[Bristol-Birds] Mendota Firetower

Hey folks,
     Saturday afternoon, 20 AUG 2005, Dianne Draper and I went to Mendota, VA 
(after a quick stop at Musick's Campground on S. Holston Lake in Sullivan 
Co., TN where we saw a very friendly Semipalmated Plover that I believe 
chummer, 
I mean zenbirder Wallace Coffey had already tamed that morning :-)
     On the road near Mendota Firetower we were delighted with the abundance 
of wildflowers in bloom, including lots of Liatris aspera, Rough Blazing Star. 
 (Does anyone know if that species has always been there, or did it get 
planted there along with the abundant Big Bluestem along the road.  Is that 
National Forest there?)  There was a lot of butterfly activity on the Liatris, 
and 
even more activity by hilltopping butterflies at the firetower.  We ended up 
observing 27 species of butterflies there.  (list at end)
     Other interesting critters included at least one, maybe two Bank 
Swallows, a Barn Swallow, several Chimney Swifts, and a flock of Turkey 
Vultures that 
had been resting on the tower and leaving lots of "butterfly bait" on the 
ground beneath it.  A large Emerald dragonfly species foraged low over the 
trail 
near the tower awhile, and the rocks were full of young Eastern Fence Lizards.

Butterfly species:

Pipevine Swallowtail
Zebra Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Spicebush Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Red-banded Hairstreak
Eastern Tailed-Blue
Summer Azure
Pearl Crescent
Silvery Checkerspot
Eastern Comma
Question Mark
Mourning Cloak
Red Admiral
Painted Lady
Red-spotted Purple
Hackberry Emperor
Common Wood Nymph
Gemmed Satyr
Northern Pearly Eye
Monarch
Silver-spotted Skipper
Hoary Edge
Northern Cloudywing
Wild Indigo Duskywing
Zabulon Skipper
Common Roadside Skipper

Don Holt
Johnson City, TN
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