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  • Home
  • PRESERVE
    • Ecology
    • Invasive Species
    • Ponds
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    • Trails
  • ENJOY
    • halloween-22
    • Photos
    • Birding >
      • greenHeron
    • Trail Maps
    • Calendar
  • B W Kids
    • Nature Detectives - the latest news
  • History
  • Who We Are
    • Chuan-Chu Chou Blog
    • Perspectives on the Park
    • MemberInfo
    • presidentReport-1Q-21
  • Shop
  • JOIN
  • biancaTemp
  • loisTemp






brightwood park discoveries

Golden Pond Revealed at Golden Hour

7/30/2022

 
Shortly after 6 AM yesterday morning, I came to Brightwood Park.  The rising sun sprayed golden light into the pond.  The sky and the clouds were like a kaleidoscope.  You have to keep watching to appreciate the rapidly changing patterns.  


A duck family had already woken up and started its morning exercise.  The seven chicks are now down to five.  I have reason to believe two along with other disappearing ducks were taken into the water by turtles.  In the past few days I heard several times of ducks screaming followed by a sudden silence.


I was joined by Claudia Cuca for an adventure walk.  While we passed the bridge and exchanged our concerns about the expanding green and oily film (of algae?) in the large pond (feeling like someone kept pouring greening paint into the water), a bright spot appeared.  It was a beautiful bird standing on a tree branch a  distance away, combing its feathers and showing off its beautiful tail.  At first look we thought it was a blue jay.  With Caludia using her binoculars and me zooming my camera, we concluded it was not a blue jay but a male belted kingfisher.  A female one would have had a colored "belt" on the belly.  

As I shared before, Brightwood Park is a place of many wonders.  It is "like a box of chocolates".  "You never know what you are going to get" (borrowing the line from the movie "Forrest Gump").  Everytime I come to the park, the box is never empty and the chocolates are always wonderful and tasty. 

Comments are closed.

    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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