Red winged blackbirds seen at Coventry Lake

The redwing blackbird is a common sight at PA waterways.  The blackbird is black with a reddish orange blotch on them.  The reddish orange blotch has a yellow patch surrounding it.  The male blackbird's social status depends on how much red he has on his wings.  The one with the most red has the most power in their social network.  They are often seen perching on cattails or on trees in the water.  The picture of the blackbird is courtesy of google images. 

Luna Moth Spotted and filmed!

There was a Luna Moth siting at Hill Camp Road and Rock Run this week.  The Luna Moth was filmed by John Gautreau.  The Luna Moth ,Actias Luna, is a very revered moth.  It has appeared on a stamp in 1987 and is currently the symbol for the sleep aid Lunesta.  The Luna Moth was discovered and named in the 1700's.  It gets its name from the lunar or moon shaped spots on its wings.  The wing span of the Luna Moth ranges from 75 mm to 105 mm.  The link to the Luna Moth video is posted below.  The video is courtesy of John Gautreau and the picture is courtesy of the University of Florida's Entomology Department.  Luna Moth Video in North Coventry

New Goose Family at Coventry Lake

This spring has sprung a new Canada goose family at Coventry Lake.  The babies were seen swimming across the lake in an orderly fashion.  The Canada Goose finds a mate and remains monogamous for its life.  They will often be seen swimming with one parent in front, followed by the offspring, with the other parent trailing.  Males give a lower pitched hwonk and females a higher pitched hrink.  The offspring of a goose are called goslings.  The baby geese pictured below are courtesy of Bing images.

Red Fox Reported in North Coventry!

A Red Fox was seen last week in North Coventry.  The fox was said to be spotted along Pigeon Creek along Cherry Hill Lane.  The report comes from Diane Bingham of North Coventry.  She also reports that goslings are one of its favorite meals.  The Red Fox is harmless to humans but has been known to eat cats and small dogs.  The picture below is courtesy of google images due to the fact that the Red Fox is illusive and difficult for us to photograph.

Snapper at Coventry Lake!

A large snapping turtle was seen and photographed at coventry lake this week.  The turtle was crossing the road when Laurie Kolka picked it up and brought it back to the lake.  The entire time the turtle was trying to snap her fingers off!  Snapping turtles are one of the largest living freshwater species of turtle.  Their diet consists of fish, small mammals, aquatic plants and even birds!  Snappers strike viciously when lifted and can inflict a serious bite.  The snapping turtle has been calculated to have a bite force of 1000 psi.  To put that in perspective a human has a bite force of 120 psi and a lion has 600 psi.  See the picture below for the snapper.

Photos taken by Laurie Kolka