Out of the Ore: & Bloom Walking Trail is located off Route 997 on Orchard Drive. Out of the Ore: Birds & Blooms

A South Mountain Walk Through Nature, Conservation and History

In the 1800s, the natural resources of South Mountain fueled the iron ore industry. Plentiful timber, water, and iron ore kept the furnace stacks of South Mountain working day and night. For decades the Birds and Blooms trail starts here iron industry stripped the life from South Mountain, leaving a blank landscape, void of natural resources The Out of the Ore: Birds & Blooms Walking Trail project was financed in part by a grant from the Community Con- and habitats. Out of the iron ore industry, the servation Partnerships Program, Environmental Steward- Pennsylvania conservation initiative took shape. ship Fund, under the administration of the Department of Today, the furnace site is home to hundreds of , Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation wildlife, , tree, and plant . and Conservation. The grant was awarded through the South Mountain Partnership, with management oversight of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

The Franklin County Visitors Bureau and the Penn National Golf Course and Golf Course Community are partners of the South Mountain Partnership, an alliance of organizations working to preserve and enhance the cultural and natural assets of the South Mountain Landscape in Central Pennsyl- vania. To learn more about the Partnership, please visit www. southmountainpartnership.org.

Special thanks to the Franklin County Historical Society and Conococheague Audubon. Looking around, it is hard to imagine this was once an industrial site. From Forest To Furnace

Colonial America was fueled by forests and water. By the middle of the 18th century, iron ore production was a leading colonial export, behind wheat and wood. To man- ufacture the iron ore, a furnace stack was filled with rocks containing iron ore, charcoal, and limestone. The furnace heated the contents to a high temperature. Water powered a bellows, which added bursts of air to increase the burn. The charcoal and limestone helped to separate the impu- A photograph showing the entrance to Pennsylvania State rities, which floated to the top of the molten mass. This Forestry School in Mont Alto, now Penn State Mont Alto. The impure substance was called slag, which can be found at campus is less than half a mile from the Birds & Blooms walking trail. the former furnace sites even today. It has a glassy appear- ance and is a dark color. Ore was heavier than the slag Conservation History and could be run off into troughs or molds, which looked South Mountain is an “interstate greenway” – a large, like a mother pig nursing her piglets. The name “pig iron” linear corridor six to seven miles wide that links Pennsylva- is derived from this visual. nia with southern natural areas. It extends about 40 miles Colonial ironworks were important to the success of in a northeast to southwest direction connecting Adams, the Colonial quest for independence during the Revo- Cumberland, Franklin, and York Counties. lutionary War. By the eve of the American Revolution, From the 1700s through the 1800s, South Mountain America was producing about 1/7 of the world's total iron, offered the resources needed to produce pig iron. Caledonia and Pennsylvania contributed nearly 20 blast furnaces. Ironworks, Pine Grove Furnace, and Mont Alto Ironworks Though the early American ironworks helped to forge the were three dominant operations fueled by South Mountain next phase of America’s development—the industrial rev- resources. The charcoal needed for the manufacture of iron ore required approximately one acre of timber daily to keep olution, the methods of extracting iron from ore changed the furnace functioning. The wood was slow-cooked over in the second half of the 19th century and the furnaces of several days to create charcoal, which was used to fuel the South Mountain ceased production. furnaces that smelted the iron from the iron ore. The forests of the region were clear cut every 20 to 25 years. Pine Grove Ironworks began operating as early as 1770, Mont Alto Ironworks commenced in 1805, and Caledonia

Out of the Ore: Birds & Blooms Trail invites you to enjoy nature. Please remember you are visiting and leave no trace, except footprints.

