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.

Marigolds

While out this morning checking on the weather station, I went through the vegetable garden and noticed the Marigolds (Tagetes tenuifolia) still in bloom. No wonder, since the weather has been so very warm.

This particular Marigold is the Signet Marigold which is native to Mexico, Central America, Colombia, and Peru. Marigolds have an aroma that deer, rabbits and squirrels find offensive which perhaps will discourage them from visiting crops.

And Marigolds, as well as attracting pollinators, will also attract predatory insects such as ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies and other insects that will eat aphids and other crop damaging insects.

What a nice surprise to find some flowers blooming so late in the season. Time to bring some in.

Juncos Are Here!

There were at least 6 Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) at the bird bath this morning, along with some White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis). Hard to count with so many all together. This is the first sighting of the Juncos that I’ve noticed this season.

These Juncos are in the Sparrow family. They eat seeds which make up about 75 percent of their diet. They eat seeds from weeds, grasses, flowers, and grains and can be found at bird feeders too.

So very glad to have them back again.

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Feather Maintenance

Two Hermit Thrushes (Catharus guttatus) at the bird bath late this afternoon. I had about ten steps to take to get my camera that was all set up to get pictures, but one of the Thrushes decided to leave before I got a chance to click an image.

The one that was left was fluffing and puffing its feathers after taking a dip in the water on this warm day. Birds take baths to maintain their feathers by removing dirt, bacteria and parasites. And to cool off on hot days.

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Mockernut Hickory

The leaves up here are still beautiful but one must look a bit more to see the brilliant colors of autumn. They’re not everywhere but just here and there now. Past peak.

This is a Mockernut Hickory (Carya tomentosa). One of the trees that is still hanging onto its leaves. Making autumn last a tiny bit longer.

A tree with a nut that appears quite large but once the husk is removed, one is left with a small nut, which is why it has the common name of Mockernut.

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American Chestnut

My absolute favorite tree. The American Chestnut (Castanea dentata). A picture from this morning.

You would be surprised how many of them there are out there. Not a whole bunch of them but every now and then one will be found around here. Mature trees. Up in Shenandoah National Park, or along the Appalachian Trail, or on private land.

The blight that has put the tree in dire straits is Cryphonectria parasitica, also known as the chestnut blight. It was first discovered in North America in 1904, in the New York Zoological Garden in the Bronx. Since that time the blight has wiped out between three and four billion American Chestnut trees. Work is ongoing by The American Chestnut Foundation to restore this precious tree. I’m hoping that one day it will happen.

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White-throated Sparrows Are Here

White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis), winter residents here, have arrived. This picture was taken two days ago, as this critter freshened up at the bird bath.

This particular species of sparrow is the most frequently seen and most plentiful in North America. It winters principally in eastern and southern North America and California, and spends the breeding season in much of Canada and parts of the northeastern U.S.

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Cedar Waxwings And Robins

Yesterday I sent you a picture of an American Robin (Turdus migratorius), one of many that I saw. I described how they flock together in the colder months in search of berries and small fruits, sometimes along with Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum). This morning lo and behold there were the Robins again, this time along with their buddies the Cedar Waxwings.

Perhaps you noticed in the picture at the top, there are no red wax tips on the wings of that Cedar Waxwing. But there are red wax tips on this one at the bird bath. Explanation? The red wax tips develop and increase in size and number as these Cedar Waxwings mature.

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Not A Sign Of Spring

This morning there were several American Robins (Turdus migratorius) out looking for their cold weather food, berries and small fruits. Easy things to find up here.

For many of the Robins, they’re here year-round. Some do migrate but many others stay in the same general area. Roaming in large groups, from here to there, looking for those berries and small fruits. They stay until that food source is gone and then they move on to the next plentiful location.

Occasionally they will join up with Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) in their search for trees and bushes such as holly, juniper, crabapple, hawthorn, along with many others.

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Butterscotch Autumn

Oh the beauty of this season, slowly slipping away. Leaves drifting to the ground becoming leaf litter.

And leaf litter becomes a winter home for many insects, including moths and butterflies. The Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thybe) is a moth that seeks shelter in leaf litter during the winter as a pupa. Butterflies include Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), which also overwinters as a pupa. Other butterflies that use leaf litter as their winter homes are the Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis), and the Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) both of which spend the winter in the adult stage.

These just a very small number of insects that seek shelter in leaf litter during the cold of winter. Leave that leaf litter, and the insects that are in their late autumn and winter homes, waiting for spring.

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A Spotted Orbweaver For Halloween

It’s the Spotted Orbweaver (Neoscona crucifera) that decorates my porches as Halloween approaches. I really appreciate their decorating skills. Their webs are orb-shaped, and thus the name. Those webs can be up to 2 feet in diameter.

These spiders don’t make it easy to identify this species. Individuals vary in color, and markings on the abdomen. All of these spiders have hairs on their abdomen, legs, head, and thorax.

And not only do they decorate for Halloween, but this one is the perfect color.

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