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.

Always — New Things!

Clasping Aster, Symphyotrichum patens — Clasping Aster, *Symphyotrichum patens*

The Joy Of Discovery

Each day as I start out on my hike there is anticipation. What new things will I find? Summer is drawing to a close and with it, the days, which earlier this season had been extremely wet, are now quite dry. The waterfall which I pass along the way is a mere trickle compared to the rushing torrent it had once been. But still there is that anticipation. What new insect will surprise me. What new flower will startle me with its sparkle of color?

Yesterday’s New Thrills

As my hike was nearing an end yesterday, as I approached my last mile, I was thinking that perhaps there would be few new “discoveries” for this season. After all how many new flowers can come about, this late in the growing season? Silly me! No sooner had those thoughts crossed my mind, when I spied an unusual color up on the side of the road, at the top of a cut that VDOT had made for water runoff. A lovely soft, grape color. What I found was a new plant! A Clasping Aster that gets its name from the fashion in which the rough textured leaves surround the stems. If you look closely at the photo above, I think you’ll be able to see what I’m talking about.

Sunshine Yellow Centers

Had I captured these photos when the flowers were just a bit earlier in their development their centers would have been a bright yellow, much like a daisy with purple petals. Along with the grape-purple petals, these blooms differ from the other asters that are so plentiful up here, in that they are a good bit larger. These blooms are about 1.25 inches across.

Gemmed Satyr, Cyllopsis gemma — Gemmed Satyr, *Cyllopsis gemma*

But Wait, There’s More!

This was yesterday, when I was thinking there would be no more surprises, right? Well, just a little bit further down the road there was a butterfly skittering around trying his best to get my attention. He was trying with all his might to get my attention but he wasn’t all that cooperative as a model. Despite that, I managed to capture him in pixels and I didn’t realize what I had captured until I got back to my studio.

New Butterfly

This fellow is a Gemmed Satyr, who gets his name because of the sparkly eye-spots on his hindwings which look like gems stones. The book that I found this fellow in, Butterflies Through Binoculars, says that this butterfly is, “small and inconspicuous.” How very true until you take a photograph of him and look carefully at the picture! New to me, and mighty cool!

Ferns, Wonderful Ferns!

Hay-scented Fern, *Dennstaedtia punctilobula*

New Things

As I hike each day, there are so many things that are new to me. So many animals, so many insects and spiders and the plants! So many new plants! I can hardly keep up. What with taking the photographs, bringing them home and identifying what in the world I have captured in pixels.

The Ferns

One type of plant that has always fascinated me is the fern, so it’s nice that they are pretty common up here where I hike every day. They are different than other plants in many ways and as I learn about them, I’ll fill you in! One place that I will be checking is Ellen Honeycutt’s post on ferns which has a wealth of information in it.

My First Formal Introduction

I was first introduced to the science side of ferns while taking a class through Piedmont Virginia Community College, Natural History of Virginia. Oh my! I was just in heaven in that class! My brain got filled to overflowing with knowledge during those several months!

Walking Fern

During one of our field trips, I got my first sight of Walking Fern, Asplenium rhizophyllum, a fern that to my eye, does not look like a fern, since the blade, or leaf, does not have a cut-up/frilly/lacy look to it. This is a fern that when one of its long, narrow leaves arches and touches the ground, it can sprout new plants. These leaves can be 1 to 15 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide. Sometimes you can find an old plant surrounded by many new, little plants. This fern is an evergreen plant, with leathery leaves.

Hay-scented Fern

A fern that I had heard about but never seen, was Hay-scented Fern, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, which I stumbled upon about mid-summer of this year. I spied it close to the edge of the dirt road that I always traverse and it seemed to be calling to me. Walking over to it, a little voice in my head told me to rub the fronds and see what it smelled like. Deep in the folds of my brain I knew it was Hay-scented Fern, although I had never seen this type of fern before. Sure enough, it had a beautiful fragrance. The name hay-scented left me wanting a better descriptor for this fern which is both lovely in form and aroma!

Large Patches?

Although, I see in my Peterson Field Guide, Ferns of Northeastern and Central North America, that Hay-scented ferns usually occur in large patches; whole fields or forest gaps filled with feathery fronds, I feel very fortunate just to have found my little patch here on my daily hikes up the mountain. There are many more ferns that I see on a daily basis and I will fill you in on some of them next time I post here!

A Question Mark In The Sun

Question Mark, Polygonia interrogationis — Question Mark, *Polygonia interrogationis*

Up And Out Before The Butterflies!

This morning I was up and out before the butterflies had started on their rounds of checking this flower and that. I was also working against a deadline, so my hike was, still the same route, but was completed in record time. Five miles in two hours. Okay, I won’t win any races, but I still took pictures along the way. I think I did pretty well getting back to the cabin so “quickly!”

A Picture From Two Days Ago

I went through my files to find a butterfly to post. I just felt today, though I didn’t see many, was a butterfly sort of day. I found this Question Mark, Polygonia interrogantionis, among many butterflies that I walked with two days ago. He was particularly patient with me and my camera, so I thought I’d share him with you.

