Rockfish Valley Trail 7/22/10


Got to the RV Trail about 9 this morning - wanted to see if I could find the Grasshopper Sparrow we saw last Saturday morning so I could get a closer shot of it. It was already 80 degrees and high humidity when I got there. Sweat in my eyes and fogged glasses made seeing the birds difficult, and photography even more so. Although I didn't spend much time looking for many of the birds I heard in the trees, I did see a fair number of summer regulars. But it was the non-avian wildlife on the trail that made my day. By the time I got home a little past 10:30, it was already 90 degrees with 60% humidity. Strange weather - last summer we had San Diego-like weather here (low 80's and usually low humidity) - this summer it has been mostly like the tropics without an ocean breeze.

Interesting week for animal sightings - there was a skunk on our driveway at the end of last week that Alice saw. Haven't seen skunks in our neighborhood for a couple of years, and I wondered if the Great Horned Owl in the small pine forest at the end of our street were responsible, and now wonder if it has gone somewhere else. On Sunday Alice and I were playing golf up on the mountain, and there was a 4 to 5 foot long timber rattlesnake next to our golf balls in the fairway. It was a beautiful gold color with a black diamond pattern - NO CAMERA - drats! On Monday morning we were going to Charlottesville and a bear cub crossed route 250 right in front of us and climbed up a small tree - again, NO CAMERA - more drats!


Fawn


Skunk


Arrow-shaped Micrathena



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