We first hiked in this gorgeous place in late May. On that day we focused on trails south of the Orientation
Center and in the southern part of the park north of Dukes Parkway West. Today, following a series of trails too complicated to list here, we focused on a bunch of
trails in the northern-most part of the park. The park was nearly empty today. It was a total delight. My birthday was a couple of weeks ago and Laura got me an
awesome pair of binoculars to enhance my growing hobby of birding. Armed with my Vanguard Endeavor ED Series, 10.5x45 binoculars, we strolled around the beautiful
grounds in the 90 F heat. We finished just after 12 noon and ended up getting a grilled cheese, a veggie wrap and orzo salad in the café inside the Orientation Center called
Mallery's Eatery. It was quite good!
Total distance hiked today was 4 miles in just under 3 hours.
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Orientation Center |
A Red-Tailed Hawk... |
...was perching... |
...right above the road |
See its red-tail? |
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Wildflowers abound |
Dan on culvert [photo by Laura] |
Stream under culvert |
Laura below |
Wildflowers and waterfall |
Turtles sunbathing |
Another pair |
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Bird blind [photo by Laura] |
View through blind |
Remains... |
...of the old... |
...Hay Barn |
Turned into statue gallery |
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Farnese Bull Statue detail [photo by Laura] |
Two Brown-Headed Cowbirds |
Farnese Bull Statue |
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Bumblebee on Milkweed |
View of greenhouse |
Beautiful path |
Greenhouse |
Statues outside |
[Photo by Laura] |
Inside the greenhouse |
Very old growth |
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View of greenhouses |
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Immature Eastern Bluebird |
Meadow in front of greenhouse |
Heading to... |
...the Coach Barn |
Coach Barn clock tower |
Durham Bull Statue |
Sign at crossroads |
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Now in the woods |
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Very fast White-breasted Nuthatch |
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Dragonfly Pond |
RR Way & Oak Way intersection |
Heading into gated Research Woods |
Juvenile Finch? |
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Morning Glory |
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Old cabin and doghouse |
[Photo by Laura] |
Informative signs abound |
Lichen |
Chipping Sparrow |
Blue Jay |
[Photo by Laura] |
Blue Jay |
Views of... |
...the Nursery |
Back to the Hay Barn |
Statue with flower |
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Photographs and content copyright © Dan Balogh Web design by Dan Balogh |