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.

Bald Eagle

October 22, 2025

Yesterday was a good day! I was out, heading to the Post Office to pick up the mail after yoga class, when I saw it. A Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) soaring above me and my truck.

The size of a Bald Eagle is quite impressive. The wingspan of the female is between 7.5 and 8 feet. The wingspan of male is between 6.5 and 7.5 feet. The length of the female is 35 to 37 inches. The length of the male is 30 to 31 inches. Bald Eagles tend to have regional variations with ones from higher latitudes tending to be larger.

Aside from the size difference, female and male Bald Eagles are nearly identical in color and feather pattern.

The image above is not the one I saw yesterday, but one I got a picture of some time ago.

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Cushaw Squash

October 21, 2025

A wagonload of Cushaw Squash (Cucurbita argyrosperma), occasionally found at pumpkin patches in this area. Cultivated in the South and Southwestern United States as well as Mexico. It is a winter squash that is commonly found at the same time that pumpkins are abundant. 

Weighing in at 5 to 25 pounds, Cushaw Squash is similar to its relatives, butternut and acorn squash. It has a mild, sweet flavor, and can be used in place of pumpkin, sweet potato, and butternut squash, even in pies.

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Boulder Jack-O-Lantern

October 20, 2025

I had to share this with you, given that it is that time of year. A picture from 2014 of a Jack-O-Lantern that appeared where a huge boulder had been, near the front entrance to William Monroe High School in Stanardsville, Virginia.

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Frost Aster And Butterflies

Octber 19, 2025

Approaching late October and the butterflies are busy at the flowers that are still blooming. Here an Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), top, and a Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), bottom, are sipping the nectar of Frost Aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum).

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Red Maple

October 18, 2025

Dressing up for the season with butter yellow leaves accented with brilliant crimson, Red Maple (Acer rubrum).

In eastern North America, Red Maple is known as one of the most common trees. Easily found from southern Canada clear down to Florida and west to eastern Texas where they can grow in a wide variety of soil types. And they are not particular about elevation, growing from sea level to 3,000 feet.

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Peely Bark

October 17, 2025

As trees grow in girth, somehow their bark must accommodate that growth. In the case of American Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) as the trunk expands, the surface of its deep red-brown bark breaks into plate-like scales. These separate into thin but good sized plates which peel off.

This leaves the upper reaches of the tree a much lighter color. Creating tall, marble trees, in my mind anyway. They’re often seen growing along streams. Outlining those streams with stately markers.

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Autumn Pawpaw Colors

October 16, 2025

In the grand scheme of things, Pawpaw (Asimina triloba), offers little in the way of brilliant autumn color. Providing shades of soft yellow to tan coloring to the surrounding show of many hues.

Growing in the shade of the woods up here, the small trees grow to 15 or 20 feet in height. They send out root suckers which will create many genetically identical trees, a Pawpaw patch or a colony of clones of the parent tree. In order to produce fruit there need to be two genetically different trees for pollination. Which explains why I see many Pawpaw trees together in a patch but no fruit.

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Unkempt Gardens

October 15, 2025

Look very carefully at the top of the head of this Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula). You’ll see a red spot, which is how they get part of their common name, “ruby-crowned”. Only the male has this crown. Sometimes it is quite obvious, such as when the male is singing, interacting with another bird, agitated, excited, or performing a mating display. Other times it is not visible at all.

The major portion of their diet consists of insects and spiders. An autumn and winter resident here, they thoroughly enjoy my unkempt gardens that are filled with many spent flowers, which become seedheads, such as these Tall Goldenrods (Solidago gigantea). They use those seeds to supplement their diet during the cold of winter.

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A Tufted Titmouse And A Sunflower

October 14, 2025

Autumn, and the end of the Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) season. A Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) is picking out the last of the seeds for an afternoon snack.

The Titmouse comes to the seedhead, gets one seed, and takes it to a sturdy branch to perch. It holds the seed with its feet and pounds it open with its beak. Then either hides it away for later, or eats it on the spot, and comes back for more.

Tufted Titmice are permanent residents with no migrating. Staying for all seasons in eastern North America, as far west as eastern Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska; and a bit north into southern Canada.

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American Crow

October 13, 2025

American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

A large passerine (a large order of birds distinguished by feet that are adapted for perching, including all songbirds), with a length from beak to tail of 16 to 20 inches, with nearly half being its tail. Its wingspan is 33 to 39 inches.

These Crows are found over much of North America. They along with closely related Fish Crows (Corvus ossifragus), and Ravens (Corvus corax) are seen (and heard) around here. I enjoy chatting with them. I will call out and they gather round and respond to what I say. I don’t really know their language but I assume I am not insulting them since I’ve read that they will hold a grudge. No sign of that!

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