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.

A Scarab Beetle On Gray Dogwood Blooms

June 1, 2026

This is a species of scarab beetle, the Hairy Flower Scarab (Trichiotinus affinis). They enjoy eating the pollen and nectar of broad, flat flowers such as this Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) bloom.

As larvae they eat rotting dead trees such as oak, elm and aspen. They’re native to eastern North America.

And before I forget, happy first day of meteorological summer!

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A Juvenile Phoebe

May 31, 2026

There has been an Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) nest on top of the light at my back door for a bit now. The residents have been extremely cautious and I would not even know that it’s there except for the nest itself sitting there in plain view, high above.

This afternoon my *always on the alert for all things nature oriented* husband noticed a bird sitting on the hook in the vegetable garden, and called my attention to it. It was sitting there looking just like a Phoebe, and flicked its tail like they always do but something was wrong. The bird had an incredibly subtle wrong color look about it. Head and wings with a slight cinnamon tint rather than the expected total gray look. Chest speckled rather than a more solid gray.

Turns out this is a juvenile from that nest. First time my camera has ever captured one!

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Cedar Waxwings Hunting For Ripe Berries

May 30, 2026

Two Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) this morning, hunting with great determination in my many Blueberry bushes (Vaccinium). Going from branch to branch looking for a gorgeous deep blue gem with a frosted look.

A few minutes pass and I can almost hear one of the birds shout with excitement, “Oh! I got one!”

Now, please dear Cedar Waxwings, don’t eat too many. Be kind to me, like you have in years past. Leave enough for me to make muffins and pies throughout the year.

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Purple Flowering Raspberry

May 28, 2026

Growing on a bush with leaves that closely resemble those of maple trees, the Purple Flowering Raspberry (Rubus odoratus) is one of 850 species of flowering plants in Shenandoah National Park. It’s just coming into bloom now, with a flower that is a rich magenta hue.

Their fragrant flowers are a nectar source for hummingbirds, bumblebees and butterflies. Their leaves are often used to line the underground nests of bumblebees. And the berries of Purple Flowering Raspberry are gobbled up by songbirds and small mammals.

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So Many Birds Love The Birdbath

May 27, 2026

So many birds love the birdbath. They may not care at all what I am offered at the bird feeder, but I can count on them showing up for a dip in the water to care for their feathers, or for a refreshing sip.

This is a male American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) here for the breeding season and checking out the birdbath that perhaps he has been to in past years.

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Chipmunk And The Baby Box Turtle

May 26, 2026

While I was out this morning, coming up the mountain after my yoga class, I stopped and helped a small, about 4 inches in length, Common Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) cross the dirt road safely. That encounter with such a small turtle made me think of an amazing experience back in June 2021.

A very special memory from five years ago when Chipmunk (my Granddaughter) and I were out in front of the cabin just looking around to see what we could see, when she spotted the smallest Box Turtle I have ever seen. This picture shows the little critter sitting on her hand.

And this picture shows the turtle’s plastron, or the bottom of its shell. And just look at those teeny tiny claws. Oh my goodness!

Nature always amazes me. How about YOU, Chipmunk?

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An Odd Frog Call

May 25, 2026

This post started with the discovery of the misidentification of a frog call in my yard, by AI. The sound that AI attempted to identify was perhaps that of a Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) together with the sound of a neighbor’s very distant gunshots. The frog which I believe made the call, a sweet Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris), has a rather strange call. I’ve seen it described as a snoring sound. My description would be the growl of a mammal, like a dog or a large wild cat. Not a friendly sound. So much for AI.

I have referred to the Pickerel Frog as “sweet”. That is my feeling about any frog around here. Precious, dear, sweet. But I must warn you, this small North American frog, found throughout my state of Virginia, is the only poisonous frog in the United States. Toxins are secreted from its skin which can cause moderate eye or skin irritation for humans.

But I’m still calling it a sweet frog.

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Spreading Brown Cup

May 24, 2026

Spreading Brown Cup (Peziza varia) is a fungus that is extensively distributed across North America and Europe. Here in North America it is often found in areas with nutrient rich soil and wood debris like the East and Central United States, the Pacific Northwest, and our Atlantic Coast.

They can be found as solitary individuals, as well as in groups, sometimes simply on wood chips or on decaying hardwoods. It’s most often found during spring and autumn.

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