3 July 2016 Sinnemahoning State Park

Sinnemahoning State Park has grown on me. It has been almost eight years since our first visit here. On that visit we stayed mainly on a trial that runs along the Sinnemahoning Creek. Since then we've visited more of the trails, seen a wide variety of wildlife, and spent enough time to appreciate one of the nicer wildlife centers we have visited. Today was all about the trails, geocaching, and whatever nature we spotted on the way.

If this is an indian trail tree pointing a direction for me, I may be in trouble...

I'm not sure if the foxglove grows here naturally or if it was planted by the DCNR. We usually see it in bloom once or twice a summer. At Sinnemahoning it it common along the streamside trail.

It is not a 4th of July weekend in Pennsylvania without spotting monarda in bloom.

We stopped for a visit at Sinnemahoning Creek so Phineas and Lizzie could get water on this warm day.

If there is a stream, they want to drink.

The real excitement of the day were the birds with sightings of male and female indigo buntings, a male common yellowthoat, and a female wood duck with her ducklings swimming solo on the water.

While we were on the trail we had the pleasure of meeting two cachers celebrating their 2800th find. For as often as we geocache, it is surprising how few cachers we meet on the trail. After our adventure, Ali spotted the tree below on the return walk. It is a survivor growing out of the rotted, split former tree which still remains.