Author: Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

Orb Weaver Web

September 26, 2026

An Orb-weaver web. Found a few days ago when it was so rainy and drizzly, during a break in the drizzle. Most likely built by an Orb-weaver spider (members of the spider family Araneidae).

Often Orb-weavers create a fresh web each day. Hiding for a good part of the day, they are active during the evening. As the web gets to be a day old it loses its sticky quality. As evening approaches these spiders will consume the old web, rest for a short time, and then spin a new web in a close by location. The new web will be free of debris, with a fresh sticky surface, ready for catching some flying and crawling insects again.

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Broad-banded Hoverfly

September 25, 2026

Yesterday I was out checking on a patch of Goldenrod (Solidago), to see what pollinators were out there. One of the things I found, several Broad-banded Hoverflies (Epistrophe grossulariae). This one, sitting on a Goldenrod leaf. There were also several others, but this is the only one that obliged me with a still moment.

Though they look quite a bit like a bee, they have no stinger, and can’t bite or hurt us. They have one pair of wings, while bees have two pair, one pair large and one pair small. Their eyes are another obvious difference, with their eyes taking up a large portion of their heads, often meeting in the middle. Bees eyes are smaller in relation to their heads and are set on either side. Hoverflies have a set of antennae that are very short. Bees have longer, often bent antennae.

They’re cute little insects with a length of about 0.39 to 0.47 inches.

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Locust Borer

September 24, 2026

The past four days have been foggy, chilly and rainy. Today the sun was actually in and out. A most welcome sight. During those gray days, I was looking forward to sunshine, with hopes that perhaps I’d again see some migrating Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). But no luck.

Instead I saw a wealth of other pollinators, Common Eastern Bumblebees (Bombus impatiens), Bee Flies (Bombyliidae), and many Locust Borers (Megacyllene robiniae), including the one above.

The adult Locust Borer loves both the nectar and pollen of Goldenrod (Solidago). Its host plant is the Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and the larvae can do serious damage to a Locust tree by tunneling into its trunk or branches.

Fortunately though, they target weakened or stressed Black Locust trees rather than attacking healthy trees.

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Dogwood Berries

September 22, 2026

Scarlet red in the rain this afternoon. Flowering Dogwood berries (Cornus florida), looking like they are all set for astronomical autumn to begin this evening at 8:04. Red berries, along with some of the trees leaves turning a deep rich crimson.

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Fire In The Wood Stove

September 23, 2026

A really, really chilly day today. And rain. And fog. But there was a fire in the wood stove, which made everything just perfect.

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Chinese Mantis In The Fog

September 21, 2026

A surprise this morning. A Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis), clinging to a window screen, in the fog. Part of the surprise is its size, which is from the top of its head to the end of its tail, a bit over 4 inches, they can grow to the length of 5 inches. There is also the European mantis (Mantis religiosa) which grows to a length of 4 inches in length. Both seem mighty big to me.

And a native Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis Carolina) which is found from New Jersey to Florida, west to the Rocky Mountains. They have also been found further north in states such as New York and Connecticut. Also found in Mexico, Central America and parts of South America. I see them occasionally here. They are easy to tell from the larger non-native mantises since they only grow to a length of 2 to 2.5 inches.

Though they are looked upon as gardening heroes, all 3 of these mantises will eat not only unwanted insects but also beneficial insects and amphibians.

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Monarchs Are Migrating Through Now

September 20, 2026

Today, many Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) gathering at the Goldenrod (Solidago) on the back hill, two, three, even eight at a time. Getting the nectar they need to go south on their long journey to their winter home. Today’s event went on for hours after they were first discovered, until the sun was setting.

Twice before I’ve witnessed Monarch migration, many years ago when the cabin was relatively new. Two years in a row, flying for the most part above the cabin on their way south, a few at a time, a constant stream, all day long.

I managed to get many photos today, but right now I’m unable to get to them, so this image of a Monarch on Wild Ageratum (Conoclinium coelestinum) will represent the event for now.

What a remarkable thing to witness.

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A Hackberry Emperor

September 19, 2026

A Hackberry Emperor Butterfly (Asterocampa celtis), with a wingspan of between 1.25 to 2.875 inches

As adults they seldom seek flowers for nectar, but are drawn to sap flows, rotting fruit, animal droppings and mud puddles which provide them with needed salts and minerals. One might also land on your arm seeking sweat.

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Not Often Seen

September 18, 2026

Again I’m seeing a juvenile Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). An unusual event for me, though I did see one last year in late June.

This one is just beginning to show signs of its beak changing from black to orange. It is at about 65 to 80 days of age that their beak begins that transition to orange and by 6 months of age the transition is complete.

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Ailanthus Webworm Moth

September 17, 2026

Another creature that looks like it’s all set for Halloween. The Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva aurea).

The host plant of this moth, almost exclusively, is the invasive, Tree of Heaven (Ailantus altissima). So it is doing no harm. As an adult it seeks the nectar from a variety of flowers. This moth is diurnal, or active during the day. The long thin look happens when the moth wraps its wings tightly around its body. Its length is about 0.4 to 0.6 inches, and it has a wingspan of around 0.5 to 1.25 inches.

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