Category Archives: Schenley Park

Last Sunday at Schenley Park

June 2, 2026Books & Events, Nesting & Courtship, Schenley Park, SongbirdsKate St. John

Parent blue jay with fledgling, Schenley Park, 31 May 2026 (photo by Charity Kheshgi)

2 June 2026

In the midst of Peregrine Fledge Watch Season this blog has been All Peregrines All The Time but I’ll take a break to tell you about our outing on 31 May.

Fourteen people came out last Sunday for a walk in Schenley Park. Here are 10 of us at journey’s end.

Schenley Park outing, 31 May 2026 (photo by Charity Kheshgi)

Highlights were:

A fledgling blue jay was perched low within sight of the sidewalk. He looked so young with a yellow gape and almost no tail. We were glad to see a parent feed and check on him frequently (photo at top).

Blue jay fledgling, Schenley Park, 31 May 2026 (photo by Charity Kheshgi)

A large flock of about 30 northern rough-winged swallows and 10 swifts flew just over our heads as they ate flying insects at Panther Hollow Lake. When the sun heated the air the bugs rose higher and so did the swallows. Sometimes a swallow landed on the wire between the lightpoles.

Northern rough-winged swallow, Schenley Park, 31 May 2026 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

We saw a busy pair of eastern phoebes gathering food and soon found out why. They were feeding a voracious brown-headed cowbird fledgling. In the lefthand photo below, the fledgling looks larger than its foster parent. In the righthand photo you can tell it’s not a phoebe baby.

Brown-headed cowbird fledgling begging from its eastern phoebe foster parent, Schenley Park, 31 May 2026 (photos by Charity Kheshgi and Jeff Cieslak)

Nearby a female cowbird, perhaps the birth mother, watched the fledgling. As soon as he is “weaned” from his foster parents he will figure out he’s a cowbird when he hears his mother (or another female cowbird) make the rattle call.

Female brown-headed cowbird watching an eastern phobe feeding a cowbird fledgling, Schenley, 31 May 2026 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

A northern house wren sang on a lightpole, then went inside the light itself to a potential nest site (his “house”). When he exited the hole Jeff Cieslak captured him in flight.

Northern house wren exits from his nest hole, Schenley, 31 May 2026 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

In all we saw 22 species. Our checklist is here https://ebird.org/checklist/S350315353 and listed below.

Schenley Park–Lower Hollow Run Trail, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, US
May 31, 2026, 8:30 AM – 10:15 AM. 14 participants

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) 2
Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) 10
Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) 2
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) 2
Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) 2 Feeding a cowbird baby
Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) 1
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 5 Newly fledged blue jay feed by parent
Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) 4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) 30 Flying over Panther Hollow lake (pond) capturing flying bugs
Northern House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) 1 In and out of nest in light
Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) 1
Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) 2 Seen and heard
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 20
Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) 20
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) 3
House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) 5
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 3
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 10
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) 2 Eastern Phoebe feeding baby cowbird
Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) 6
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) 4
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) 2

Schenley Park Outing + Fledge Watch, May 31

May 25, 2026Books & Events, Peregrines, Schenley ParkKate St. John

Carla flying at Cathedral of Learning with Schenley Park in the background. 21 May 2021 (photo by Jeff Cieslak)

25 May 2026

The Pitt peregrines live so close to Schenley Park that when they leave the nest the park is their backdrop. Next Sunday 31 May I’ll combine Schenley and peregrines in two back-to-back outings:

8:30am: Schenley Park Bird and Nature Walk. Meet at the Schenley Park Visitor Center.
11:00am: Pitt Peregrine Fledge Watch. Meet at the Schenley Plaza tent. (Note: This may be one day too early … we’ll see.)

Parking is FREE on Sundays.

Schenley Park Bird and Nature Walk, May 31, 8:30a – 10:30a.

Wood thrush singing, 2011 (photo by Steve Gosser)

Join me for a bird & nature walk in Schenley Park on Sunday, May 31, 8:30a – 10:30a.

We’ll meet me at the Schenley Park Visitor Center to see what’s popping in the park. Dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Bring binoculars and field guides if you have them.

Click here for more information and in case of cancellation.

On Friday I heard four wood thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) singing in the Panther Hollow valley. They were were well hidden in the trees but I’m sure we’ll hear one on Sunday. Listening is the best part.

Wood thrush singing in Schenley Park (video by Kate St. John)

… and then …

As soon as the bird walk is over, I’ll adjourn to Schenley Plaza to look for peregrines. (I will start the watch immediately when I get there. The 11:00a start time insures that peregrine fans will find me even if our bird walk runs late.)

Pitt Peregrine Fledge Watch, May 31, 11:00a – noon.