“I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it.” Caledonia Ironworks began operations in 1837 and produced iron by utilizing timber from the local forest that had been ~ William Shakespeare turned into charcoal. Ironworks began operations in Northern 1837. By the turn-of-the-twen- Short-tailed Shrew tieth century , the forests of South Mountain were over- This shrew likes grassy logged without consideration of replenishing the forest or keep- areas and areas with wet ing the habitat alive. Iron-pro- leaf matter. It eats fungi, duction left the old-growth seeds, mice, snails, and forests of South Mountain a earthworms—making lifeless wasteland and a prime the habitat around the example of Pennsylvania’s need vernal pools quite desir- for conservation. able. Sylvania is a Latin name, meaning from the woods, and Striped Skunk pairs with the state’s founder Joseph Trimbel Rothrock. [William] Penn to create the Pennsylvania’s first name Pennsylvania. Forests About the size of a cat, Commissioners of Forests were the hallmark of the state. the striped skunk has a and known today as the In 1870, Pennsylvania led the black body with two white “Pennsylvania Father of nation in logging. Over the next stripes, joining together Fore str y.” near the nape of the neck. thirty years, the deforestation continued, and by 1900, Penn’s It is an omnivore, eating Woods were literally cut in half. Along with the deforested , nuts, bird eggs, mountainsides came wildfires, flooding , erosion, and heavy mice, and voles. It is best loads of sediment dropped in waterways. Naturalists became known for its distinctive activists, sounding an alarm to the public and leaders of odor. Pennsylvania, not only making them aware of the loss of the Eastern Gray nature resources and habitats but the future loss of timber-re- lated industries. Squirrel Leading the effort was Joseph Rothrock, known today as the “Pennsylvania Father of Forestry.” Rothrock was a medi- This tree squirrel is typ- cal doctor and botanist and employed a scientific approach to ically gray but can also studying plant and life. Over more than two decades, be brown with a white he cataloged species of and plants, studied forests underside. It is a hoard- around the world, and traveled across Pennsylvania to see er, hiding seeds and firsthand the condition of forestlands. Rothrock realized nuts for later retrieval. the need to regrow the forests and create environmentally healthy methods to grow and cut the timber of future forests. It eats tree bark, tree In 1895, Joseph Rothrock was appointed Pennsylvania’s first buds, berries, seeds and Commissioner of Forests. nuts. Pennsylvania was focused on restoring its lands and Southern began purchasing available acreage for stewardship and Red-backed Vole reforestation. The land of the former Mont Alto Ironworks, and Caledonia Ironworks were among the purchased land. In 1902, Mont Alto Ironworks became a state park for the Look for the ruddy band along leisure and recreation enjoyment of the citizens and the the back and a short tail to iden- protection of the state’s natural lands and watersheds. Joseph tify this small . Voles are Rothrock was convinced the way to ensure the sustainability chubbier than mice and have of the forests, a state forestry school was needed. As he con- rounder heads. Voles eats nuts, tinued to secure lands, he set about to create a school to train seeds, fungi, plants, insects, and foresters and unable to convince another to open a school, he snails and will store bulbs and accepted the “first class” of thirteen foresters at Pennsylvania roots to eat later. Its predators State Forestry School in Mont Alto, PA in September 1903. are hawks and owls. The school was on the land of the Mont Alto Ironworks. The classroom was the forest, where students helped to fight forest fires, build fire roads, and develop the forest tree White-footed Mouse nursery and arboretum on the 33,000-acre campus. Today, the Pennsylvania Forestry School is the Mont Alto Campus of Penn These can be gray, State--less than half a mile from the Out of the Ore: Birds & brown or reddish and are Bloom Walking Trail. Pennsylvania’s South Mountain forest has red oak, white white on the underside oak, tuliptrees, red maples and hickories. Within the landscape with large ears and long is a unique pocket where northern and southern species live tail. It is an omnivore, together in an area called “Meeting of the Pines,” which includes eating seeds, berries, nuts, white, shortleaf, pitch, table mountain, and Virginia pines. The insects, and fungi and has lower canopy of this forest includes mountain laurel, wild black- been known to eat up to berry, and black huckleberry. Humid summer temperatures 30% of its body weight. create a thriving underbrush where insects are plentiful, attract- ing 47 species of birds year-round, documented by the local birding chapter, Conococheague Audubon, in the PA Migration Woodland Jumping Count and Christmas Count. Enjoy seeing how many you can spot. Mouse

