Shenandoah Valley – Roadkill Crossing

Blue Moon Rising

The Blue Moon rose above the Blue Ridge Mountains on May 30, 2026. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

The only Blue Moon of 2026 was set to rise near Harrisonburg, Virginia, at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday, May 30. Officially, it wouldn’t be 100 percent full until 3:45 a.m. Sunday morning.

So, I chose to try to shoot the moon, so to speak, Saturday evening. I wasn’t getting up at 3 in the morning to take a photo of the full moon. I have a hard enough time sleeping as it is. You’ll understand when you hit 78.

Old as I am, I still thrill at the sight of a full moon peeking over the horizon, whether it’s on the land or at sea. Perhaps the only difference is that a moon rising over the ocean casts a spectacular reflection if the water is calm.

A January full moon rising over the Atlantic Ocean left an hourglass reflection. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

Since we moved to Virginia’s picturesque Shenandoah Valley from Ohio nine years ago, I’ve learned that the moon evokes just as much magic as it sneaks over the Blue Ridge Mountains, which, in our area, is also Shenandoah National Park.

I checked a website that shows the time and direction of moonrise for any given area. It showed the moon rising in the southeast sky, which made sense as I thought about it. The sun and moon work in tandem. So, with the sun now setting in the northwest, the full moon would rise directly opposite at the same time.

That meant I needed to find a spot with a clear view to the southeast. With all the hills in the valley, that wouldn’t be too hard. However, I also had to account for power lines and cell phone towers. In Virginia, that’s easier said than done.

Unfortunately, I underestimated how far southeast the moon would rise. So, when I spotted its first glow over the park, I needed to drive to a better spot. Even then, I wasn’t clear of the infernal towers and strings of lines.

Nevertheless, I still managed to capture a few frames of the smallest full moon of the year rising above the bucolic valley. Not only was this full moon the only blue moon of the year, but it was also the farthest from the sun, which is appropriately called a micromoon.

As the moon edges over the horizon, whether at sea or on land, it appears bigger than when it is high in the night sky. That is merely an illusion; ironically, science has yet to explain why it occurs.

Dusk is not exactly the best time to photograph objects, especially moving ones. Still, I snap away and enjoy sharing the results with others.

A Study of Juvenile American Robins

A recently fledged American Robin. Photo Bruce Stambaugh

I knew American Robins were nesting in shrubs and trees around our suburban home in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

Early on, I saw them gathering dried grass for nesting, and dipping it into one of the birdbaths I have set out. This softens the material, making it more pliable. Sometimes, during the same trip, they would sweep the wet grass into the soil around the birdbath and fly off to build their nests.

I never followed them for fear of discouraging them from nesting in the giant holly bush or concolor pine tree. Neither did I want the neighborhood cats, who too often roam my yard, to follow my scent to the trees. I learned the hard way.

An American Robin. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

When we lived in Ohio’s Amish country, American Robins, Northern Cardinals, and other songbirds would nest in the many shrubs and trees I had planted on our acre and a half. I would often check the nests I could reach to see the progress from eggs to fledglings.

I stopped doing that when I was on my third or fourth round of curiosity. I discovered the eggs or hatchlings were gone. Everything was fine before, so I wondered if my frequent visits allowed feral cats, raccoons, or other animals to follow my tracks to their lunch.

Consequently, I am more than happy to know that the birds are using the greenery around our property without prying into the state of the incubation. I think that strategy is working.

While doing yardwork, I can sneak a peek at the progress without getting too close. In a matter of days, babyblue eggs transform into fuzzballs with begging beaks, and then into chubby babies, and finally into fledglings.

One of the fledglings foraged for food beneath a birdfeeder. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

In the case of the robins, that’s when the show begins. Mom brings her surviving babies to the birdbath with the mini-waterfall or to feed beneath the seed-filled feeders for the seeds that sloppy eaters like the Common Grackles drop.

Mother robin shows the pair of juveniles how to peck and scratch for food. She sometimes jabs and overturns the mulch around the flowers and shrubs to uncover insects that provide her youngsters with needed protein.

Though they are nearly the size of their mother, the little buggers beg for food. So, mom obliges until she tires, and flies off to a dense row of evergreens, leaving the young birds to fend for themselves.