Schenley Plaza tent (photo by Kate St. John)

Join me at the Schenley Plaza tent, 11:00am – noon, for a Pitt Peregrine Fledge Watch. We’ll swap peregrine stories and get close-up looks at the peregrines through my scope.

Pitt Peregrine Fledge Watch, 2 June 2025 (photo by John English)

Will one or more Pitt peregrine chicks be visible that day? If they’ve left the camera view, their next step is to walk on the bulwark. Here’s an example from 2025.

Peregrine chicks on the bulwark, 2 June 2025 (photo by John English)

Click here for a Google map of Schenley Plaza. Don’t forget to check the Events page for last minute updates before you come. Fledge Watch will be canceled if it’s raining or thundering.

p.s. A complete Pitt Peregrine Fledge Watch schedule will be posted later this week.

Seen Last Week

April 26, 2026Phenology, Plants & Fungi, Schenley ParkKate St. John

Goldenseal, 20 April 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

26 April 2026

Hatch Day preempted Saturday’s usual Seen This Week, so today we’ll take a look at Spring in photos Seen Last Week.

Raccoon Creek State Park
- Goldenseal
- Maidenhair fern
- Dwarf larkspur
Frick Park: Golden ragwort
Schenley Park
- Fleabane, an alien with pretty pink accents
- Fringetree
- Jack in the pulpit — from the top and under the spathe

Maidenhair fern, 20 April 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Dwarf larkspur, Racoon Creek Wildflower Preserve, 20 April 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Golden ragwort, Frick Park, 18 April 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Fleabane in bloom, Schenley Park, 22 April 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Fringetree in bloom, Schenley Park, 22 April 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Jack-in-the-pulpit with a look inside, Schenley Park, 22 April 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Aphids were all over this plant ten days ago in Schenley Park … but then it got cold and they died.

Aphids did not survive the almost-freeze in Schenley Park, 22 April 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

On a trail in Frick Park I encountered the enormous root ball of a blow down. For perspective I propped my walking stick against it. Note the black hand loop and orange uppershaft. The root ball is a lot taller than me.

Root ball of a blown down tree in Frick Park. Walking stick shows perspective, 19 April 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Seen This Week: Buds Swell and Open

March 14, 2026Phenology, Plants & Fungi, Schenley Park, TreesKate St. John

Honeysuckle from buds to first leaves, Schenley, March 8 & 13 (photos by Kate St. John)

14 March 2026

It was as hot as May at the beginning of the week as leaf and flower buds swelled and opened. Then temperatures returned to normal and it felt cold. Seen this week were ….

The first Amur honeysuckle leaves (above) and Cornelian cherry tree flowers.

Cornelian cherry flowers: buds to fully open, Schenley, March 6 to 11, (photos by Kate St. John)

Swelling buds on ginkgo trees.

Ginkgo tree buds swelling, Schenley, 13 Mar 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Invasive Callery pear about to bloom.

Callery pear flowers buds swell, Schenley, 13 Mar 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Viburnum plicatum leaf buds swelling in Frick Park. (This shrub is invasive.)

Virburnum plicatum leaf buds, Frick, 8 Mar 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

First flowers on forsythia.

Forsythia drooping after cold night, Schenley, 13 Mar 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Pale green branches on the willows … tiny leaves.

Willows turning green in Schenley Park, 12 Mar 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

First goutweed leaves.

And tree pollen allergies if you are susceptible. My husband wondered why his allergies gave him a twinge this week. American elm flowers were blooming. They are wind-pollinated.

Pixel Weather screenshot, Pollen count, 10 Mar 2026

All the tender leaves and flowers will be smacked down this coming Tuesday and Wednesday when temperatures drop into the low 20s. I cannot feel bad for half of the plants pictured here. Four of them are invasive aliens.

Seen This Week: Spring Moving Forward

March 7, 2026Phenology, Schenley Park, Trees, Water and Shore, Weather & SkyKate St. John

Dawn will be an hour later tomorrow morning (photo by Kate St. John on 2 Mar 2026)

7 March 2026

Sunrise in Pittsburgh this morning was at 6:44am. Tomorrow it will be an hour later because we’ll turn the clocks Forward to Daylight Saving Time overnight. Sigh.

On the weather front, half the week was too wet to enjoy so I only went out when the sun was shining. Warmer at the end of the week than the beginning. On 1 March walked at Herrs Island.

Herr’s Island back channel of the Allegheny River, 1 March 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Way across the (finally thawed!) Allegheny River I saw a grebe-shaped water bird with a white face and chest and a black head. Even though these digiscoped photos are lousy, they confirm a horned grebe (Podiceps auritus) in non-breeding plumage.

Documentation photos of horned grebe at Allegheny River, 1 March 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Never abundant in Pittsburgh, most horned grebes breed in western Canada but a few stay in our area all winter if there’s open water. Here’s what they look like in a good photo by Steve Gosser.

