Pennsylvania: Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, Benezette (elk country)
September 4
First, we returned to Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, where the buildings were open. The center has a discovery room with amphibians and reptiles.
![Shaver's Creek Environmental Center](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48818515792_e82b0ae134_c.jpg)
![Shaver's Creek Environmental Center](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48817999958_55bc9202fc_c.jpg)
On the earlier visit, we hadn’t noticed the raptor aviary behind the main building. Shaver’s Creek is home to a surprising variety of raptors — peregrine falcon(s?); bald and golden eagles; broad-winged, red-shouldered, and red-tailed hawks; barn, barred, eastern screech, and great horned, screech owls; and black and turkey vultures. My favorite was black vulture Matilda. I’m not sure I’ve seen one in flight ; turkey vultures are more common at this latitude. I know I’ve never seen one this close up. No photo due to the cage, but Matilda has a surprisingly sweet face attached to her bald head. The darker coloring may make them more appealing than turkey vultures to human eyes.
Before leaving, I sat by the windows overlooking bird feeders. As seems to happen to me, a hummingbird flew up, looked at me tauntingly, and flew off before I could take a photo. Typical.
Off to elk country in Benezette. This time we didn’t see any elk at the campground. We made a stop at the visitor center, where tables with local goods had been set up next to the gift shop. It was here I discovered Moonshine Chocolate . . .
![Elk Country Visitor Center](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48818360211_1e6b3561a8_c.jpg)
![Elk Country Visitor Center](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48818359391_9dc2612628_c.jpg)
At the Winslow Hill overlook, we didn’t see anything at first, but a handful of turkeys and a white-tailed deer family (buck, doe, two older fawns) appeared.
![Turkeys on Winslow Hill](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48818358291_8766c2affe_c.jpg)
![Winslow Hill overlook](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48818361111_413fded14b_c.jpg)
After we ate dinner at the Benezette Hotel (where none of us ordered the elk burger), this one crossed the road while following others into the woods.
![Elk crossing road in Benezette, Pennsylvania](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48818361136_fc0bc291c3_c.jpg)
In another place, we joined a little crowd watching a small herd at some distance, including nursing offspring.
![Mini elk herd in Benezette, Pennsylvania](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48818513587_276c88653f_c.jpg)
![Nursing elk calves](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48817998488_c946900ec4_c.jpg)
![Evening in Benezette](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48817997618_140bfb7c6c_c.jpg)
In all. we counted 45 to 50 elk (or wapiti), including this last one on a rise next to the road.
![Elk near Benezette, Pennsylvania](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48798057628_0c2860a1d3_c.jpg)
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