So, I had planned this trip to Virginia for a week of meetings and face-time at the office. Flights on Monday were prohibitively expensive, so, I thought, I will just fly down on Sunday. We don’t have any children who actually go to school (we home-school) so we are not as attuned to the vacation and holiday schedule as some households, which is why it never occurred to me that the office would be closed on Monday. President’s Day! By the time I realized, less than 30 minutes before my flight, it was too late.

And then, of course, I flew from relatively spring like Maine into a raging blizzard in Richmond. They got 6 inches at the airport and I woke to snow shrouded trees, white lawns, and inches of wet slush in the parking lots of Chester. I did not pack my winter boots.

Still, in light of Sunday’s revelation about keeping more current with my photography, I got out for an hour to Henricus City Park and Dutch Gap Conservation Area to see what could be seen. I was dependent on finding bare paths and ground, as my dress crocs are in no way suitable for snow.

There were lots of Ring-necked Ducks on the big marsh (pretty much a lake after the storm) as you drive into Henricus City Park. There were also a few Northern-shovelers, Mallards, Coots, and Canada Geese. The Veery and Red-bellied Woodpecker were down near the boat ramp. And yes, I made it back to the hotel with relatively dry feet. My socks dried in less than an hour. 🙂

Of these three birds, I have always thought both the Ring-necked Duck and the Red-bellied Woodpecker were woefully miss-named. Who has ever seen the neck ring on the Ring-neck Duck?…while the ring on the bill is so obvious. What’s wrong with Ring-billed Duck? And the woodpecker? I guess there is some excuse. If you called every red-headed woodpecker “Red-headed Woodpecker” then where would we be… Still. Red-bellied does not leap right out at you when looking at this bird. Okay…I get the Veery. It is an ear thing, and I am okay with that.

All three shots with the Canon SX40HS at 1680mm equivalent field of view (840mm optical plus 2x digital tel-extender function) handheld. Program with iContrast and –1/3EV exposure compensation. 1) f5.8 @ 1/400th @ ISO 100. 2) f5.8 @ 1/500th @ ISO 200. 3) f5.8 @ 1/200th @ ISO 100.

Processed in Lightroom for intensity, clarity, and sharpness.