Wetlands and Pony Pasture

Another pair of local parks that I visit are Wetlands and Pony Pasture. They are side-by-side, nestled between the James River, subdivisions and a golf course. They are both part of James River Park, maintained by the City of Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities. Since they are literally side-by-side, I was never quite sure why they were two separate parks, instead of just one larger park. I treat them as one park, however, so I guess it really does not matter.

One down side to Wetlands and Pony Pasture is that they are both very popular with dog owners, and it is very likely that you will encounter very happy, very friendly, and very off-leash dogs. I have no problems with dogs, but when they run free, they make bird watching and photography more challenging. This Barred Owl, for example, was in view for only a few minutes before a pair of dogs, both completely ignorant of the owl, tore through the underbrush and spooked it.

To find a happy medium (so that I can watch the birds and the dogs can get a good run in), I try to get there as early as possible, or during the middle of the week, or when then weather is not perfect. Such was the case this past January, arriving early-ish on a day that was very overcast and very cold (at least, cold for Virginia). This Swamp Sparrow on ice illustrates my point.

During the winter months, the real star of the park is the James River, and the various ducks and gulls that might be present. With very challenging light and distance, these photos are acceptable, but certainly not great. They do, however, give you examples of what might be hanging out on or near the river. From top to bottom: Bufflehead (whoever named this species deserves a prize!), a raft of Redhead with a couple of Canvasback sprinkled in for good measure, and even a Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Swamp Sparrow

The month of April has been full of work, rainy weekends and the first signs of spring migration. On each Friday I would drive home tired from the week and consider my bird watching options. How tired am I? Can I muster myself out of bed either morning of the weekend early enough for some birdwatching? What is the weather going to be? Is it going to rain again? Do I want to go somewhere local or is it time for a trip out to Shenandoah? Is there any house work that simply cannot be ignored any longer?

In April, I was always tired by Friday, but never too tired. It rained a lot, but not constantly. And I did not make any trips out to Shenandoah (I think I will do that next weekend). Instead, I visited Dutch Gap Conservation Area (DGCA) on three successive weekends.

You might think that visiting the same place three weekends in a row would get old. It probably would, if the visits were not in the spring. I have walked the same exact two miles each weekend, and seen lots of the same stuff each time. But I have also noticed changes each time. In my first trip, there were no American Redstarts. Today, American Redstarts were everywhere. The number of White-throated Sparrows that I see each week is less and less as they move north. And it seems like there are dragonflies and butterflies everywhere.

So, here is the first in a series of pictures from my trips to DGCA in April. On the 13th I saw several Swamp Sparrows at various points of my hike. This particular specimen took a few moments to scan its surroundings from the convenient perch of a fallen tree. While it scanned, I found my photographic opportunity.