Wetlands Footbridge

The bridge which leads across the wetlands is OPEN again after being closed all weekend for repairs and reconstruction. Thank-you to the two young men who were working so diligently.  Many boards had started to deteriorate. Happily the bridge has re-opened.

 

Tiny Turtle

This weekend, I was walking along enjoying the calm after the storms the night before when I noticed something black on the path.  It was the tiniest turtle I have ever seen.  I am being told it is a yellow bellied or a painted turtle.  After I do a bit of research I will repost my findings.

after taking a look, I sent the little guy on his way

small enough to fit on my watch

This Weekend

I hope everyone in the area faired well in all of the watches and warnings on Saturday.  My family and I did manage to have a nice hike from one end to the other.  The puppies so enjoy running along Mainland Farm.  After hiking a good 4 miles, we returned home to discover my husband had lost his keys. He took off on foot to the one location that a dog had jumped out at us.  Little Chloe not only went after us yesterday but a man on a bike.  Anyway, took off on foot to locate the keys on one end and did not find anything.  We then returned to the house for our bikes to head back to Mainland Farm.  Half way through the farm, we discovered the keys in the grass.  The storms were coming in from over the James River and we sat for some time watching the wheat grasses sway in the wind and the sky get darker and lower.  When the rain started we returned home to the many storm and tornado watches and warnings throughout the rest of the evening.  The foot bridge across the beaver pond is still closed today for repairs.  Two guys are doing a great job at making the repairs and it will soon be safe for traffic.  The water is high on the wetlands after yesterdays storms, so please be careful around the water, especially the kids, because there is a current. 

It is Palm Sunday and this week is Holy Week.  Hope all my neighbors of the trail will be thanking God for our beautiful trail if not attending a service or two or the Triudum. 

The Virginia Gazette, Williamsburg Virginia > News > Greenspring Trail bridge closed this weekend

The Virginia Gazette, Williamsburg Virginia > News > Greenspring Trail bridge closed this weekend

Lovely Spring Day

bright and lovely spring day

short tailed hawk

Short tailed hawk

lovely spring day

turtle on the pond

turtles

Bright sun over the park

Double Rainbow over Williamsburg

Spring Great Egrets

 A walk this afternoon out to the pond brought the beatiful site of four Great Egrets on the wetlands. Close to the boardwalk there was also a loon of some sort. After I headed home to get my camera, the loon was gone. The egrets were in a different area when I returned, but I was able to capture 3 of them. Three flew off while the fourth that remained had a bite of dinner. A few geese joined in and a small turtle played along the edge. Why was I out without my camera to begin with? It seems an inexpensive yet sentimental ring my teenager was wearing as the high school track team trained on the trails this afternoon went flying off her finger. If anyone should find a small silver ring, please let us know. A family search did not find the ring.




Great Egret on the Greensprings wetlands



Egret having dinner

Three of four egrets

Just another bite

Life & Growth

The small plant I discovered this past weekend has grown with the rain and sunshine.  The plant is a fern and is currently about 8 inches tall compared to the one inch during the weekend.

Crisp Evening

 The rains have filled the pond once again and have contributed to new growth around the region.  The warm and sunny day today, I am sure the plants and wildlife appreciated every moment.  At present, the temperatures are dropping.  The evening is crisp with a steady breeze blowing across the wetlands. 

Goose flying overhead

fallen tree

1 April (Part 2 Green on Greensprings)

Pond 1st thing this morning

This morning I had hoped for a bright and sunny day.  Seeing that it was still overcast, I headed out with my camera.  This is a continuation of the first post from today about Green on Greensprings. Highlighted here is the wildlife I was able to capture and the pond itself.  I spent a bit of time on the footbridge watching the geese, ducks and Heron before moving out to the Virginia Capital Trail to catch a glimpse of the Mainland Farm.  Today was prood that my desire to photograph the area far exceeds the capabilities of my camera.  Time to upgrade. Today is also the first day of the second year of this blog, although I started taking photos several months earlier.  When I have a chance, I hope to catch up on Fall and Winter photos from the past two years. While on Mainland Farm, it started to sprinkle and the fog moved in over the pond by the time I had returned. 

Goose in Flight

Great Blue Heron

Three of Four Deer

Pond after the rain and fog returned, one hour after above photo of pond

Duck, Duck, Goose, Heron

Green on Greensprings



Mainland Farm



I spent a good hour today watching and trying to capture pictures of the Heron as I can only take so many days watching the Geese.  It is all very fascinating, however the Heron is more interesting to me.  I have decided that my desire to capture the Heron in photography far exceeds the capabilities of my camera.  I need an upgrade badly so as to capture more of the area around me.

Today's theme is "GREEN" on Green Springs after the week or more of rain, the forest is starting to turn to these beautiful shades of greens.  Check out the photo of the vine intertwined on the two branches.  Caught this photo purely by accident when the camera auto focused onto the branch in stead of the heron in the pond.  The small sprout still to be determined what kind of plant it is, I hope to follow the growth of this plant over the next several days to weeks to see what it is and what becomes of it.

Green moss, fueled by the week of rain

Practicing a bit of micro photography

Trees and path starting to turn green

Moss

Pine along Virginia Capital Trail

The Coolest discovery, while trying to zoom in on the Heron, my camera autofocused onto this small vine in front of me, not much bigger than a 1/2 dollar

Raindrops

Jamestown High School side of foot bridge getting green

baby pine tree about 5 inches high

Small 1 inch sprout of plant - I hope to follow the growth of this plant over the next coming weeks

Buds on a branch