Friday, June 22, 2012

Day 174: June 22nd – More color on Mine Road


Still hot (90), sunny and calm

       It’s still hot and the humidity is way up there as well.  With virtually no breeze blowing, the weather is downright uncomfortable.  Later this afternoon, the front is supposed to move through and the heat spell will finally be broken, or so we can only hope.

       I took a drive down one of my favorite birding venues, Mine Road.  With the summer here and the troops and new cadets arriving at West Point, this road which runs through the areas of the Military Academy used for training will be closed for a couple of months in the very near future.  So, it was an opportune time to take one last ride for a while down this pretty birdy stretch.


        As soon as I came onto the road, I began to hear the familiar calls of Scarlet tanagers.  I pulled into a shady dirt road and parked, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of these richly hued beauties.  The bird was indeed not far from the roadway and offered a few looks before heading into the woods and away from my lens.

        With the bird now far off, I took to the road once again, and heard quite a few more tanagers along the way.  Indigo buntings were also calling and were perched as they so often are along the utility lines.

       The Tiger lilies have bloomed once again and also offer some great splashes along the road.  In some areas, these wildflowers are known as “Ditch lilies” since they are so often found in roadside ditches.  These gorgeous flowers did not seem to mind the oppressive heat, in fact looking as if they were flourishing in it. 


       With the skies beginning to cloud up and rumbles of thunder in the distance, I decided to head on home and wait for the much anticipated and hoped for storms.  Perhaps the break in the heat will mean a bit more activity from the birds and mammals in the upcoming days.  Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

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