I took the Scenic Route

There was a storm on Monday that pretty much missed us, but it cleared the air and cooled things down. Yesterday I took advantage of the improved weather and drove up to Shenandoah National Park via Luray. I entered Skyline Drive at Thornton Gap and drove south, exiting at route 33 and then driving to Harrisonburg to grocery shop. I made a number of stops, of course.

The Byrd Visitors Center at Big Meadows was closed except for the lobby and book store because the storm had taken their power out, so the only exhibit I could photograph was a preserved raptor in the lobby, which I assumed was a hawk. My Photos app says it is a peregrine falcon. Since the lighting was dim, the colors don’t show up, so I can’t see if the head is bluish or not.

The rest of today's photos are from Pinnacles Picnic Area. I walked around looking for birds and pollinators. I heard a woodpecker high in a tree but could not get his picture. There were tall wildflowers where I found skippers and swallowtail butterflies on the monarda.