This week I was back home in Virginia. While I was there I took the chance to visit an old favorite spot of mine. Pony Pasture is a long stretch of trails along the James River. Growing up I spent many afternoons walking here with my family, or swimming in the rapids with my friends. Unlike Redstone Quarry, Pony pasture is a far more open ecosystem. While there is a suburban neighborhood behind the park the river itself has remained fairly undeveloped along its banks. The park is also much more prone to flooding than the quarry during the wetter seasons. There are many cut-throughs in the park where excess water from the river flows after heavy rains. The tree concentration is also very different with Pony Pasture containing mostly hardwoods like oak and pawpaws. Currently, compared to the Quarry, which contains many pines, Pony Pasture contains far less color with the vast majority of its canopy gone. There is also a larger presence of birds here with herons, waterfowl, raptors, and songbirds. I am led to believe there are a few reasons for this. The climate in Virginia is much more temperate than Vermont and as a result, food sources do not diminish to the point of making migration necessary for many species. In addition, the relatively shallow and large size of the James makes it a prime fishing location for herons, eagles, and osprey.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to add my own pictures another day when my wifi decides to cooperate.