GILL May 14, 2008 Blue bird banding We have banded 10 blue birds at Martins Creek already and there are still more eggs. We also spotted lots of tree swallows and they were even following me around. There were so many that we added some more nest boxes and they got filled right away. We even have two banded tree swallows that we think are from last year's banding efforts with Paul Karner. POSTED BY: JOHN DRABIC May 12, 2008 Holtwood bird census On a rather cool, damp and foggy walk along Lock 12 and McCall's Ferry Road on May 3, six Lancaster County Bird Club members were inundated with birdsong. We heard and saw both Oriole species, listened to quite a few Northern Parulas and cerulean warblers. We also tallied a pair of Scarlet Tanagers, an Acadian Flycatcher, Redstarts, a Bluegray Gnatcatcher building a nest, and singing Red-eyed, Yellow-throated and Warbling Vireos. We trekked across the Norman Wood Bridge to Lancaster County and checked out the Holtwood ash basin #2, where we spotted prairie warblers, yellow-breasted chats, brown thrashers and white-eyed vireos. We were unable to find the Blue Grosbeak, one of the target birds for that area. Gingerly, and in single file, we moved past a massive honey bee swarm on a red bud tree along the grassy rim trail. All in all, we counted 48 bird species at just these two sites. POSTED BY: JIM SMITH May 6, 2008 The photographer and his shot PPL's senior naturalist, Jon Beam, photographing wildflowers at the Montour Environmental Preserve. Below is his photo of a Purple Trillium in bloom. POSTED BY: FRED GAST May 3, 2008 Lunch at the lake While eating lunch today near the learning center window, I was treated to a 20-minute appearance by a rose-breasted grosbeak. I'm sure these are common and not very exciting, but it was the first one I've ever seen. Such color! It looks amazing. It gives the distinct appearance that it has been shot in the chest. It hogged our little bird feeder for a while before the sparrows took back over and continued to argue over the best eating locations. POSTED BY: KATIE GILL May 2, 2008: Loony tale I've always had a suspicion that there was something loony about Martins Creek and it was confirmed today. I was working in Allentown and got a call from one of the plant workers saying that he found a downed bird. I could tell immediately by the call in the background that it was a loon. Apparently the bird mistook a wet roadway for a puddle and it did a bounce into the field next to the road. I knew it couldn't get off the ground without having a water runway so I instructed Jim Doyle to get a large box and put the bird in it. I also had him contact Pennsylvania Raptor and Wildlife to make sure the bird seemed to be in sound condition before putting it in the water. Everything checked out OK and Jim and Glen Stenlake were able to take the loon down to a quiet spot on the river where the loon did a submarine escape and popped up about 100ft out in the Delaware. Jim reported that the loon seemed much happier in the water and was preening and swimming around diving after fish. POSTED BY: JOHN DRABIC April 29, 2008: A lot going on at Martins Creek While doing his rounds to check on some environmental items on Tuesday, John Drabic of PPL’s Martins Creek power plant, saw six painted turtles sunning themselves. “One of them was brave enough to share a log with a much larger snapping turtle,” he says. “On the birding side, I saw a Rufous-sided Towhee and a magnificent male cardinal singing his heart out, two northern flickers and five osprey.” He also checked in on the blue bird boxes that PPL employees maintain at the Martins Creek environmental preserve. This picture below shows the pretty blue eggs in one of the boxes. “While I was near the wetland areas, the spring peepers and American toads were singing their hearts out, too,” says John. “It's amazing how a frog only 1 inch long can make so much noise!” April 24, 2008: Spotted Salamader Normally secretive and retiring, spotted salamanders leave their burrows and head to vernal pools to breed in early spring. This handsome fellow was found in the Susquehanna Wetlands Nature Area during a herpetology workshop field exercise. We just rolled over a log and there he was. Looking under logs and rocks is a great way to find a host of insects, bugs, amphibians and reptiles. But you should always take care to leave the area as you found it when you are done. April 20, 2008: Cherry blossoms John Drabic of Martins Creek noted a lot of native plants are in bloom this weekend. The photo above shows wild cherry blossoms. April 19, 2008: Wildflowers in bloom The deciduous forests of the Riverlands will be alive with color for the next few weeks. The ephemeral flowers of spring will be putting on a display as they take advantage of the moisture and sunlight that will be in shorter supply once the leaves are on the trees. Flowers such as spring beauty, trout lily (seen above), Dutchman's breeches, Virginia bluebells, cut-leaved toothwort, and many others can readily been seen as you walk the trails of the Riverlands and Wetlands Nature Area. April 17, 2008: Birds Abound at Lake Wallenpaupack     While out watching a loon on the lake this morning, Katie Gil of