Why The Name “Question Mark?”

In this second photograph, you’ll see a Question Mark at one of his favorite foods, rotting fruits and vegetables. This view, with his wings folded up, allows you to see why he is called “Question Mark” and an easy way to tell him from a similar butterfly — a Comma! See the small bright white question mark there? Okay, use your imagination! It’s there! I bet you know what that Comma has on his wings!

Don’t Blame The Goldenrod!

Such A Cheer!

The brilliant yellow of Goldenrod is such a cheer for any day in late summer. There are more that 50 species of Goldenrod in North America. That’s a daunting number for someone who is a compulsive classifier. One of these days I will tackle, figuring out which of the 50 species I have here on my mountain!

Common Ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia — Common Ragweed, *Ambrosia artemisiifolia*

Hayfever’s Cause

Though many people think that Goldenrod is responsible for their sneezing, and worse, during the hayfever season, it is Ragweed’s pollen that is the nasty culprit. Perhaps it is understandable. Ragweed takes a backseat when it comes to being noticed. There it sits along all those roadsides, being totally inconspicuous, in green flower — blending in with all the other greens, while the more beautiful Goldenrod stands out with it’s shimmering yellow.

Pollinators

There are definitely benefits to having Ragweed around. I see many pollinators enjoying the benefits of having it on the mountain as I hike. The flower of the Ragweed is so minuscule that one would have to use a hand lens to enjoy its structure and beauty but it is there for the insects of the world to enjoy. Meanwhile I will enjoy the striking yellow of the Goldenrod, one of the natives that I have in my garden, thanks to Mother Nature’s distribution system, also known as volunteering!

Great Ragweed, Ambrosia trifida — Great Ragweed, *Ambrosia trifida*

Brilliant Yellow Wingstem

My First Up Close Look

I got my first up close look at this brilliant yellow Wingstem while checking out a wonderful field of Sunflowers that my yoga teacher had planted at her studio. There were so many Sunflower “faces” looking toward the sun, but the Wingstem caught my eye, in a wild patch of various plants, calling out for my attention. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but took lots of photographs.

The “Wings”

The flowers of the Wingstem originate where the leaves meet the stem and flow into the “wings” on the stem.

The Leaves

The leaves of the Wingstem are rough in texture, and pointed at both ends.

What Butterflies Will Seek The Wingstem?

I’m seeing most of these flowers in the lower elevations, but being the seed gatherer that I am, I have one plant blooming in my front yard! I’m hoping I’ll get more, for the Silvery Checkerspot butterflies that use the Wingstem as a host plant and for nectaring.

Chicory Or Blue Lettuce?

Blue Lettuce, Lactuca floridana var. villos — Blue Lettuce, *Lactuca floridana*

Such A Tall Blue Flower!

Several days ago I came upon a very tall flowering plant that took me by surprise. It made me think of a plant that I often see with yellow flowers that is quite common in power line rights of way. This one, though, was definitely periwinkle blue! What in the world was this plant. As is my usual course of action, I took lots of photographs. This plant, the only one like it in the area, was very tall, well over 6 feet tall, and I had to bend it over to get a good look at the flowers. I was quite struck by the flower. It was so very similar to the flower of the Chicory plant.

A New Flower – To Me

This new flower, which I had never seen before was Blue Lettuce, Lactuca floridana. Since that first sighting I’ve seen it a few times at higher elevations, on plants that are more easily photographed, not nearly as tall.

Chicory, Chicorium intybus — Chicory, *Chicorium intybus*

Compare The Two

I’ve photographed the two flowers, so that you can use my hands as a means of measuring. The Chicory flower is nearly 1.5 inches. The Blue Lettuce flower is a good bit less than 1 inch. The Chicory flowers grow in groups of 1 to 3, while the Blue Lettuce flowers grow in clusters of 15 to 34. The Chicory plant grows from 1 to 4 feet tall. The Blue Lettuce plant will grow to be from 2 to 7 feet tall.

The Leaves Are Different Too

The leaves of the Chicory plant are narrow and can be dandelion like, while the leaves of the Blue Lettuce plant are wider and 3 to 12 inches long.

Another Periwinkle Blue!

So now I’ve added another periwinkle blue flower to my inventory of flowers here on the mountain. I’m always glad to find new and beautiful things!

Glowing Land Snail

**A Land Snail Glowing On a Lime Green Leaf**

Lot Of Snails

There have been many, many snails this summer. I suppose their number is not unusual. I not only see occupied shells with their slow moving residents, but also abandoned shells bleached white, standing out against the dark soil looking like a mushroom, or a piece of quartz waiting to be found. I have a collection of those bleached shells sitting under my computer monitor reminding me of the natural world that is just outside my door. All sizes, ranging from 1.125 to a tiny .5 inch. Sixteen of them, looking up at me in their swirled arrangement.

