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.

Busy Day at the Edge of the Woods

Here in the woods I’ve still got patches of snow from last week, and today’s temperatures were mighty cold. Birds gathered ’round the feeders, the birdbath, and the bushes that still have countless berries on them. Consuming calories which will go a long way toward keeping them warm. Keeping warm, something they’re constantly working on during the winter. The body temperatures of birds range from 100°F to 110°F and are generally about 104°F. Like a human putting on a warm coat during the winter, birds have 35 to 70% more feathers than during the summer. An increase in outer contour feathers as well as down feathers.

Yes, a busy place today. With Song Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, Cardinals, Juncos, White-breasted Nuthatches, Robins, Robins, Robins, Cedar Waxwings, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Tufted Titmice, Downy Woodpeckers, the ever-present Chickadees. And a few Hermit Thrushes (Catharus guttatus), including one that was kind enough to pose for me for the photo above.

Patiently Waiting for the Snow

Trying to remain calm. I’ve flushed my ice cubes as is my tradition. Wonder if little granddaughter has done the same. Quite likely, we often think alike. Now to distract myself. Focus on months from now when snow is certainly not to be expected. Late April when Red Maple (Acer rubrum) trees are leafing out. Flowers are gone, turned to samaras. Winged seeds getting ready to delight children and playful adults who know to look for such diversion. Can’t get the images out of my imagination though. Just a couple days away. Sunday afternoon. SNOW!

Crimson in a Black and White Landscape

Late May into June they go from tiny bud to minuscule flower.

A flower and lots of buds of Winterberry (Ilex verticillata). A deciduous species of Holly native to eastern North America in the United States and southeastern Canada.

And now in WINTER a big splash of color. Crimson berries that attract oodles of birds like Bluebirds, Hermit Thrushes, Robins, Catbirds, and Cedar Waxwings. Brilliant color in a black and white, pen and ink landscape.

Magic in the COLD

What might look like the edge of a ringed planet in deep space is actually ice in a vernal pool.

A White Oak (Quercus alba) leaf frozen in ice.

Another White Oak leaf on the surface of the ice. Or are those ripples of that same deep space?

And here, a forest of minuscule trees with limbs of frost. Or grass blades decorated with ice.

Vernal pools aren’t there all the time. They’re small, shallow, ephemeral bodies of water. A depression that is filled occasionally with rain and snow melt then dries up again. This particular one had been there dependably for what seemed like years until this past summer. Then, POOF! It was gone. Its ephemeral aspect took over. But, much to my delight it is back, providing my imagination a place to play. My camera a source of photographs.

A Winter Essential

It’s wonderful to feed the birds. They become friends, these little feathered visitors. But there’s something more they need – water, not frozen water, but water in liquid form. So many birds gather ’round my birdbath. I know they appreciate it.

I’ve recently had questions about what water warmer I use. I wouldn’t recommend one unless I had total faith in it and that certainly is the case with the one I use. I can’t tell you when I bought it. It was that long ago. And I’ve only had this one all these years. So, yes, I’d recommend this one. In case you can’t quite see the labeling, it says, FARM INNOVATORS, INC DE-ICER 50 WATTS 120VAC. I’ve checked on the Internet and I see that they’re still available at a variety of prices. Hoping you have a water warmer already, or can find one for your bird friends.

Seldom Seen Sparrow

A large sparrow. Its size is apparent when you see one or two hanging out with smaller White-throated Sparrows or Song Sparrows.

It will shuffle through leaf litter in a way that resembles an Eastern Towhee. Toes grabbing leaves and sending them behind, leaving bare ground and maybe something to eat.

It’s a rare treat when a Fox Sparrow or two will spend some of their winter time in my woods. And a pure delight.

Feeding the Birds

Say, “Feeding the birds” and one thinks immediately of going to the store to get shelled peanuts, hulled sunflower seeds, mixing up a batch of suet, and then getting all the required feeders.

But the Goldfinches (Spinus tristis) that are coming to my yard right now are seldom visiting the feeders.

Instead they’re enjoying seedheads, part of the past history of my gardens.

So simple. Just don’t cut back the flowers at the end of the season. They provide food for the birds. This will create the perfect garden look. The perfect look to attract birds.

Leaving the flowers to become seeds to please the birds requires no effort at all. But this last indulgence does take a bit of energy. They need water too, with a water warmer. Now, color these birds HAPPY.

Splish Splash

Splish splash, I was taking a bath
Long about a Saturday night

Mid-afternoon, today. A Robin (Turdus migratorius), looking much like it is seriously hesitating. Should it get into the water? After all the temperature is a very cold 27°. Despite very cold weather birds will still bathe.

Somehow birds know that they’ve got to keep their feathers clean and in good condition no matter what the season. Getting their feathers moist makes dirt easier to remove and the feathers easier to preen too. If water isn’t around but there is snow, a bird will bathe using that snow for cleaning its feathers.

After bathing the bird will preen, which involves adjusting its feathers just so, and spreading oil from the preen gland to waterproof those feathers. All that, yes, but the best thing is that splishing and splashing.

Orange Tip of the Tail

Imagine an introduced plant species changing the color of a beloved songbird native to North and Central America. This does happen. In the image above, you see two Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) sharing a birdbath with a Robin. Those Cedar Waxwings are sporting bright yellow tail tips. That’s what I expect to see.

But if a Cedar Waxwing consumes enough red berries of the introduced Morrow’s Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) during the time of feather development, the tail feathers, rather than being bright yellow, will be bright orange. This change in color was first noticed in the 1960s in northeastern US and southeastern Canada. Who would have thought?

More Snow!

This is the Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) between my studio and the wood shop, with 9 inches of snow dumped on it. Lovely isn’t it?! It’s a COLOR photo BTW, and this is what I refer to often — the black and white landscape of winter. I love it! This image was taken on Monday. And now, Thursday night, it is beginning to snow again. I’m ecstatic to say the least.