My new spot at home is much like Centennial Brook, but is also very different in many ways!
Located just down the street from me, the Perkiomen Creek is 38 miles long and extends across three counties. The part I have access to is only about a ten minute walk from my house and is used as a place for recreation at the park Branchwood Park. I’ve explored here a ton as a kid, and there’s all kinds of really cool species that you have to look really hard to notice.
Compared to Vermont, Pennsylvania is a lot slower with its change of seasons. When I came home, I noticed that there were still live leaves on some of the trees and shrubs in this area, and that there had been a lot of rain. I was also not used to the sheer size of the Perkiomen Creek, because Centennial Brook is so much smaller in comparison. Unfortunately, there weren’t too many wildlife friends out, but I did see a few lingering Canada geese hanging out in the creek on their way to migrate. I feel like every year they leave later and later.
I also noticed this little guy watching the water, but not staying for very long. He was too far away to identify, but I hadn’t seen a bird like him either here before or in Vermont. I think I can definitely say that there was limited wildlife activity in this area, simply because of the frequency of human use and not because of the time of the season. Usually when I’m exploring more secluded places nearby, or there aren’t many people in the park, I’ve seen animals like muskrats and fisher cats getting ready to hibernate. I most definitely didn’t see species like that in Centennial Woods!
Pictures: Whiteman, L. (12/5/2020) Perkiomen Creek and location on Google Maps, Telford PA