I decided to hike at Leaser Lake in Lehigh County on the first Sunday in Spring. I hoped to see some migrating ducks, geese and other water fowl on the 117 acre man-made lake at the foot of the Blue Mountain. It was cloudy and a seasonably cool 4o degrees when I arrived early Sunday morning. I was the only one at the North Launch parking lot. I usually see a lot of folks fishing here, either along the shore or in small boats on the lake. There was not one on Sunday morning.
I followed the Loop Trail in a westerly direction along the lake. I came to the first in a series of fingers and coves in the lake. It is here I often see wood ducks, great blue herons, belted kingfishers and other water birds.
On Sunday I only saw a few Canada geese,
and a few female common mergansers who quickly flew off the lake as I approached.
I walked along the shore of the lake. Growing on the trail were many of the plants I had see on my hike in the Susquehanna Wetlands in Luzerne County the previous day, including wild onion grass,
Dame’s rocket,
and wild garlic mustard. All of these are edible.
I also saw these American wall ferns which do not grow in the wetlands in Luzerne County.
I continued on the trail and followed it into a mixed hardwood/conifer forest,
with tall oak, easter hemlock and eastern white pine trees.
The trail in the woodlands was wet and muddy from the recent rains and melting snow. I love mud.
I walked back down to the lake, hoping to sneak up on some wood ducks, but there were no ducks or geese there. I followed the trail to a bridge , ,
that crossed one of the creeks that feed Leaser Lake.
I crossed the bridge and followed the trail up to the farm fields along the lake.
Here I often see migratory song birds in the Spring. On this dreary day I only saw the many noisy male red winged blackbirds along the shore of the lake.
The trail followed the shore of the lake and, as I got further from the north parking lot I was able to see the famous Blue Mountain or Kittatinny Ridge. This mountain stretches from the Delaware Water Gap along the New Jersey border in the east to the Big Gap in Franklin County along the Mason -Dixon Line in south Central Pennsylvania.
I followed the trail along the shore of the lake where I saw some more sign of Spring, hazel alder catkins,
and Bradford pears buds appearing on the trees along the lake
The trail next took me to another cove or finger in the lake, this time along one that ends in wetland. Here the Blue Mountain could again be seen in the distance.
Even in the clouds and fog it was a nice scene as willow trees were beginning to bud with .a farm house in the background
Here, I saw a few eastern bluebirds,
tree swallows,
a cedar waxwing,
and more red-winged blackbirds here.
In the Spring and Summer I often see turtles, purple martins and wood ducks here in these wetlands. There were no birds or turtles on Sunday but there were a lot of bright green common wintercress plants growing along the trail.
I walked around the cove and followed the trail to the West Shore Access area and parking lot. This is where the purple marten houses are located. It won’t be long until these long distance migrants with return from South America to nest here.
I walked across the crest of the dam that creates Leaser Lake where I again had a spectacular view of the lake and the Blue Mountain.
On the other side of the dam the trail took me through white pine trees,
planted along the lake.
I walked through the pine trees with more views of the lake and Blue Mountain. Usually I see many song birds here in the Spring.
I saw didn’t see any birds on this dreary hike but I saw a few gray squirrels scampering on the ground.
The trail took me back to the lake and the South Ramp parking lot. There is a picnic area here and a monument to Frederick Leaser, a local farmer who transported the Liberty Bell from Bethlehem to Allentown when the wagon on which it was being transported from Philadelphia broke down during the Revolutionary War.
There were a few folks launching theoir boats on the lake. I left the parking lot and followed the trail back up a hill over the lake,
where I saw a flock of tundras flying in the distance.
The trail next took me through some farm fields,
where I saw a few dark-eyed juncos,
and song sparrows.
I came across this oak leaf pinned on a tree along the trail. I have seen a lot of these on my hikes here and
on other trails in the area.
The trail took me through some more farm fields above another cove in the lake. Last year soybeans grew here.
After crossing a small creek the trail took me through some oak woods along the other side of the cove.
Here Iheard some mallard ducks on the lake, so I walked to the shore,
I didn’t see the mallard ducks but there was a flock of ring-neck ducks swimming in the cove. I often see wood ducks here too.
I walked back up the trail along the last cove on the eastern side of the lake. Here I often seen many species of ducks but there were a few fishermen in boats in the cove and no ducks. The trail took me down a steep a path to another feeder stream,
and then took me through a wet, muddy and rocky wetland. This was the only somewhat difficult section of the 5 mile trail.
Here I saw more common watercress growing in the stream
and many skunk cabbages in the wetlands.
There were also some red partridge berries remaining from last years growing season.
The trail left the wetlands and took me through an open field along the lake near the North Ramp parking lot.
Here I saw a flock of American robins searching for worms in the grass. Here is a link to a gallery in my blog web-page with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hike around Leaser lake.
I was now back at the North Ramp parking lot, and, of course, as I finished my 5 mile hike the sun broke through the clouds. Here is a link to a gallery in my blog web-page with some more photos from my five mile hike around Leaser lake. Leaser Lake March 23 2026.
I had hoped to see more wildlife on this hike, especially some migrating ducks. I wasn’t too disappointed I enjoyed the beauty of the lake and mountians, I always do. I love the Penn’s Woods in our Commonwealth and I love Spring.
“Gray skies are just clouds passing over.” — Duke Ellington…