A young American Robin eyes the birdbath. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

They soon learn. I spot them standing in the birdbath, still as a statue, as if they are listening to the musical sound of water upon water. When a grackle suddenly appears, the young robins scamper for cover beneath the thriving peonies until it’s safe to return.

Though they call and call, neither mother nor father answers. The baby robins get the hint and peck away under the feeders or in the flowerbeds, just as their mother had modeled.

Once they complete their growth to adulthood, the spots on their chests will disappear, and they will begin the cycle all over again.

A pair of juvenile American Robins. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

According to Cornell University’s Ornithology Lab, an American Robin can produce three successful broods in one year. On average, though, only 40 percent of nests successfully produce young. Only 25 percent of those fledged young survive to November.

From that point on, about half of the robins alive in any year will make it to the next. Even though a lucky robin can live to be 14 years old, the entire population turns over on average every six years.

I hope the two young robins in my backyard beat the odds and have long, productive lives.

Hiding in Plain Sight

I always take my camera along on my morning walks in our neighborhood. This time of year, I never know what beauty I will encounter.

The morning sunshine brings out the truest colors of the various flowers grown in our housing development. These curbside Phlox caught my attention with the lavender glow.

Then I spotted the yellow spot, which I thought was a Sulphur butterfly hiding in plain sight. Upon closer inspection, the out-of-place color was the winded end of a fallen maple seed.

They are referred to locally as helicopter seeds. Even the slightest breeze propels the twirling seeds across the neighborhood landscape. It’s nature’s way of propagating maple trees and providing fresh, nourishing food for squirrels and other critters.

Hiding in plain sight. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

This particular seed happened to land in a bed of lovely spring flowers that nicely contrasted with the seed’s mode of mobility in the sunlit space.

Country Road Sunset

Sunsets are a favorite subject for my photo shoots. I am mesmerized by the ever-changing colors, the illumination of pinks and blues on clouds from the north, south, east, and west. As the colors transform, so do the shapes and the clouds’ hues.

Living in Virginia’s bucolic Shenandoah Valley gives me plenty of opportunities for sunset shots in all four seasons. I try to capture as many sunsets as I can.

I stopped as soon as I saw this one at the bend of a country road, not a mile from my home. The silhouetted, bare walnut tree stood on the left, its arms reaching out in pure awe and appreciation of the unfolding beauty bathing the northwest sky.

The Gentlemen’s Club Spring Outing

While birding in a local arboretum, I came across this group of male Mallards casually swimming in Cooks Creek. They seemed undeterred from the purpose of their outing by my uninvited appearance.

Greening Up

It’s been a week since I took this photo. I participated in a group bird walk, and when I came upon this serene scene, it stopped me in my tracks.

The morning sun highlighted the tall hardwood trees elevated above a bend in the North River. Their leaves were still unfolding. The combination of the green grass and the fresh and tender leaves shouted “greening up,” a term used especially in springtime when landscapes come alive with new growth.

Clearly, in this photo, green is the dominant color, especially in the reflections on the river’s calm water. This is even though this area of Virginia is listed as being in extreme drought.

Now, a week later, all those leaves are completely unfurled. Is it my imagination, or is the “greening up” unfolding more quickly than in the past? In a little more than a week, the landscape has gone from mostly bare trees to full canopies, which seems a bit short.

Regardless, nature does her thing, and we reap the eye-catching rewards.

First Cutting

You know it’s spring when farmers make their first cutting of hay. However, making hay at the end of April is unusual, even for Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

After a recent overnight rain, the warm temperatures and days of clear weather allowed farmers across the valley to make their first cutting of hay. The windrows of mown alfalfa created the intriguing patterns in the foreground, with Massanutten Mountain looming in the distance.

Earth Day 2026

Earth Day is our annual reminder of humankind’s responsibility to care for our precious planet, our earthly home.

Activities of all kinds are planned worldwide to educate and engage the public on the importance of intentional conservation. We use the Earth’s resources, but we must be mindful not to abuse our sacred soil, forests, waterways, atmosphere, and wildlife.

May we all do our best each and every day to care for our Mother Earth.

