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.

The Sapsuckers Are Back

Elation at the cabin this afternoon as I spotted two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus varius). One took off before I was able to get a photo of both of them together, working on a Flowering Dogwood tree. They’ve returned to their winter home!

The one that remained in this image is a female. Working to get sap from the tree. Their tongues are designed for lapping up the sap that emerges from the small holes they tap into the tree’s bark. That design of the tongue, edges a bit like brush bristles which aid in that sap lapping.

Welcome back Sapsuckers. Hoping to see you guys often this winter.

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The Garden Gate

Tonight has me looking through photographs. Mainly snow pictures. I’m thinking perhaps I’ll come across an image that will be the perfect Christmas card.

I’m not sure about this one, though I love it. It’s from February 6, 2010, part of my favorite winter, 72 inches total during the season. In this image, mighty deep snow building up at the garden gate, and that great shadow.

Maybe the card will be with this image. Undecided at this point.

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Robins Roaming Together For Winter Food

During the winter the American Robin (Turdus migratorius), here in Virginia changes its diet, eliminating invertebrates and switching to fruits and berries.

Roaming, flocking, together with many other Robins, sometimes Cedar Waxwings joining in, looking for winter fruits, such as Holly berries, Juniper berries, Crabapples, Hawthorn berries. Emptying one location after another of those fruits. Always roaming, hunting for another store of fruit.

As spring arrives, each member of the group goes their individual way, switching back to invertebrates as their main food choice, and defending their territory during the breeding season.

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Reeling With Joy

Such a comfort to go for a walk and find the soil is moist, after receiving 2.93 inches of rain yesterday. After being so dry for so long. I expect this is just an aberration, like the 2.12 inches of rain that fell from the sky on September 10th. An absolute tease. Who knows though. I sure don’t. I doubt that it is known by anyone.

No more dried up patches of soil that have become like puzzle pieces, shrinking and raising at the edges. Except for the empty space between those puzzle pieces, fitting together perfectly. Just nice dirt in the garden that looks like it’s all set to receive some seeds.

Happy trees. Happy plants expressing their joy in their own plant ways.

We’ll see how long this lasts.

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Thankful For Rain

Rain drops on Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens).

Severe drought. A sad situation. But today, at long last it has rained all day. Still coming down steadily. I’m watching as the inches slowly creep up. As I write this the rain gauge tells me 2.89 inches. A bit of a dent in our 18 inch deficit.

Hallelujah.

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White Berries

Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa). White berries, not red, as we would normally expect on another member of the same genus (Cornus), a Flowering Dogwood tree.

Those white berries, sitting on bright crimson pedicles, that to me look like miniature trees. Those pedicles lasting through the winter.

Gray Dogwoods send out suckers from their rhizomes, creating dense thickets. They make great nesting sites for birds, and shelter for birds and small animals.

Another part of Mother Nature’s world that is pure pleasure to watch as each season goes by.

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Away With The Wind

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). Spring finds the plant reaching tall to the sky. Summer brings blooms of pale mauve, brownish-pink.

Autumn’s cooling temperatures welcome horn-shaped seed pods filled with flat brown seeds. Fluff called milkweed floss are attached to the seeds, ready to send the seeds wherever the wind may take it.

Much like making wishes on Dandelion’s bright yellow flowers. Away the seeds go, with the wind.

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Winter Residents

They’ve been here a couple weeks now. Some of the winter residents. They’re thoroughly enjoying the seeds and suet that I’m putting out for them. White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis).

Come spring, they’ll be heading north again, to Canada and New England.

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Autumn Berries

Maple-leaf Viburnum berries (Viburnum acerifolium) ripen in early autumn, providing food for many animals, including deer, rabbits, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, songbirds, skunks and mice.

A small shrub, Maple-leaf Viburnum joins in with great colors in autumn.

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