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.

Another Hummingbird Clearwing

July 12, 2026

Not a baby Hummingbird, but a moth with the name of Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe), enjoying the nectar of many blooms of Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), keeping itself (and me and my camera) busy, going from one flower to another, and back again.

Caterpillars of this moth look similar to the nasty Tomato Hornworm caterpillar (Manduca quinquemaculata). In order tell the difference, pay attention to what plants the caterpillar is on. The Tomato Hornworms will be on their host plants of, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, potatoes, jimsonweed, horsenettle, and various wild nightshades. They are bright green caterpillars with eight V-shaped white stripes on their sides. Their tail has a unique dark blue or black horn.

The caterpillars of the Hummingbird Clearwing will be found on their host plants of honeysuckle, snowberry, cherry, plum, and hawthorn. Their coloring is yellowish-green with dark or black spots and usually don’t have the white stripes that the Tomato Hornworm has. Their tail normally is green with a black or orange tip. 

In both these species, variations will occur as the caterpillars mature.

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Silvery Checkerspot on Black-eyed Susan

July 11, 2026

A Silvery Checkerspot (Chlorine nycteisI) is a medium-small brush-footed butterfly with a wingspan of 1 3/8 to 2 inches. This one is sitting atop a Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida) which is really flourishing right now, much to the delight of these little butterflies.

Host plants of these Silvery Checkerspots are sunflowers, coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, and Ragweeds. As adults they live for 10 to 14 days, with some lucky ones surviving for up to 3 weeks. During that time they will eat flower nectar, and visit damp soil and mud puddles to sip the water, which provides them with essential minerals. This is known as puddling, a behavior that many butterflies take part in.

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White Vervain

July 10, 2026

White Vervain (Verbena urticifolia), is native to eastern North America, excluding Mexico.

This herbaceous plant has extremely small white flowers on spikes that resemble fireworks. The flowers’ white color is unusual for members of the Verbena genus, which are most often bluish or purplish in color.

The tiny white flowers are a nectar source for bees, wasps, butterflies, and flies. The fruit, a dark capsule, contains many thin brown seeds which are eaten by songbirds.

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Whether At The Feeder Or At The Seed Head

July 9, 2026

To many birds, Sunflower seeds (Helianthus), whether at the bird feeder or directly from the seed head of the flower, are the best.

This a Goldfinch (Spinus tristis), enjoying Sunflower seeds directly from the seed head. How more fresh can you get?

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Waiting For The Fledglings

July 8, 2026

A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird fanning out her tail.

I’m looking forward to the end of July, when a vast majority of the nestling Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) have fledged and are coming to the many flowers here on the mountain, and particularly to my feeders.

The population of these hummingbirds seems down a bit from past years, but who knows. I don’t keep serious records. I’m counting on an obvious population boom with the fledglings arriving from their nests. That normally happens by the end of July, when there will be many of the clowns of summer to entertain me, and keep me busy, making hummingbird syrup every day to keep them happy.

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Purple Coneflowers And Black-eyed Susans

July 7, 2026

Purple Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) pairing up with Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida) surrounded by many other flowers blooming on the back hill.

But I’m patiently waiting for the highlight of the summer, the Maryland state flower, Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). Looking quite a bit like the Black-eyed Susans in this image but I know the difference.

And because it is the Maryland state flower, it is important to me. I’m being patient. I can tell the difference, as the stems and leaves emerge. They’re on their way. They just take a bit longer to bloom..

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Oh The Pollinators! This One, A Skipper

July 6, 2026

Just out my backdoor there is a hillside covered in many native plants in bloom, and the pollinators are having a ball! This is one of them, a Silver Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus).

A skipper is a type of butterfly. It belongs to the family, Hesperiidae, within the butterfly superfamily, Papilionoidea. So, it is a type of butterfly, a skipper.

Skippers have that name because they often have quick, darting actions. They seem, a bit of a combination of a butterfly and a moth. They’re active during the day and most often hold their wings up and together when at rest, like many true butterflies. But like moths they have a stout, fuzzy body, and are of duller colors.

So many pollinators out there.

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Gems Of July

July 5, 2026

Indeed gems of the July woods up here. Wineberries (Rubus phoenicolasius). But, these berries are native to Japan, Korea, and China, and were brought to the United States in the 1890s for raspberry breeding. They’re now highly invasive in most of the eastern United States and the Mid-Atlantic region.

My family and I are doing what we can to diminish the amount of seeds that spread the plants, by gathering the delicious berries while they are ripe. They’re great on cereal, or on ice cream, but our favorite way to use them is to make them into Wineberry ice cream.

Pure yumminess.

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The Tiger Bee Fly

July 4, 2026

With the look of something that you might think is not a good insect to have nearby, this is the Tiger Bee Fly (Xenox tigrinus). But it is a highly beneficial insect to have around.

Its size can be intimidating at .43 to 1.75 inches in length and a wingspan that sometimes reaches 2 inches across, but it does not bite or sting. As an adult it only consumes nectar and pollen of mid-to-late summer flowers, which include among others, elderberry, coneflowers and asters.

But the thing that stands out for me, living in a cedar-sided cabin, they are a natural enemy of the Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica). The female of the Tiger Bee Fly lays her eggs near the entrances of Eastern Carpenter Bee tunnels. The hatched fly larvae eat the Carpenter Bee larvae. Therefore, a natural pest control.

Thank you for your protection Tiger Bee Fly.

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Indigo Bunting At The Dripper

July 3, 2026

An Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyan) at the dripper, trying to stay cool, showing off his beautiful colors as he hangs on.

These Buntings are here in Virginia just for the breeding season. During that time they eat insects and spiders, along with berries, and small seeds. Concentrating mainly on protein rich insects and spiders.

As winter approaches they head south toward their wintering grounds which include southern Florida and central Mexico, and further south through the West Indies and Central America, and all the way to northern South America.

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