A farm field in Rockingham County, Virginia. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

An Upside Down World?

A reflection can turn the world upside down. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

This photo isn’t what it appears to be, though it could serve as a visual metaphor for how the world seems today. But that is not my intent.

The photo is not upside down, and it’s not an illusion. This image is exactly as I took it during a recent bird walk with about a dozen people in a park in Bridgewater, Virginia. The reason the trees seem to be growing down instead of up is that this is simply a reflection in the classy, calm North River.

In fact, if you look closely, you can see a Turkey Vulture soaring over the tree tops in the lower right-hand portion of the photo. The reason the river appears so calm is a low-head dam a few yards downstream that backs up the water. The water below the dam is the river’s normal level.

These are the artistic photographs that I love to take. Being out in nature inspires me, and I love to capture such inspirational moments for others to enjoy as well.

The low-head dam on the North River. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

Birds Need Water, too.

A Northern Flicker and an American Robin at the backyard birdbath. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

The key to attracting birds to your backyard is more than providing the food the various species need. Birds also require cover for protection and water to survive.

Choosing what to feed birds is easy. Wildlife stores, hardware stores, and businesses that cater to farming and other agricultural folks sell a variety of seeds, suet, and feeders needed for our feathered friends.

Homeowners are responsible for establishing the necessary habitat for protection, perching, and nesting. Planting a variety of native trees, shrubs, plants, and grasses helps to attract a wide variety of birds.

Too often, however, setting out water is overlooked as a necessary ingredient for birds. Water completes the avian trifecta for attracting birds.

Obviously, birds need water for hydration. And just like people, birds need water to keep themselves clean. Birds bathe often to maintain their feathers, rid themselves of dust and mites, and cool down in hot weather. Most birds prefer ground-level birdbaths, but some come to elevated ones.

Adding a small water pump, fountain, or even a small waterfall increases the likelihood of attracting birds to water, especially songbirds. Birds will hear the trickling sound and take that as an invitation to drink and bathe.

Different species have particular ways of drinking. Blue Jays gulp their water by tipping back their head and chugging it down. Mourning Doves are the opposite. They only dip the end of their beaks into the water and daintily sip until satisfied. Northern Cardinals take their time, seemingly enjoying their refreshing liquid.

Birds even use water to clean their beaks of residue, such as seed shells. American Robins bring nesting material to dampen it, making the straw or dried grass more pliable. But it is critical to keep the water and the birdbath basins filled and clean.

A gang of European Starlings can quickly empty a birdbath basin.

As larger birds like Common Grackles, American Robins, and Blue Jays bathe, they splash water out of the containers with their vigorous movements. It’s important to keep the water level full so the pump won’t burn up.

Birds tend to keep their nests neat. They carry fecal sacks containing their babies’ unwanted excrement. Unfortunately, Common Grackles are known to drop those gross sacks in the birdbaths. So, ensuring the birdbaths are clean and filled with fresh water is critical for keeping birds healthy.

Fall Cape May Warbler
Blue Jay
Gray Catbird
Female Northern Cardinal
American Robin
Chipping Sparrow
Female Purple Finch
Mourning Doves
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrows

Cleaning birdbaths should be done regularly, following a few easy steps. Discard any water left in the bath. Sprinkle a powdery cleaning compound, such as Comet, around the bowl, and use a soft brush to scrub it around to remove any dirt, algae, or other residue. When finished, rinse that out, and refill the birdbath with clean water.

In addition to establishing bird feeders, providing water enhances birds’ attraction. Adding a small pump surrounded by mostly flat stones to create a gurgling sound also brings birds, both migrating and residents, to feeders and birdbaths. The stones provide perches for the smaller songbirds. If the water slows, the pump will likely need to be cleaned as well.

A Brown Thrasher cools off in the birdbath with a small waterfall. Photo by Bruce Stambaugh

It’s best to remove the pump during the winter months to avoid freezing. The water can be kept from freezing by adding a birdbath heater.

Placing both feeders and birdbaths in locations easily viewed through a window lets you see the benefits of your efforts. In the end, the birds reap the rewards.

Find instructions for what items are needed to build a birdbath at https://warblerfall.com/.