The small rodent has a yellow-orange hue to its fur, a tail more than 50% of its body size with a distinctive white tip, and over-sized back legs to support jumps in excess of 5 feet. Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

The location allows the eastern cottontail to be out in the open and The view from the top of Pine Grove Furnace State Park. quickly dart into a good hiding place. It forages for bark, leaves, twigs, fruit, buds, flowers, and Birds of South Mountain seeds. American Crow Northern Raccoon

These birds are all-black, This medium mammal is including bill and legs. They covered with gray fur and are social, intelligent, and sports a distinctive black are known to chase away mask and black bands on larger birds. When flying, its tail. An omnivore, the they rarely glide, instead northern raccoon has a continually flapping their diverse diet, eating easy- wings. to-catch vertebrates, inver- tebrates and plant life. It likes the safety a quick run Bird photos courtesy of David L. Cooney Jr. up a tree affords. American Robin

The body of a coyote is more This large, assertive -like and larger than a songbird is the largest fox. It runs up to 43 mph. member of the thrush Like the fox, it is omniv- family in North America. orous, eating a variety of Under bellies are orange foods but is a -hunter. and wings are grey-brown. At night, commu- Females have paler heads. White-tailed Deer nicate in yips, barks, and A patch of white can be howls. seen on the lower belly and It is the most abundant and tail. visible large mammal in Belted Kingfisher Pennsylvania. The species is (female pictured) brown in summer, getting a grayer shade in winter but It has a large head with a always with a white under- ragged crest and is powder tail. Predominantly an her- blue with a white chest. bivore, whitetails eat plants, Males have a blue band leaves, bulbs, grasses, fruit across the chest. Females and acorns as well as corn have a blue and brown and other farm crops. It is Red Fox band across the chest. attracted to this area by the These birds are found near nearby apple orchard and water. corn fields. An adaptive mammal, it can live easily near resi- Black Vulture dential areas. It is about 3 ft. long and 2 ft. tall with It is a large black raptor large, pointy ears, long with rounded, white-tipped snout, and long, fluffy tail. wings, short tail, and 5-ft. Sometimes confused with wingspan. It often soars a gray fox because both with other raptors and can have red and gray follows to carrion because fur, the tail of a red fox is it has a poor sense of smell. white. Foxes are omniv- It is a very social bird with orous, eating such varied strong family ties. foods as fruits, grasses, Black-capped Groundhog or tuberous roots, birds, mice, Chickadee and rabbits. Woodchuck A tiny bird with a short A groundhog is a large, neck, it has an hibernating rodent. It oversized, round head and is actually the largest tiny body. They have a member of the squirrel black cap and ragged-edge family, although it lives black bib with white on ground and hibernates cheeks, gray and white underground. It is primar- wings, and a light beige, ily a grass and berry-eater somewhat orange un- but does eat insects occa- derbelly. They usually fly sionally. alone and have a “bouncy” flight. Blue Jay

Another large songbird, bigger than a robin, has a bright blue crest, back and wings with a white face, black beak, and black markings. This bird has a loud, distinctive call and is fond of acorns. Brown Creeper