the Environmental Education Center witnessed a pair of osprey flying around the dam. Just then, another pair of adult osprey came by chasing an immature eagle out of the area. It looks like there might be a power struggle over who gets to nest in the area. A pair of osprey already nests at the lake. Katie says this second pair may be the young from last year or another pair looking for a place to nest. Because they are not banded, we can't be sure. To get updates on the osprey at Lake Wallenpaupack go to www.birdsofpreyatppl.com. April 11, 2008:  A cozy home Paul Karner, a federal bander that works with the folks at Martins Creek, got a picture of an eastern screech owl taking up residence in one of the wood duck boxes. Paul actually caught a female in the box and thinks she was ready to lay eggs. Hopefully she'll stick around to add to our nursery count!  There are currently four eggs in the peregrine falcon nest, three pairs of nesting osprey, at least two pair of nesting kestrels and two active red tail hawk nests at Martins Creek.     April 10, 2008: Earth Day is coming soon Here are some easy-to-follow tips on how to protect the earth for future generations: Plant a tree Build a birdhouse Conserve electricity and water Walk, bike or carpool Recycle Don't litter To find out more about events and activities PPL is planning for Earth Day to to www.pplprojectearth.com. April 2, 2008: Flying squirrels?! John, who works at the Martins Creek power plant, reports some interesting finds: "During two hours I spent cleaning blue bird boxes at the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve this past Monday, I found a nice 8-point rack attached to a well cleaned skull, a flying squirrel in one of the boxes, two other boxes had white-footed deer mice in them and I also noticed lots of owl pellets and evidence of both coyote and fox using the area. A great confirmation to the diversity of this area." April 1, 2008: The first egg! Jack from PPL's Martins Creek power plant reports the falcon nest has its first egg for 2008. He says: “John and I visited the nest today and found the female sitting on one egg. There were no bands on her legs, so it's probably Ja, the same female from the past 3 years. We'll keep you updated as things progress with a final count on eggs.”     Soon, PPL will be unveiling a falcon cam so that everyone can monitor the progress of the falcons at the Montour power plant. That web page will also include more information about the falcons at Martins Creek and Holtwood’s eagles. Stay tuned!! April 1, 2008: Wildflowers ready to bloom     Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve is ready to spring wide open. The Dutchmen's breeches are starting to bloom and that is only the beginning of one of the most beautiful collections of wildflowers around! There are over 73 species of flowers that bloom from mid-March until the end of May. Enjoy the area on your own or come enjoy a guided walk by naturalist Jim Smith. For more details click on the Calendar of Events on the right. March 31, 2008: Migration in full swing      The spring waterfowl migration is in full swing and every day seems to bring something different to the lake at Montour Preserve. Most recently people have been enjoying Ruddy Ducks, Redhead, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Ducks, Blue-winged Teal and the first shorebird of the season, a Greater Yellowlegs. March 27, 2008: Wetland waterfowl     Charlie a volunteer from the Susquehanna River Waterfowlers reports that the group recently worked on waterfowl nesting boxes. Volunteers cleaned, repaired and refilled the boxes with new nesting material. According to Charlie, the boxes on posts in the water are working quite well and one already had three eggs in it.      One of the boxes has fallen into the water and the group will be working to replace it along with a couple other boxes placed on trees. The tree boxes seem to attract squirrels and owls. It took several tries to evict a Screech Owl from one of the nest boxes.      Of the six boxes directly across from the wetlands, two had eggs. There were 11 eggs in one and 13 in another! March 20, 2008: Osprey return to Lake Wallenpaupack     Keep your eyes to the skies! The resident pair of osprey were seen this morning flying over the Wallenpaupack hydroelectric dam. They usually return to the lake region right around Easter. Now, we'll have to wait and see which nesting platform they will choose to nest in this year! March 6, 2008: Spring migration      Signs of spring are showing up all around at Montour Preserve. Cardinals are singing, Fox Sparrows are showing up around feeders as they begin to make their way north and Common Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds have returned. Snow Geese and Tundra Swans are also moving north feeding in farm fields during the day and searching for open water for the night. March 5, 2008: Watching waterfowl     The spring is the best time to view the waterfowl at the Riverlands and it improves dramatically when we have high water on the Susquehanna. The recent rains have the Susquehanna running full and fast. This forces some of the waterfowl inland to smaller lakes and ponds like the ones here. This morning the Wetlands and Lake Took-A-While played host to Canada geese, black ducks, mallards, woodies, hoodies, ring-necked ducks, redheads, common mergansers and a common goldeneye.  