Tiny Teeth

These snails eat all sorts of things — fruit, leaves, bark, algae, limestone. Wow! Imagine that, they eat limestone! They manage to eat these things with their “radula”, which is a rasplike structure with tiny teeth that is used for scraping food particles off a surface. In West Virginia Wildlife Magazine it says, “If you place a land snail gently on your hand it may “taste” your skin, a harmless sensation that feels like a cat’s licking.” I don’t think I’ll try that! I’ll just watch, and take photographs!

**A Land Snail Creeping Across The Forest Floor**

A Snake Worth Noting!

Copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix — Copperhead, *Agkistrodon contortrix*

Surprise In The Crawlspace

A couple weeks ago, as my husband, Bill, and a friend were working in our crawlspace, in an area where one can’t even crawl, they came upon a copperhead. Having snakes in the crawlspace is not unusual and to some degree welcome, since they eat mice that invite themselves in, despite all our attempts to discourage them. But to find a copperhead is, to say the least, a bit unsettling! We no longer have a copperhead in the crawlspace.

The Question About Hiking

Since I’m out hiking every day that weather allows, I’m frequently asked if I see any snakes. The answer, easily and quickly is NO. Since starting my daily hiking at the beginning of April, I have perhaps seen 6 snakes — all of them run-over, flattened, and all of them little ring-necked (diadophis punctatus) snakes. No wait, there was another snake I saw, a small garter (Thamnophis sirtalis) snake, but he too was flattened by car/truck tires. Given the number of run-over snakes, you’d think that we have loads of traffic on our isolated road, but that is definitely not the case. I’ve been told by at least one person that if he sees a snake while he is driving, he aims for it. Poor things.

Today – A Snake Worth Noting!

About 1/4 way through my hike today, on a hillside where I usually notice beautiful southern hare-bells, and yummy looking cinnabar chanterelles, I finally saw a snake worth mentioning! It was a copperhead. I recognized him right away. I occasionally see them around our yard, and in that case, I just turn around and go the other way. This fellow was slithering up the hillside, minding his own business. When he realized that I was there, looking at him, he raised his head and stayed in his zig-zag position, perfectly motionless, letting me take lots of photographs. Such a cooperative model!

Parting Words

After taking enough pictures that I was fairly confident that I had gotten at least one decent pict, I continued on my way, but only after telling him to spread the word that he and his family are not welcome in our crawlspace!

Turquoise Mushrooms!

Blue-green Wood Stain Mushrooms, Chlorociboria aeruginascens — Blue-green Wood Stain Mushrooms, *Chlorociboria aeruginascens*

The Last Day Of August

I was out extra early this morning for my hike. That’s a mighty good idea during the summer, since there are rain showers or thunderstorms so often in the afternoons. This summer that has certainly been the case. It has been much more rainy than a normal summer, and I’ve gotten good and drenched a couple times!

So Many Mushrooms!

I can’t say what a normal summer of mushrooms is, since this is only the first summer I’ve been keeping an eye on Mother Nature up here, but it really seems like we’ve got quite a plethora of these amazing things. I’ve been amazed at the variation of color in the mushrooms. Seems like every color of the rainbow is represented.

A Few Days Ago A New Color

A few days ago, I came upon a new color, one that I had never seen in a mushroom before — turquoise! I took photos and came home to find that I had not gotten the focus just right. Another trip up the mountain brought the same results. These mushrooms are very tiny – about 1/4 inch across and focusing is a challenge but today, success! Yay!

Blue-Green Wood Stain

As you can see in the photo captions, these mushrooms are Blue-green Wood Stain Mushrooms, Chlorociboria aeruginascens. The book I often use for mushroom identification, Mushrooms of West Virginia and the Central Appalachians, by William C. Roody, says that actually finding the fruiting body (or what we call the mushroom) is a bit unusual. What is normally seen is just the stained wood, as in the picture above. Interesting! And another beautiful mushroom color!

Bright Yellow

Oleander Aphids, Aphis nerii — Oleander Aphids, *Aphis nerii*

But They Are Beautiful!

Okay, I must admit, my number one priority in taking photographs is the visual impact. It can be the creepiest critter around, but if it is gorgeous to look at — with no thought of what it is, it will become a pict for me! I suppose that in this case, many of you will mumble under your breath, “There goes Brenda again. Another really creepy bug!” But look at that wonderful brilliant screaming yellow! The color of the Corvette Stingray that is my dream car!

Screaming Yellow At 2000 Feet

I’m always on the lookout for the unusual, or the usual that everyone else overlooks. I think this might fill the bill. Way up the mountain – adjacent to one of my favorite little slopes, where I found multitudes of Wild Columbine early this summer, where I am finding Cinnabar Chanterelles, where there are Woodland Sunflowers growing in profusion; this is where I found this impressive streak of yellow.

Milkweed And Oleander Lookout!

These tiny things are Oleander Aphids, Aphis nerii. They also attack Milkweed. This is what they are on, so far up the mountain. Wouldn’t you know, they are not native. Apparently they arrived on this continent, along with their namesake, Oleander. Both the Oleander and the Oleander Aphid are from the Mediterranean region. I hope there is something up there that is hungry for Aphids!