A tiny, brown and beige bird with a white or Water strider gray underbelly is seen on tree trunks, search- Plentiful amphibians in spring and rodents year- ing for insects in the round make this a habitat for garter and black snakes. bark with their slender, Abundant sunshine in the fall is another attractive feature down-curved bill. They of the area around the trail. Garter snakes, black racer have a high, warbling snakes, and black rat snake are non-venomous snakes of song. the area. Small to medium mammals are home in the under- brush of the wooded spaces next to the trail. The proximi- ty of open space to areas of coverage makes this location a Brown Thrasher good one for a variety of animals. The habitat is well-suit- ed to eastern cottontail rabbits, groundhogs—also known Found in thick under- as woodchucks, northern short-tailed shrew, southern growth and scrubby fields, red-backed vole, white-footed mouse, woodland jumping these birds have elongated mouse, eastern gray squirrel, eastern chipmunk, eastern slim, brown bodies with fox squirrel, coyotes, foxes and white-tailed deer. brown streaks on their underbody and yellow eyes. It is in the same family as catbirds and mockingbirds Take a moment to relax in the shade and see the and has a nice repertoire of animals, sharing the Birds and Blooms Trail. songs.

Canadian Geese Eastern Chipmunk A big water bird with a long, black neck and On each of its sides, the eastern chipmunk has a white stripe white markings is often banded with a black stripe and seen in flocks. It has a black strip in the middle of dark brown wings and the back. It eats seeds, nuts, back. Its calls often sig- fruits, plants, mushrooms, in- nal the change of sects, and worms. It stores food season in spring and and transports it to its burrow fall. using the pouches in its cheeks. A Diverse Environment Cardinal Males are a bright red and fe- The Out of the Ore: Birds and Blooms walking males are brown with a bright trail is situated in the South Mountain area of Penn- red crest and red markings sylvania and is part of more than 85,000 acres of on their bodies. Both have Michaux Forest, comprised by the land once owned red bills. These songbirds do by the Mont Alto Ironworks, Caledonia Ironworks, not migrate and do not molt, and Pine Grove Furnace. The old growth forest was so they are easily spotted in burned to make charcoal to operate the iron ore winter. furnace. Today, the forest surrounds the meadow areas where the iron ore furnaces worked decade Carolina Chickadee after decade. Easily confused with its northern relative--the black capped chickadee, this chickadee has more gray and less of a brown- ish-orange tinge. It has the black cap and bib, but the bib is framed by pale gray. Sings a very quick chicka- dee-dee-dee.

Spotted salamander Carolina Wren In spring, thawing snow and rain create ver- nal pools between the Birds and Blooms Trail and A small, chunky bird with a the nearby Bricker Clearing Trail. The vernal pools call that sounds like tea-ket- support diverse aquatic lifeforms, such as fairy tle, tea-kettle is the color of a cinnamon stick, has a white eyebrow marking, and a proportionally long, up- ward-cocked tail. The under- body has an orange hue and the throat is white. It is often found in underbrush and dense vegetation. Chipping Sparrow

These little songbirds feed on seeds at ground-level, hide Common garter snake in the underbrush, and sing shrimp, water fleas, diving beetles, water mites, and from the treetops. A distinc- water striders. Dragonflies and damselflies feed on tive, rust-color crest marks this larvae in the pool, and damselflies lay eggs in the predominantly gray throat and pools. Wood frogs and spring peepers can be spotted chest with a contrasting brown around the pools as well as their eggs and tadpoles in and black striped wings. The the pools. Other amphibians can spotted, including beak is tinged with pink, and spotted salamanders and marbled salamanders. there is a black stripe through the eye. Common Raven Hairy Woodpecker

