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.

Tiny White Butterfly In Spring

Male Falcate Orangetip

A tiny white butterfly that flutters low to the ground with quick, erratic movements. Though that orange tip seems it would be obvious, when the butterfly is in flight it can be hard to spot. The Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea) has a wingspan of 1.5 inches.

Female Falcate Orangetip

The male and female butterflies are sexually dimorphic, meaning the male and female have different looks. The male, shown in the first image is the one that gives the species its name, with the orange tip visible in the dorsal view. The female, in the image immediately above, is white and gray.

These butterflies are native to the eastern US and in the eastern portions of Texas and Oklahoma. They’re active early to mid spring.

Notice them now, they’ll be gone before you know it.

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Long Gone

Signs. Old signs. Signs that are about to disappear forever. They intrigue me. This is a pair of such, old signs. Long gone.

They sat, for who knows how long at the intersection of Seminole Trail, Airport Road and Proffit Road in Hollymead/Charlottesville, on the land where Walgreens now sits. Long gone.

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Early Spring

It’s early spring and I’m on my way to yoga as the sun shines through the still black and gray woods of the Blue Ridge Mountain foothills. The grass has greened up just a bit. Most of the trees that I’m seeing are not putting out much energy to create their new leaves yet. Even the Red Maple (Acer rubrum) which are showing up here as shades of red, are just at the very beginning of that adventure. They have bloomed and those blossoms have created samaras which are what shows up in this image. Soon though the green will arrive in crazy abundance.

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A Birthday

Going through my photos this evening, thinking of my Dad on his birthday. He would have been 98. His favorite flower, the sunflower. He grew some pretty spectacular sunflowers. One year he grew one so tall that to get a photograph of the flower and the grower, my Mom got him to climb a ladder so she could get the image. These, were posing for me in Vermont.

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Wild Ginger Is Slowly Emerging

An herbaceous perennial, Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), is slowly emerging from its snug winter slumber. The gardens here at my cabin are at an elevation of 1800 feet. This is where these plants are just peeking up through the soil. I often hike up to elevations of 2600 feet and higher, where, during the summer swaths of Wild Ginger grow too. Right now though, they have not even given a thought of emerging from the soil. It’s too cold up there.

This is what the plants in my gardens will look like in a couple weeks. With a maroon flower that must be hunted for, blooming close to the soil level.

A great native plant to use as a ground cover, but keep in mind that it doesn’t like to be extremely dry.

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Brilliant Yellow

A yellow flower that blooms with such intensity, a shade of yellow that I take pleasure in calling, screaming yellow. A happy color, one that would be my choice if I were to purchase a Corvette Stingray. Not going to happen though. I wouldn’t be able to get it up my mountain road. The Stingray’s ground clearance leaves a lot to be desired.

This is a Wood Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum). Native to eastern North America where there are moist forests, from USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4 to 9.

Wood Poppies bloom from March through June, and beyond that, intermittently, if there is enough moisture. Planted next to Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica), the two plants create a lovely combination.

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Smashing COLOR!

Oh my. Color is SO important to me.

A smashing color combination here! Totally captivating. Crimson bell peppers, emerald green jalapeño peppers complete with seeds, cadmium orange carrot slices, and simply white cauliflower.

Yummy.

Spring Unfolding

Spring is unfolding with blossoms slowly opening, everywhere I look. Seem to be ubiquitous. I hunted today and managed to find Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla).

One seedpod had already developed, with its jolly smile. That smile seems to be on all of the seedpods of Twinleaf, as if each has a cheery attitude.

Twinleaf is an appropriate name. Each single leaf is divided into two lobes, appearing to be two leaves. Native to eastern North America, in moist woods, mostly in limestone soils.

Chipping Sparrow

A little sparrow that I don’t often see. Small and quite tame, I’m pleased when one shows up at my feeders. The Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) is a bird that will come to feeders, or eat scattered seeds on the ground. During the summer though, insects and spiders are a big part of their diet.

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Visitor

There is a visitor at the cabin. Betelgeuse. Named after the red supergiant, second brightest star in the constellation Orion. One of the largest stars one can see without the aid of binoculars or a telescope. And often the tenth-brightest star in the nighttime sky.

Pretty cool, huh? Well she certainly lives up to her reputation. The absolute perfect visitor. Sitting in the bath tub, calling until one turns on the water, so that she can get a drink. Mighty cool!