Nature Hikes:  Your ideas for nature hikes in the watershed are welcome!
 Contact Stevie Wilding, 410-923-3074.  Below are photographs from one of our hikes.

Dave Walbeck descends the cliff in search of eggs of yellow perch.

Sally Hornor shows the depth at which the water was clear enough to see the Secchi dish in the water below.

 

With its peeling bark, our native river birch (Betula nigra) is every bit
as lovely as its northern cousin, the paper birch (Betula papyrifera).

The unusual climbing fern (Lygodium palmatum).

Stevie Wilding reports on our March 15, 2003 hike in the Severn Run in search of early migrating birds and yellow perch eggs:

The bird/yellow perch hike in March was well attended. I want to thank David Walbeck for volunteering to lead this hike. It was a beautiful spring day, with some snow still remaining on the ground, and the air had a mixture of cold and warm. The river was quite high, from the recent rain and snow melt, and it was moving quickly. Although it was noted that it had been a foot or two higher recently from the drift lines in the banks and path.

Sally Hornor brought a Secchi disc and a thermometer. Although the river did have some sediment, the sechi disc could be seen as it sat on the bottom of the stream. The temperature was 4 C which converts to 39 F. It was thought that the yellow perch usually start coming up when the temperature is 42 F.

We followed the path along a branch of the Severn --- frequently checking the water for signs of recently laid eggs or fish. None were found. David suggested that it would be great to coordinate yellow perch observations with the Magothy and South River associations. We heard spring peepers but none of the ponds we observed had frog or salamander eggs. Several birds were observed, but most were the resident birds. A red shoulder hawk gave a cry.

My favorite part was calling in the Carolina Chickadees. David heard them in the distance and he called them in. They all came, landing on the hollies around us. They all chirped and said hi to us and then left. I felt like I was in a Disney Movie.

As we were leaving we passed a Boy Scout troop using the Severn Run campground. Several boys were collecting material to make a shelter to sleep in overnight to earn a badge. They all seemed respectful of this special place and were having a great time. I was thrilled to see kids enjoying this great resource.

We talked about doing a Severn River Association camping trip at the Severn Run. We are currently looking into this.