This sooty, black all-over A medium-sized woodpeck- bird is large with a thick er is larger than a Downy neck, a long, double-edged Woodpecker. It has a larger beak and shaggy feathers bill, nearly the same size as the around the neck. It travels head, black wings checkered alone or in pairs and has a with white, and a large white gurgling croak. In flight, the patch down the center of its raven is more slender than a black back. crow. Pileated Cooper’s Hawk Woodpecker A large-sized woodpecker is the Found in woodlands, this size of a crow. It is black with a bird preys on smaller birds. white strip from the neck to a It is a steel-blue or gray with very red crest. Males have a red a reddish, rust-colored bar stripe on the cheek. In flight, the on the underbelly. Immature white underwings are visible. The Cooper’s Hawks are brown. main food of this woodpecker is It has a flap, flap, and glide the carpenter ant. flight pattern. When , it may fly close to the ground Red-bellied Woodpecker and up over any obstacle (female pictured) before dropping quickly to strike its prey. It is a medium-sized woodpecker, close in size to the Hairy Wood- White-winged pecker. It has a sleeker appear- Crossbill ance than the more blocky Hairy Woodpecker. Males are brown- (female pictured) ish-gray one the underside, black- and-white striped on the top-side, The male gender of this and a red forehead, cap, and nape. finch is red or pink and The most common calls are kwirr has a stocky body with a or churr and a rough-sounding notched tail. The female is cha, cha, cha. a yellow-olive color with dark brown wings and tail. It Yellow-bellied feeds on seeds in the cones Sapsucker of conifers. Its call sounds like chut-chut-chut-chut. This is a small-to-medium wood- Dark-eyed Junco pecker with black and white patterned faces, a yellow or white In the sparrow family, this underside, and black and white bird is dark gray, slate, or stripes curved toward the chest. brown with a white belly Both genders have red foreheads. and a pink bill. These birds Males also have red throats. These are often seen hopping birds feed on tree sap and insects. around the base of trees or The noise of its drumming is slow- shrubs for seeds. er and more irregular than other woodpeckers. Black and White Eastern Phoebe Warbler Named for the phoebe sound These little songbirds it makes, this bird is a small are boldly striped black flycatcher with a dark head and white. The stripes and a pale gray back and of males are the boldest; wings. It also makes a peep the females are paler and sound and as it sits wags its may have tan around the tail up and down. flanks. It is an insect-eat- er, crawling up and down on trees; it nests on the ground. Fish Crow Looking much like the White-throated American Crow, this bird can be distinguished by Sparrow its nasal calls. As they call, they puff out their neck These sparrows are brown and body feathers. These on the topside and gray on birds also raid the nests of the underside along with other birds, eating eggs. a black-and-white striped head, a white throat, and yellow between the eyes and bill. Its song sounds like “Oh-sweet-Canada-Canada” Gray Catbird or “Old-Sam-Peabody-Pea- body.” A slender, medium songbird with a gray body, a black cap, and rust-colored tail feathers makes a distinctive sounding Wilson’s Snipe “mew” and mimics other bird’s songs. It has a lot of These birds have brown energy, hopping from branch and tan patterned stripes to branch in dense vegetation and bars with a beige chest or making short, low flights. spotted with brown. It ap- pears as pudgy and has a Great Horned Owl long, straight bill. Its flight is a fast, zig-zag. This large owl with tufts of feathers on each side of the head, yellow-orange eyes, Downy Woodpecker and a deep series of four or five hoots is also known as The smallest North Amer- a hoot owl or a tiger owl. ican woodpecker appears These birds are dappled to be black-and-white gray and brown with rud- checked with a striped dy brown faces and a white head. The male has a small patch on the throat or chest. red patch. It has a chis- The female is larger than the el-like bill and block head. male. Red-tailed Hawk Starling

A very common hawk In flight, the wings are short in North America, these and point and look like a raptors have cinnamon-red small, four-pointed star; tails and brown bodies with hence the name starling. In white throat and chest. summer, these birds are an Soaring in circles, they iridescent purple-green. In attack prey with a slow dive winter, these birds are brown and outstretched legs. with bright, white spots. Starlings are noisy and travel Hermit Thrush in groups.

