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.

An Early Lily

I knew they’d be coming up very soon, so I went out there searching. Success! Found some coming up just a few days ago. A mighty early Lily. A mighty small Lily too. Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum). Native to eastern North America. Grows to a height of 6 to 8 inches tall.

My first Trout Lily experience was on a hike in 2010, with a PVCC class, Natural History of Virginia. It really surprised me how small the plant was. But oh so special, tucked away in the woods, just waiting to be discovered. Every year now I look forward to finding some of those mottled leaves emerging from the soil, soon to become beautiful yellow blooms.

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The Pink Of Spring

The pink of spring has arrived. The Redbuds (Cercis canadensis) here at my cabin are totally in bloom. If ever there were a time that the word ubiquitous would be appropriate, this would be it. Pink is everywhere.

And with just a blink of the eye, or two, the pink blooms will fade making way for green, green, green.

But for now, all the woods are strawberry ice cream pink. Pure delight.

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GrandKitty Camp

We’re all having a grand time at GrandKitty Camp. Betelgeuse is being the perfect guest, politely asking for shower water, or bathroom water. That bowl of water next to her food just isn’t nearly as good as those two other choices. And she is ever so polite to ask for more food.

Though I don’t understand her language, she and I have great conversations. She certainly seems to know exactly what I’m saying as I imitate her, “Meow!”

Definitely not a lap sitter, but I managed to capture this moment, as she sat on a lap for perhaps five minutes before she jumped down, saying, “Enough!” in her kitty way.

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Spring Molt

Like many small songbirds, the Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) goes through two molts per year. One in the autumn, a complete molt. A total replacement of all their feathers, body feathers as well as wing and tail feathers. Male and female, they go from yellow to a dull gray with just the slightest suggestion of yellow. In the autumn molt the male loses his distinctive black forehead.

In the spring, right about now, the spring molt is taking place. Leaving behind the dull color and taking on a yellow. In the case of the male the yellow is the brilliant yellow that we think of with Goldfinches. The female is a softer yellow and those females don’t have the black forehead which is a distinctive characteristic of the male. This spring molt is partial. The wing and tail feathers which came in, new, in the autumn molt are not replaced.

These photographs were taken yesterday, April 3rd. This male Goldfinch is looking a bit disheveled because of the spring molt, but given just a bit of time he will be looking quite handsome.

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Surprise Photo Op

Yesterday I was pleased when I got photos of a Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) at one of the feeders, as it was passing through on the way to its summer breeding grounds. I figured as the day ended I wouldn’t see any more of these Finches. But I was wrong. I don’t know if this is one from yesterday’s encounter, or a different one coming through. The breeding season for the Purple Finch is spent in southern Canada, New England and the Pacific Coast.

This fellow is in an apple tree that will be in bloom in just a few days. The perfect setting for a photograph.

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Heading North

Today’s treat was to see two Purple Finches (Haemorhous purpureus), as they stopped at one of the feeders. A very brief stop for refreshment, on their journey north, to their summer breeding grounds. I was pleased I was able to capture one of them in pixels.

Purple Finches look very much like House Finches (Haemorhous purpureus). I’ve really studied this photo, along with all the other images of this fellow today. And over the years I’ve gotten images of other Purple Finches. Seems that I have never seen a House Finch. Surprising since Audobon.org tells me, “House Finches are currently among the most widespread and common birds across the United States.” Oh well.

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Tiny White Butterfly In Spring

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.

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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