Al Warfield photo
For avid birdwatchers, summertime in Richmond can be a bit of a low point, a lull in the action, explains Al Warfield (pictured). From June through August, however, Shockoe Bottom becomes a central gathering spot for migratory purple martins as they begin their movement south. It's believed that between 5,000 and 10,000 of the birds alight in the Bradford pear trees downtown before leaving the area. Warfield and his wife, Linda, are devoted bird photographers and members of the Richmond Audubon Society, a birdwatching organization. Warfield confesses that the act of simply seeing a bird is not enough for him. "If I don't take a picture of one, I haven't done anything. Just birding bores me unless I haven't seen it before."