A medium brown with a Tree Swallow reddish tail, a white chest speckled with brown These stocky birds with long, spots, and a chunky body pointed wings are elegant forages on forest floors for fliers and fluid singers. The insects and leaf matter. It males are blue-green on the has a sad-sounding song, topside and wings, white on which is similar to “oh, the underbody, and have a holy, holy, ah, purity, puri- thin black mask around the ty, eeh, sweetly, sweetly. eyes. Females have a dull- er brown on the top of the body. House Finch Tufted Titmouse

A small bird with a flat This is a small, silver-gray head, the male has a red bird with a light orange face and upper chest with color through its flanks, a dark-brown streaks on pointed crest, and a short, brown back and wings. stout black beak. It has The female is a plain a distinct whistle, which brown and streaked with sounds like peter-peter-pe- a dark brown. Their call is ter. heard as a “cheep.” Blackburnian Warbler House Sparrow The throat and breast of the These birds have a chunky male is deep orange with body and proportionally yellow around the eyes, a large, round head. Males black crown, black wings and have a black bill, throat, tail feathers, and thick white and bib plus reddish wings bars on the wings. Females with black streaks and a are similar but not as vibrant. white stripe. Females are Both are most vibrant in gray on the underside and breeding season. It is known brown on the top-side for high-pitched song, which with dark streaks on the sounds like zip,zip, zip,zip, back and wings. titititi, tseeee. Ruby-crowned Kinglet Red-breasted Nuthatch A tiny, chubby bird with much energy can be identified by A tiny, compact bird with its constant wing-flicking. a long, pointed bill, it is It is smaller than a warbler blue-gray with a black cap or chickadee, an olive color and black stripe through across the body, and bright the eye, contrasted by yellow-green markings on the surrounding white around wings. The male has a bright the eyes and throat. Its red crest, which it exposes flight is short and bouncy, when upset. and its calls sound like “yank-yank.” Mallard Ducks Pine Warbler A very familiar duck, This seed-eater gravitates males of the species have to pine trees and can be an iridescent green head identified by the yellowish and a bright yellow bill. color and white bars on Females are speckled gray wings. Females can brown with orange bills. be gray-brown. Both have a notch in the tail. Mockingbird This medium-sized songbird Rough-winged is overall gray-brown and paler on the under-belly. It Swallow has a white patch on each This songbird is simple wing and white outer tail brown color with small feathers, both of which are points on the edges of good identifiers when the the outer wing feathers. bird is in flight. It is a mimic, It has long, pointed copying the sounds of birds wings and a small bill. and frogs, creating a long series of repeating songs.

Mourning Dove Song Sparrow

This plump bodied, These birds flit through small-headed bird is light dense vegetation in short brown or tan with black flights. A downward spots on the wings and pumping of the tail is a black tips on the tail feath- noticeable feature. It is ers. Its flight is fast and colored brown and gray straight. Their song and with a white chest. Thick, calls are coos, soft and sad. brown streaks across the entire body are a distinc- tive feature. The Birds and Bloom Walking Trail brings walkers and hikers to the heart of a diverse habitat. The vernal pool, which adjoins the walking trail, is a breed- ing ground for insects, amphibians, and invertebrates. The healthy supply of insects attracts many species of birds. Hawks and owl prey on smaller birds as well as woodland creatures, like the mouse, shrew, and vole all of which are drawn to this habitat because of the plentiful grasses, nuts, fruits, and seeds. The plant life along the trail includes lamb’s quarters, thistle, milkweed, su- mac, foxtail grass, and wild cherries. A variety of butterflies, including whites and sulphurs, eastern tiger swallowtails, wood nymphs, and monarchs, are attracted to these grasses and plants. Out of the ashes of an iron ore furnace and a barren mountainside, the Birds and Bloom Walking is in the midst of a vital, thriving ecosystem.

Did You Know:

* About 40% of birds migrate.

* In the weeks leading up to migration, birds increase food intake to store fat, which will be converted to energy during the migratory flight.

* In colonial America, the cooper’s hawk was often called a chicken hawk because it would steal the barnyard fowl.

* Owls cannot swivel their eyes but are able to move their heads completely around to see straight behind them.

Thistle Foxtail grass Poison sumac Wild cherries