Andrew Clem.com home Photo gallery Virginia, Fall 2004

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Rainbow

Shenandoah National Park

Spider Butterfly

This MarbledOrbWeaver was certainly much more cooperative in posing than the warblers I saw. Thanks to for identifying this colorful arachnid. (North of Beagle Gap, Shenandoah National Park, Sept. 19, 2004)

Red-spotted Purple butterfly (NOT a Swallowtail butterfly, as I had thought) basking in the solar rays. (Jarman Gap, Shenandoah National Park, Sept. 19, 2004)

Spider 2 Red-eyed vireo

This Golden Garden Spider set up shop next to a pond with heavy insect "traffic." To see much better photos of this species, see kaweahoaks.com. (Bell's Lane, September, 2004)

Red-eyed vireo. Vireos tend to be less skittish than warblers. Compare it to the one I took in West Virginia last month, found under the "South Dakota 2004" scrolling menu. (North of Beagle Gap, Shenandoah National Park, Sept. 19, 2004)

Waynesboro

A late afternoon view of Waynesboro from Afton Mountain (where the local hawk watch is conducted), near the south entrance to Shenandoah National Park. (Sept. 19, 2004)

A view of downtown Waynesboro, with the Blue Ridge at the southern end of Shenandoah National Park in the background. (Oct. 12, 2004)

Waynesboro, Blue Ridge
Sawmill Ridge

Sawmill Ridge, seen from the McCormick Gap overlook, near the south end of the Shenandoah National Park. (Oct. 17, 2004)

Jacqueline at Sawmill Ridge overlook, Shenandoah National Park, on a VERY windy day. (Oct. 17, 2004)

Jacqueline at SNP

Around Staunton

Staunton hills far away

ABOVE: Mary Gray Hill and Betsy Bell Hill (scarred by an ugly construction project), on the southeast side of Staunton, as seen from the Shenandoah National Park, 15 miles away. In the foreground is rapidly-growing Fishersville, and in the background is North Mountain and (further beyond) Shenandoah Mountain, both of which are actually ridges. (Oct. 17, 2004)

RIGHT: Bell's Lane, looking toward the northeast. We saw some Northern Harriers hovering over these fields. The Holiday Inn is next to I-81. The Blue Ridge, and Shenandoah National Park, are visible in the background. (Oct. 17, 2004)

Bell's Lane north
Behind Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad

LEFT: Behind the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad, next to the practice field of R. E. Lee High School (to the left). This is one of my regular bird-watching locations. In the distance is a blue car parked on N. Coalter St. (Oct. 24, 2004)

RIGHT: Bell's Lane in the late afternoon, looking toward the east. A wide variety of birds can be seen here throughout the year. In the summer of 2004 there were multiple nesting pairs of Yellow warblers and Willow flycatchers, plus dozens of Red-winged blackbirds. All those are now gone. White-crowned sparrows have been seen here lately, as well as other sparrows. (Oct. 26, 2004)

Bell's Lane south
Osage orange

LEFT: An Osage orange, a large, sticky, fiber-filled inedible fruit that ripens in late Autumn. Supposedly, they are useful as pest repellants because of their unpleasant odor. (November 22, 2004)


Chimney Hollow Trail

Chimney Hollow trail

LEFT: Located about 15 miles west of Staunton, this trail leads from Route 250 south toward Elliot Knob, the highest mountain in this part of the state. The portion of the trail I hiked was fairly level, alongside a stream. It has one of the highest concentrations of hemlock trees in this area, plus many pines and mountain laurels. (November 21, 2004)


 

DELETED (too blurry): Red-breasted nuthatch, one of several seen that day. It was the first time I had seen this species in over three years, but unfortunately none of them came very close. Also seen that day were two Brown creepers and many Golden-crowned kinglets, which likewise stayed high in the trees. (November 21, 2004)

RIGHT: This moss-covered log is indicative of the moist conditions in this constricted valley. (November 21, 2004)

Sawmill Ridge


Rainbow