Author Archives: Brenda Clements Jones

About 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.

A Gorgeous Beetle

Shiny black, like patent leather shoes, with an impressive purple edging. A Ground Beetle with no common name, but a scientific name of Carabus serratus. Ground Beetles are a large family of beetles, Carabidae, with around 2,000 species in North America.

Ground Beetles eat slugs, snails, worms, and insects in all stages of growth. All of these eaten either live or dead.

I’ve encountered a Carabus serratus several times over the years during my hikes up here on my mountain. Each time I’ve been able to return home with more photographs of the black and purple insect.

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Selfheal

Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris). A member of the Mint family (Lamiaceae).

Pollinators such as Bees, small Butterflies and Skippers seek the nectar of Selfheal. And Halictid Bees collect Selfheal’s pollen. In the image above, a Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) is gathering nectar.

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Tall Bellflower

Tall Bellflower (Campanulastrum americanum), in the Bellflower family (Campanulaceae). In bloom right now, in many spots up here in the woods.

The common name of Tall Bellflower is certainly appropriate since these plants grow to be from 2, all the way to 6 feet tall. Usually each plant is a single stem, although on occasion, a side stem may develop from the central stem. The plant has alternate leaves that are a bit rough in texture, slightly hairy at the veins on the underside of the leaf.

Pollinators are Bees, Wasps, Butterflies, Skippers and Hummingbirds, who will collect nectar and sometimes pollen. Here a Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) enjoys the flowers.

Tall Bellflower blooms from June to September. Their fruit is a coppery brown seed capsule. Native to the eastern US and Canada.

A delightful plant to have in the woods that surround my cabin.

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Canada Violet

I’ve recently come upon these beautiful snow white Canada Violet (Viola canadensis) on the trail going up Hightop, and also at the yoga studio where I can often be found. As you see here, they often bloom one at a time. Petals of this species are longer and more narrow than other violets. Each of the flowers is 1/2 to 3/4 inches across, and attracts mostly bees for its pollen and nectar.

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Berry Plume Moth

Quite the surprise to find these moths on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). These are Berry Plume Moths (Geina tenuidactyla), a member of the family Pterophoridae. Moths that look to me as if they are from the Mesozoic Era, and coexisted with dinosaurs. But they’re here today along with Monarchs and Tiger Swallowtails.

Tiny winged creatures. A wingspan of approximately 5/8 inch — tiny. Fun checkered or dotted black and white antennae. Thin, odd shaped, fringed wings held perpendicular to the moth’s abdomen, creating the look of a capital T. Skinny legs with thorn-like spines at sharp angles to those legs.

The caterpillars of these moths feed on blackberry and raspberry bushes, and dogbane. Adults eat pollen and nectar.

So very glad I was able to get photographs of these intriguing creatures!

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Pollinators’ Delight

Heading out to yoga this morning, I had to stop to take some pictures. Pollinators on the Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) having a grand time, were calling to me. In the photo, I captured more than I expected. The Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) was what caught my attention, and there to its right a Bumble Bee (Bombus). The unexpected surprise though, the Plume Moth (Pterophoridae) which is barely visible in the lower left of this image.

Be watching for a post about Plume Moths. Maybe tomorrow? They are fascinating creatures.

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Dancing Garlic

It’s a first for the vegetable garden. Garlic (Allium sativum). Planted several months ago. It’s been a learning experience to see it coming up, green leaves reaching for the sky. And now flower buds atop their stems, bending in unison, Rockettes style. Who would have thought that garlic dances in the garden?!

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Striped Wintergreen

In bloom right now, in my woods. Such a treat to see. Striped Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata). Small, evergreen plants that grow from rhizomes. With the blooms, the Striped Wintergreen is 6 to 10 inches tall. The plant without its flowers is 3 to 5 inches tall.

Those beautiful evergreen leaves are thick, waxy-looking, a blue-green color which becomes darker as the leaves mature. A distinctive central white vein on the larger leaves give the plant a lovely unmistakeable look.

The blooms seem to be looking down, making me think of old fashioned street lamps, lighting the way for all the woodland fairies.

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Yucca Filamentosa

Yucca filamentosa. They’re in bloom right now. Today was mostly a gray day. I wanted to get some photos, so I waited until the sun was out a bit, to add that extra bit of color to the air. My camera and I stepped out when things looked just right.

Having these plants on my back hill makes me think of when I lived in southern New Mexico, where Yuccas are a common sight and something that I loved to see and sketch. Such a different environment from the lush vegetation I was used to here in the East, absolutely breathtaking. Though quite similar to the Yuccas of New Mexico, this particular species is native to the southeastern United States.

Here you can see the filaments that are part of this Yucca species name.

During an ice storm there is magic in those filaments.

An ice storm, an event that is right up there with bloom time, as one of my favorites.

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Cedar Waxwing Courtship

It’s now the mating season of Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum), which is from late spring through late summer. These birds perform a beautiful ritual which has the birds dancing-hopping back and forth, and the male presenting his chosen one with a berry, a bit of fruit, a flower petal or an insect. They will take turns in their hopping dance, passing the gift back and forth. The female will, after several dances indicate her interest by swallowing the gift.

Quite the breathtaking thing to witness. Nature is amazing.

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