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.

An Independent Sort

All sorts of hubbub going on with many birds gathering around, going to the suet feeders and the hulled sunflower seeds. The snow triggered a panic it seemed. Not this Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) though. Dressed in its winter outfit the little critter was calmly going from seedhead to seedhead of Gray-headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) enjoying the seeds left in the garden just for an adventuresome bird.

I knew that someone would appreciate those seedheads.

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Bluebirds At Noon Today

Many Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) gathered at the birdbath today.

They live here in Virginia all year. During the summer they eat insects and there is plenty for them to eat here in the winter too, including the fruit of Eastern Red Cedar, Bayberry, Flowering Dogwood, Hawthorn, Holly, Mistletoe, Pokeberry, Serviceberry, Sumac, Winterberry, Wild Grape, Hackberry, Poison Ivy and Multiflora Rose, to name just a few of the berries and fruit they’ll eat.

They’re a delight to see no matter what the season. I’m so glad they enjoy my birdbaths.

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A Ristra And Snow

Next to the front door of my cabin, a ristra.

Ristras are seen in New Mexico and southern Arizona. Strings of chiles hanging out to dry, for cooking and eating. Or simply to be used as a decoration. That’s the case here. A beautiful decoration representing a favorite part of this country, said to bring good health and good luck.

Very special to me.

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Overnight Snow

Pure pleasure to wake up this morning to have 7.5 inches of snow and sleet covering everything as if someone had poured Marshmallow Fluff over the entire landscape.

It was a busy day for the birds. I put out an extra suet feeder and loads of hulled sunflower seeds. Surely it was because of the extreme cold, word spread quickly and there seemed to be a party atmosphere.

One of the birds that came mid-afternoon was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) that enjoyed the warmish water of the birdbath. I was pleased to see it since they are not regulars at bird feeders. It is said they sometimes come for suet but I don’t recall ever seeing one at my suet.

So glad it liked the birdbath.

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Not The Usual Pose

An Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) enjoying the warmth of a birdbath. I captured this shot yesterday. The birdbath is definitely not the usual place that I see Phoebes.

This picture is from back in November and illustrates how I usually see Phoebes. Sitting on a bare branch, or the top of a post, just waiting for an insect to fly by. An insect that would become some of the Phoebe’s sustenance for the day.

There certainly weren’t any insects flying around yesterday. The high temperature for the day was 32º. During these mighty cold days Phoebes will find small fruits and berries to eat until it gets warmer and their usual meals are on the wing again.

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Gobbling Up The Suet

A Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) chowing down on the suet today. The suet feeder has been a very popular place with many birds feeling the chill of the season. As I sit here writing it is 19 degrees and sure to go down much further before the night is over. And perhaps they know what the forecast is, snow to start falling tomorrow evening well into the next day.

Stay warm little birds.

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New Year’s Eve Visitor

A Barred Owl (Strix varia) came by on New Year’s Eve. It didn’t seem to mind at all as we watched it for quite a long time, until we lost it to the darkness.

The Barred Owl is native to eastern North America. An owl of medium size with a length of 16 to 25 inches and a wingspan of 50 to 60 inches.

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Certainly Not A Sign Of Spring

Seeing a Robin (Turdus migratorius) on the second day of January is certainly not a sign of spring, particularly when there are weather forecasts of snow happening here in just a few days. Sounds for sure like good ol’ winter to me.

Many Robins don’t migrate at all but stay right where they’ve been during the rest of the year. They tend to wander within their home range looking for things to eat as the days pass by. That may make it seen they are gone to warmer climes, but they’re still here.

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Pitch Pine Cones And Needles

These are the cones and needles of Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida). A small to medium sized tree. The needles are 3 to 5 inches long and quite stiff and sharp. They are in bundles, or fascicles, of 3. The cones are nicely round with sharp points at the end of each scale.

The tree is found in a small portion of eastern North America from central Maine south to Georgia west to Kentucky. It’s found in locations that other species would find difficult to survive in with acidic, sandy, or low-nutrient soils.

A characteristic of Pitch Pine that I find really cool is called epicormic growth. It has needles growing not just from branches but also from the main trunk. Much like errant flowers on Redbud (Cercis canadensis).

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American Beech And Its Marcescent Leaves

An American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) showing off its marcescent leaves. These Beech trees create patches through the woods of pale brown areas of leaves hanging on, waiting for spring to fall to the ground.

Marcescence occurs when deciduous trees, mainly Beech or Oak trees, let their leaves wither in the late fall but they fail to let them drop to the ground until spring.

I love to see Beech trees in winter, just after a snow. Their leaves create little pockets of what look to me like little shave ice cones.

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