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.

Hide And Seek

It was a game of hide and seek. The female Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) and I. The game ended in a draw. Though I was able to get photographs, they left me still wanting more and better images. And she seemed to leave with a very quiet chuckle.

I seldom see Hooded Warblers. They eat insects, spiders and other arthropods, so they don’t come my the feeders.

Hooded Warblers come here during the breeding season. It’s wonderful to have them for the summer, stopping by on rare occasions to get a drink at the birdbaths.

This encounter leaves me with hopes that a male Hooded Warbler will show up one of these days soon. As is normally the case, the male has a much more distinctive appearance, bright yellow with a striking black cap that seems to have ear flaps all attached to his head with a chin strap. Hoping I’ll capture him in pixels so that I can share him with you.

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Rattlesnake Weed

Rattlesnake Weed (Hieracium venosum). Native to south-central Canada, through the eastern United States. It has the common name of Rattlesnake Weed, since it is thought to be found in areas where rattlesnakes frequent. That common name too, is an excellent example why one should depend on the scientific name rather than the common name. There is another plant, native to the southwestern portion of North America with the very same common name of Rattlesnake Weed. But each and every plant has its very own unique scientific name. This other plant has its own scientific name of Euphorbia albomarginata. If only they had easy to remember scientific names.

But back to the Rattlesnake Weed of my woods. Its basal leaves, which are normally its only leaves, are unusual. Bluish-green with deep red veins, and hairy at the edges.

The flowers, bright yellow, look a little bit like Dandelions on wiry stems, growing one to two feet tall.

Ah nature! So many amazing things to discover. So many things to learn about.

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Punctuation In The Natural World

An Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma). One of the species of butterfly that overwinters as an adult. Imagine a warm winter day, you’re hiking along a mountain trail and there in front of you is an orange butterfly. This might be what you are seeing. This one has seen many miles.

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Just A Number

Overnight, one of the digits that represent my age changed. Funny how that happens. Here I am, celebrating with a bow in my hair, on the left (my right).

Today, being a special day, I was on alert for something unusual to show up in the world of nature. That seems to happen on holidays, birthdays and other red letter days.

While outside this afternoon, I was paying attention to the songs of the birds in the woods. Two relatively new to me, at least for this season, stood out. The first that I heard, a Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla). This image is the Redstart I was pleased to see and photograph just a few days ago.

The second song was of a Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus). I haven’t seen any yet this season. This picture is from April of 2020.

Both these birds eat mostly insects and other arthropods during the summer. Since they don’t come to my feeders, I’m able to entice them into view by keeping my three birdbaths filled with fresh water.

Looking forward to seeing more birds here for the breeding season as spring turns to summer.

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Spring Yucca Blooms

I went out on the back hillside this afternoon to get photographs of the Yucca filamentosa with its spears emerging, soon to be blossoms. Those spears resemble the asparagus that is growing in the vegetable garden, several feet away. Much to my surprise, as I was searching the Internet for information on Yuccas, I discovered that they’re in the asparagus family, Asparagaceae.

Why is this species of Yucca called filamentosa? You can see why, in this second image from this afternoon. Oodles of threadlike filaments curling from the leaves.

A month from now there will be gorgeous Yucca blooms. Bringing me pure pleasure.

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Tawny Emperor

A Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton), one of my hiking buddies that keeps me company as I trek up the mountain. Native to the eastern half of North America from Canada to northern Mexico. Their sole host plant is the Hackberry tree (Celtis occidentalis). Plenty of those trees around here. As adults, these butterflies don’t go to flowers for their meals – what we would expect – but for food they go for carrion, sap and dung. Oh my.

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Red Columbine

Hike with no expectations. No timeline. Just go. Let nature surprise you. There is so much out there. Take it all in.

Up the mountain, in a spot with perfect conditions, a rocky slope. Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis). Native to eastern North America. A favorite of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, but of course.

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A Summer Resident Has Returned

Yesterday afternoon, a look out at one of the birdbaths revealed a delightful surprise, a Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla). A summer resident getting settled in. This, a photo from that sighting, is a male with his beautiful black and orange feathers.

This, a female Redstart. Subtle colors, a medium gray and, soft yellow.

The Redstarts come to the birdbaths. I rarely see them otherwise, since they don’t come to the feeders. They are insect and spider eaters, though in late summer into autumn, they will also eat some small berries and fruits.

I love to see the change of the bird population as the seasons change. Each season is my favorite.

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Finally A Bear Has Returned

Until early this morning, or late last night there hadn’t been a Black Bear (Ursus americanus) in my yard for 3 years. I wasn’t sure what had actually happened. Bird feeders scattered. The pole where several of them had been hanging was bent to nearly flat on the ground. A feeder which had been hanging in a tree, now down on the ground.

But the Bear left muddy paw prints on a squirrel baffle and a suet feeder, making it definite, a Bear was the culprit.

I had mixed feelings during the time there were no Bears. I was concerned for them. Their absence was caused by an outbreak of Sarcoptes scabiei, a type of mange, that had wiped out the Bear population in this area. During their absence the number of White-tailed Deer increased. More and more plants were being chomped as the Deer passed through my yard.

But it has been absolutely delightful to be able to feed the birds with no concern for what now, has happened overnight. Mixed feelings, indeed.

I don’t actually know that the Bear that came through is truly healthy. Whether this will be the beginning of things returning to normal.

If this IS the beginning of things returning to normal, I’m very pleased, because they are so darned CUTE!

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Mom And The Tulip Poplar

This is my Mom, many years ago when we lived in Cheverly, Maryland. Mom created a great love of nature in my heart. A love that will always be with me. I was introduced to many trees in that yard, including the young Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) that is behind her right shoulder (on the left as you look at her). A tree that must have sprouted up about the same year that Mom and Dad, and I, as a little baby, moved into that house. As the years went by I played out there, outside the kitchen, as the tree became part of my environment and my imagination.

Now I live in the woods, with oodles of trees around me. Some are Tulip Poplars that are in bloom right now. The color of the flowers, a soft yellow-green with a slight band of orange, is not at all noticeable on the towering trees, except to pollinators such as Hummingbirds, Bees, and Butterflies.

But those blossoms fall to the ground and then they get noticed by us folks down at ground level.

Too bad the blooms are not more visible to us. They’re quite beautiful.

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