July can be a hot month up here, and even though this July has been remarkably cool we have had a few hot days. Last week I took advantage of a hot summer day to take a stroll along a hiking trail in Voyageurs National Park. The trail is only about ten miles from my house, so in the afternoon I set out armed with my camera (of course), plenty of mosquito spray, water, and a lot of enthusiasm. It wasn't long before I came upon a couple of Common Yellow-throats (see picture at left) who were in a state of anxiety and fluttering about complaining in bird language.
At first I thought that the birds were upset with me, but I only flattered myself. I soon saw that they were chasing a short-tailed weasel around! The weasel was bouncing around so fast that I couldn't get a picture of him, but I was fortunate to find a picture on the internet and have placed it at the left, courtesy of the National Park Service. The birds were chasing that little weasel everywhere he went and letting the whole world know that he was on the prowl.
Finally I gave up on the weasel and went on my way down the beautiful trail I was on (see photo at left). The cicadas were singing as only they can when the weather gets hot and even the dragonflies found it necessay to take a break in the heat (next picture).Taking a pleasant summer stroll is a good way to see lots of pretty flowers, such as the blue flag (wild iris) below the dragonfly, and the blue-eyed grass immediately below it.
Why not take advantage of the nice summer weather and get out for a stroll yourself? You never know what you will find around the next bend in the trail. Get out and enjoy!
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