Fork Run Recreation Area

After we finished our hike at Swallow Falls we stopped at Fork Run Recreation Area, some 3.7 miles away. What a difference a couple of miles made.

This is one of the three species of fungi I saw on the trails.

And this was another. There were plenty of downed logs throughout the are we hiked. I would have expected them to be covered in fungi.

There were plenty of interesting lichens though.

Which are made up of a fungi and an algae. So there is that.

We were no longer a wet woods, but rather a dry uplands. Albeit wet from the morning's rain.

There were rocks.

Some conveniently numbered.

And all used by rock climbers, although there were none around when we passed through.

We started at 1, took the red trail to 5 where we switched to the yellow trail. Our plan was to take the blue loop in numerical order, but we missed the turn by 11 (it was not marked). So instead we took the white trial to the blue trial, and did it in reverse. Finishing up by taking the yellow trail back to 1.  A short hike, two miles or so, but a nice walk all the same. We then headed back to the house at Deep Creek Lake for more food and drinks.

Today's Owl Picture

It's just so cute!

Very cool that it was here again today.

🦉  🦉  🦉  🦉  🦉

I had mentioned in yesterday's post that I could see the owl box from my desk.

When I'm sitting at my desk facing my computer, this window is directly behind me. The scope is aimed at the owl box, which is the light colored rectangle below the black rectangle (which is a bat box; still waiting on bats to take up residence).

The view through the scope.

Gives me something to do when I should be working ...

Swallow Falls - The Forest

This is the the third and final post about Swallow Falls State Park in Maryland (previous posts can be found here and here).

Right at the start of the we entered an old growth forest.

Although some are no longer growing.

Seems these chaps spent what would become my birthday weekend here in 1921, in which case I'd be 100 years old.

I wonder if dogs had hiking boots back then.

I suspect it was just as picturesque in those days, perhaps even more.

That's Marie, pretending to be Atlas, holding things up so we could safely pass by.

This tree was still growing.

Another shot of that cool rock.

This one reminded me of The Scream.

Partridgeberry, a plant of the forest floor, and one we have growing in the yard.

As you have seen, this was a very nice park. There was a longer trail, some five plus miles, that, on a drier day, no doubt would have been quite enjoyable methinks. We'll just have to go back.

Back Yet Again

We last saw an Eastern Screech-Owl in our owl box in April 2017.

The box is visible from my home office desk, and I glance at it just about everyday. And occasionally I see a squirrel looking out. But today I was quite surprised to see an owl. It's been over four years and I had pretty much given up hope that one would return.

I hope it decides to stay for awhile. 

Swallow Falls - The Fungi

In addition to enjoying the falls, we, at least a few of us, enjoyed the variety of fungi along the trail

I don't even try to identity all the fungi I see, so this will just be a set of pretty pictures.

Enjoy!

While on our hike we came upon a man and his son searching for mushrooms. Not to harvest, just to observe. Striking up a conversation, he told us that this park was the best place in the area at the best time of the year to find mushrooms. He also told us we was on his way to visit friends and he was already late because they were finding so much good stuff.

I suspect they were there long after we had left. There was that much more to explore. I hope his friends, like us staying at a rental place in the area, but from much farther away, Thailand, weren't to upset when they showed up late.

Yard Critter from Two Years Ago ...

Back in December 2019 I posted about a wasp that visited our kitchen on Thanksgiving.

I posted several images to BugGuide, in the ID Request section, on November 28, 2019.

And on November 10, 2021 I received an email letting me know that an ID had been made.

 It is an Ichneumon Wasp, specifically Coelichneumon navus.

So know we know. Although, it seems I had already figured it out.

Swallow Falls - The Falls

While at Deep Creek Lake we visited Swallow Falls State Park.

We did not see any Swallows.

We did see some falls.

The map at the parking area shows four waterfalls. And we saw them all. 

There was a bit of confusion, quickly resolved, as to the start of the trail ... but we were warned that the trail was flooded out at Tolliver Falls. 

So we headed toward Muddy Creek Falls.

We accepted the risk, and had no serious injuries. No minor injuries either I'm happy to report. The trails were slippery though.

Muddy Creek is falling down ... and flowing toward a meeting with ...

... the Youghiogheny River.

Where we found ...

... the Lower Swallow Falls.

It was a dangerous place.

We laugh in the face of danger!

As did these chaps who we watched kayak over the Upper Swallow Falls, which is shown in the image below (sans kayakers).

One last falls to hike past without falling.

But first, a picture of a cool rock.

Tolliver Falls.

Image courtesy Marie Raupp

Where yours truly was the last to make his way across the flooded trail.

Safe across, an image looking back.

One last look up the Youghioghey River, toward the bridge on the road into the park.

Despite the threatening and at times rainy weather, it was a nice, if slippery, stroll.  And a good, and safe, time was had by all.