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  • Home
  • PRESERVE & RESTORE
    • Ecology >
      • RutgersSiteVisit
      • Ponds
      • Reforestation
    • Invasive Species
    • NativePlants
    • Trails Maintenance
    • Clean Ups
    • ScoutProjects
    • noelTaylor
  • ENJOY
    • Photos
    • GreenHerons
    • Birding
    • Trail Maps
    • coyotes
  • B W Kids
    • Nature Detectives - the latest news
  • History
    • neighborhood
  • About
    • Board of Directors
    • Chuan-Chu Chou Blog
    • Perspectives on the Park
    • MemberInfo >
      • archive
    • Reports
    • Volunteer Spotlight
    • newsletters
    • PastEvents >
      • AppleFest-2025
      • Halloween-25
      • adopt-a-Tree
      • Halloween-24
      • brightwoodDay-24
      • Halloween-23
      • halloween-22
      • PleinAirPainting
      • brightwoodDay-23
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brightwood park discoveries



Green herons, wood ducks, chipmunks, and herons!  Wildlife in the park!

9/5/2024

 
 ​
Despite the pond duckweed, young green herons are still staying in the park and hunting for fish.  I was lucky to see three of them.  They came back and forth between the central island and the south shore (including the bridge of the dam).  In a couple of photos one can see leftover fish lines even on the island.  The lines are hazardous and scary to the herons.

Early in the morning wood ducks can be spotted in the distal end of the small pond.  Some young ducks looked to be still  in development.  The adult males are usually more colorful than those seen recently.

A chipmunk picked up a tiny fruit for lunch.  The fruit looked a little sour tasting, and the chipmunk took its time eating it.

While I was following the green herons, a blue heron came by, making a brief landing on the tree on above me. Then, it flew to the opposite side of the big pond and settled down on a tall tree.


Fruitful Brightwood Exploration

9/5/2024

 
 The other day, my exploration in Brightwood Park was amazingly fruitful.  

Near the long chair passing the dam and facing the north, I saw two mushrooms with interesting morphologies.  I named them "smart mushrooms" because one was mimicking a tree stump and the other looked like a model of mitochondria in high school biology textbooks.  Both were covered with dense hair, too.

The black mushroom was found on the log of a fallen tree.  Under the sunlight, the pattern appeared like a bear face on the front and a human face on the side.

The light-colored mushrooms were seen along the trail parallel to Prospect Street.  The first one was like posing for a photo session, and looked uniquely pretty from several angles.  Another mushroom near the park entrance was in the shape of a heart and another was like a smiling child.  The latter has been around for weeks.

The ducks were going back and forth between the pond and the shore near the two-pond junction.  They finally decided to settle on the shore.  I was a lucky observer.

Mushrooms By Any Other Name Would Still Be Glorious!

9/3/2024

 
One August morning I took a walk on the back trail and saw a cluster of beautiful orange-colored mushrooms.  As I was watching and taking photos, from one angle the mushrooms appeared to be celebrating with dancing and laughing.

Mushrooms are my favorite objects in the park.  Probably because I skipped my breakfast, some mushrooms looked like pancakes, some were like hamburgers, and some appeared like ice cream bars or scoops.  This morning I was greeted by one along with a slug. ​  Slugs love to hang out with mushrooms but can be their consumers, too.

After a period of drought, it is a delight to watch water drops hanging on plants.  Here are a few photos for you to enjoy.

The squash plants near the parking lot attract a variety of pollinators in the morning when the flowers are wide open to welcome sunrise.  Fruits at various stages of maturity can be seen.  

A Green Heron Returns

9/3/2024

 
 When the ponds were covered with the annoying duckweeds, Brightwood Park became a much quieter place..  Nobody knows where the birds, the waterfowls, and the animals in the woods went, not mentioning the disappearance of fish, turtles, frogs, dragonflies ....., etc.  Park lovers can get quite depressed without seeing them.

Thanks to the August rainstorms, the park came back to life, at least partially.  One evening, I saw a green heron at sunset, after missing them for a long time.  The bird looked hungry and skinny.  The tail started to dance as there was something jumping in the water.  Sadly, the bird seemed haunted by a fish line hanging on tree branches around him (visible in the photos).
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    Chuan-Chu Chou

    I am a frequent visitor of Brightwood Park and enjoy sharing my discoveries.


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Location

Brightwood Park is on the North end of Prospect Street.  Go past Franklin School and look for the entrance on the left.

What Our Members Are Saying

"I love the work you are doing at Brightwood.  Your efforts have shone a light on the essential elements of the park that we all cherish: its natural beauty and tranquility."

"I have a deep fondness for Brightwood park and would like to see it restored, remain natural and continue to be a site of passive recreation."

"I loved growing up in Brightwood Park !"


"I found Brightwood a few years ago and it's a great place to find wildlife, fish, and enjoy nature. Nice and quiet; good place to un wind and relax. Love it!!!"

​"As a resident for almost thirty years in the Brightwood area of Westfield, I am thrilled to see what is happening to improve and preserve Brightwood park for today and future generations. "


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