Horned grebes, 15 Feb 2014 (photo by Steve Gosser)

Yesterday in Schenley Park we discovered that the Panther Hollow Bridge rehab project is temporarily in a VERY LOUD phase. Here are just 10 seconds of it.

Panther Hollow Bridge rehab project was VERY LOUD on 6 March 2026 (video by Kate St. John)

My guess at what’s happening: Inside the draped portion of the bridge I *think* they’re blasting off the peeling paint and rust. On the bridge deck there are two loud sucking machines that maintain negative air pressure.

Because of the noise there were almost no birds at this end of the park. We found them at the Bartlett end along with other signs of spring.

The buds look fat on this yellow buckeye (Aesculus flava).

Yellow buckeye buds in Schenley Park, 6 March 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) buds are already opening.

Cornelian cherry buds opening in Schenley Park, 6 March 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

The weather is warm today (77°F) but will return to near freezing on Wednesday night. Spring is moving forward in fits and starts.

Seen This Week: First Sprouts & Bird Song

February 28, 2026Phenology, Plants & Fungi, Schenley Park, VocalizationsKate St. John

Tulip leaves growing in Oakland, 25 Feb 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

28 February 2026

Yesterday in Schenley Park it was very sunny but without a spot of green. However, I found tulip sprouts in a garden (above).

Bright sunshine in Schenley Park, though not warm and not green, 27 Feb 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

It was so sunny that the rocks on the gravel trail made interesting shadows.

Bright sunshine created interesting shadows, 27 Feb 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

The early birds are already singing. Yesterday I saw and heard northern cardinals and song sparrows in Schenley Park. Here are examples of the songs you will hear this week:

Northern Cardinal:

Song Sparrow:

Bonus! Did you hear the red-winged blackbird on the song sparrow recording? I’ve only seen a handful of red-winged blackbirds this month but more are coming. Meanwhile, common grackles are back.

Common grackles, Bill Up Display (photo by Tony Morris via Flickr Creative Commons license)

Seen This Week: Wind, Water, Melting Ice

February 21, 2026Schenley Park, Weather & SkyKate St. John

Panther Hollow Lake thawing and overflowing, Schenley Park, 20 Feb 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

21 February 2026

Yesterday it was windy when I took a long walk in Schenley Park. By the end of the walk I’d peeled off my coat, so warm it felt like spring. Nothing was greening up yet, but it was the perfect day for melting old patches of ice and snow.

All the streams were running fast with melt water and Panther Hollow Lake was overflowing its western, downstream edge (photo at top), both typical for this time of year.

These waterfalls are flowing to Panther Hollow Lake while the wind lifts leaves in the background.

Schenley Park, 20 Feb 2026, video by Kate St. John

When I reached the bottom of the valley Panther Hollow Lake looked somewhat ice covered but it is completely ice free among the cattails …

Panther Hollow Lake thawing, Schenley Park, 20 Feb 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

… and ice free around the edges.

Wind pushed the water in the opposite direction of flow.

Schenley Park, 20 Feb 2026, video by Kate St. John

Panther Hollow Lake freezes early and thaws early because it is so shallow. Though named a “lake” it has all the characteristics of a small pond. About a 1/3 of the area inside the concrete edge is thick with cattails — a wetland — and the open water is only about 4 inches deep with a maximum depth of 2 feet in one small spot.

Ice walking season is over. If you ever contemplated doing it, consider this from the blog Lake Ice: Lake Ice from a Recreational perspective.

Small or shallow ponds present some hazards that are often unexpected. Their size and shallowness allow the water in them to cool quickly and catch [freeze] easily. They often provide early season ice. They also come in early enough in the season that they are likely to see significant warm spells with the attendant risks of ice weakened and thinned by thawing. During a thaw in ice less than three inches thick, grain boundary melting can take place in a couple hours in warm conditions, especially in the spring when the sun is strong and the days are long. If the ice was weak yesterday from thaw conditions but feels hard and strong in the morning it may be an illusion. The only hard ice is on the surface. It is called overnight ice. The sun only has to soften the hard top layer to make the ice sheet much weaker.
— Lake Ice: Lake Ice from a Recreational perspective

p.s. If you ever walk on Panther Hollow Lake’s ice and fall through you’re for an unpleasant surprise. The bottom is covered in a thick layer of sediment which, I’ve heard, is so mucky that you will sink into if you try standing on it. You’ll have to leave your boots behind.

Seen This Week: Moss, Waves and Snow Melt

January 10, 2026Plants & Fungi, Schenley Park, Weather & SkyKate St. John

Moss in a Pittsburgh front yard, 8 Jan 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

10 January 2026

Lots of yo-yo weather in the past two weeks!

