...Happy Face

A bit of a different blip for me today, but hopefully you'll enjoy it. I drove up to Wallkill River NWR in NY this morning and had a lovely hike with the Audubon group. We saw lots of birds including bobolink, white egrets, black ducks, osprey, red tailed hawk, great blue herons, wood ducks, and sandpipers. Also my first ever tiny little pickerel frog - this one had me laying on my stomach in Vodkaman-fashion to get the shot. We also saw hundreds of monarchs which was a wonderful treat. Some were laying eggs on the milkweed while others were a bit earlier in the reproductive process! I also saw some very gaily colored beetles having festive time and a rather stunning cricket hanging out in the grass. So, it was a good morning!

However, on the way home I stopped at one of the local farms and was rather captivated by their acres of sunflower fields. What a sight. I wish I'd had a different lens to capture the full magnitude of the field - perhaps I'll go back soon with the 18-200 lens and see what I can do. You can get a small feeling of it in this shot, and perhaps a bit better HERE and HERE. This shot made me smile because I got the bonus soldier beetle in the shot! They are great nectar lovers and are frequent visitors in all the local flower fields this time of year. They mimic the look of bees but are actually totally harmless...more lovers than fighters.

Thanks for the comments and faves on my warbler yesterday - and apologies again to those who left comments on the woodpecker that I first blipped. I just couldn't pass up the chance to blip that warbler since it was the first I'd ever seen.

Wow - tomorrow is Friday! Must say, I'm happy about that. I'm still feeling a bit less than 100% so having some extra sleep time will be good.