March 3, 2008: An update on Lake Wallenpaupack's eagles      Now that winter is starting to wind down, our wintering eagles are making their way back up to Canada for the year. This will allow our resident eagles to have some peace and quiet again. As of Monday, March 3, our resident bald eagle is sitting very low in her nest, most likely incubating eggs. Before you know it, it will be time for the osprey to return from their winter vacation! February 28, 2008: Blackbirds are back     Red-winged Blackbirds have returned to Montour Preserve despite the cold weather. Their annual return is a sure sign that spring is not far away. February 20, 2008: Signs of spring     Flocks of robins have been seen often in the past week at the Riverlands and the surrounding area. They are feeding on what's left of last year's autumn fruits, especially the apples from Asiatic crabapple trees. February 19, 2008: Flying in     The Holtwood Environmental Preserve has seen a lot of activity this week at the eagles' nests. Also spotted: two majestic white swans that have been hanging out all week at Weis Island, the island across from Pequea. February 14, 2008: Tracking the tales of winter     One of the benefits of the type of snow we had on Feb. 13 is that it leaves a record of animal activities and interactions for you to find later.      A short walk through the Susquehanna Riverlands today would give you clues about the activities of gray squirrels, deer, mink, fox, raccoons, and a visit by a beaver that climbed out of the Susquehanna in the Wetlands Nature Area, sampled a black birch, and then continued south in the river. February 14, 2008: Holtwood History Highlights    The Holtwood hydroelectric plant will be celebrating its 100th anniversay in 2010, and PPL’s Holtwood Environmental Preserve is gearing up now with programs highlighting the area's history.      Come discover and share the history of the Holtwood community at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, during a free program lead by Mark Arbogast, PPL’s assistant superintendent of environmental preserves. Feel free to bring your own photos and memories to share with your neighbors. The program will take place at the Holtwood Environmental Center. For more information, contact Karen Ament at 717-284-4651 or kament@pplweb.com. February 11, 2008: The Great Backyard Bird Count     Do you watch birds outside your window? PPL's environmental preserves urge you to take part in this year's Great Backyard Bird Count. The count is an annual four-day event that engages bird-watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes. It’s free, fun and easy — and it helps the birds. This year's count is taking place Feb 15-18. For more information, visit www.birdcount.org. February 2, 2008: Winter vacation    More than 3,000 Snow Geese are visiting the still mostly ice-covered Lake Chillisquaque at Montour Preserve. Their swirling, noisy flight as they take off and land on the ice, white wings flashing in the light is a sight to behold. January 29, 2008: An eagle soars     Holtwood’s resident eagles are a sight to see. This has been an eventful year for the eagles nest on one of PPL’s transmission towers.   This amazing picture was sent to one of the naturalists at PPL’s Holtwood Environmental Preserve. It was taken from the Holtwood Pinnacle a few weeks ago. December 4, 2007: Explore Animal Skulls at PPL’s Susquehanna Riverlands   Get up close and personal with skulls of our planet’s wilder residents at PPL’s Susquehanna Riverlands from 1:30-3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9.   James Montgomery, who has a doctorate in botany and is the environmental studies director for Ecology III, will lead this free program that will look at various animal skulls to see what they tell us about each animal’s health and adaptations. Decenber 1, 2007: Learn about waterfowl migration at Montour Preserve   It’s not too late to catch lingering waterfowl at Lake Chillisquaque before they continue their migration south. Don’t miss this chance to observe them by attending a program on waterfowl migration at PPL’s Montour Environmental Preserve from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8.   Led by PPL’s senior naturalist, Jon Beam, this free program will take place outdoors where you will observe and identify the water birds on the lake. You might even catch a glimpse of some rare birds mixed in with some of the more common migrants. November 12, 2007: Best birding in the Valley   The fields and woods around PPL’s Martins Creek power plant are “one of the best birding areas in the Lehigh Valley,” said Rick Wiltraut, well-known bird expert and environmental educator, during a public program at the plant. Wiltraut led a group of 16 visitors on a 90-minute walk through the fields and wetlands around the operating and retired ash basins. They spotted 13 bird species, including osprey, gray catbird, American kestrel, red-winged blackbird, Baltimore oriole, cedar waxwing, willow flycatcher and yellow-throated vireo.