7 days above freezing starting Christmas Eve: Highest was 64°F
6 days below freezing at the New Year: Lowest was 10°F
Another spate above freezing this week: : Highest was 66°F.

The plants may be shocked by this up and down weather but some low-lying moss (above) was as green as Ireland on Thursday before the next cold snap.

Meanwhile, beautiful altocumulus undulatus clouds at 3pm on Thursday 8 January made waves in the sky. This type of cloud can predict rain within the next 20 hours and indeed it started to rain on Friday just before 9:00am.

Waves in the sky over Pittsburgh, 8 Jan 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

Yo-yo weather keeps the streams open and running. This brook at Bowers, PA made happy sounds as it ran with snowmelt.

Babbling brook at Bowers, PA, 3 Jan 2026 (video by Kate St. John)

A Hawk, A Croc, and The Odd Duck

November 17, 2025Birds of Prey, Schenley Park, Water and ShoreKate St. John

17 November 2025

In Schenley Park …

A Hawk:

My friend Andrea and I were walking up the Lower Trail on Friday morning when she told me to pause. Right in front of us was a red-tailed hawk at eye level, hunting for breakfast. The chipmunks and squirrels laid low. When we walked past he flew up to the mossy branch pictured at top and resumed his hunt. All of these photos were taken with my cellphone; he was that close.

A Croc:

On Thursday the wind was so strong that it blew all the duckweed to the east end of Panther Hollow Lake, making it easier for ducks and geese to eat it. While Canada geese browsed the duckweed I noticed a small pink something … ? … near them. Shadows were in the way.

Canada geese eating duckweed on Panther Hollow Lake, 13 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

When the shadows were gone it was easy to see that the small pink thing was a child’s Croc. Someone went home without her shoe.

Canada goose near the pink Croc floating on Panther Hollow Lake, 13 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

The Odd Duck:

Also on Thursday, Charity Kheshgi and I counted 3 mallards and The Odd Duck. She was paired with a male mallard so he knows she’s his type but what type is she?

The Odd Duck with her mate in the background, Panther Hollow Lake, 13 Nov 2025 (photo by Charity Kheshgi)

The Odd Duck, Panther Hollow Lake, 13 Nov 2025 (photo by Charity Kheshgi)

We speculated that she was an American black duck X domestic duck hybrid, but in fact there are domestic mallard breeds that approach or match this plumage:

chocolate brown back, wings and head
warmer brown speckled undertail coverts and sides
white chest.

My guess is she’s a domestic duck escapee, perhaps a white domestic duck mish-mashed with a Dark Campbell or Cayuga Duck. She has doppelgängers in Kitchener, Ontario in 2018 and 2011. –> In the comments, Candy Morgan suggests she’s a Swedish Black Duck.

Domestic mallard, Kitchener, Ontario, July 2018 (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Domestic mallard, Kitchener, Ontario, Feb 2011 (photo from Wikimedia Commons)

Seen This Week: Yellows and Gold

November 15, 2025Phenology, Schenley Park, TreesKate St. John

Ginkgo leaf with beads of water, 14 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

15 Nov 2025

After my 11 November article about The (Pittsburgh) Ginkgo Map I kept my eye out for local ginkgo trees (Ginkgo biloba) but I was already too late to see them drop their leaves.

That afternoon I went back to photograph the Garetta Street trees, shown in my article from 11 November 2017.

Ginkgo trees at Jewish Association on Aging, Garetta Street as seen from JHF Drive, 11 Nov 2017 (photo by Kate St. John)

But the 11th of November was too late this year. All the leaves had fallen and the landscaping crew was sucking them into the red truck (at right, below). Oh no! I was just in time to see part of their yellow carpet.

Ginkgo trees at Jewish Association on Aging, Garetta Street as seen from JHF Drive, 11 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

On Friday I photographed the ginkgo leaf carpet at Phipps Conservatory’s lawn. Someone had picked up a bunch of leaves and made a smaller pile in the distance. I picked up one leaf beaded with water, above, and took its photo.

Carpet of ginkgo leaves at Phipps Conservatory lawn, 14 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

Ginkgos weren’t the only yellow.

Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is blooming in Schenley Park. Its pale yellow flowers are fertilized at night by owlet moths that survive cold weather by hiding under leaf litter during the day. They shiver to warm up and fly at night.

Witch-hazel in bloom, Schenley Park, 14 Nov 2025 (photo by Kate St. John)

The wind made waves in Panther Hollow lake on 13 November, turning the sunlight from yellow to gold.

video by Kate St. John, 13 Nov 2025

Light reflects on wavy surface of Panther Hollow Lake, video by Kate St. John, 13 Nov 2025