Birds of the Sun

Back in late summer, I found a really cool field of sunflowers not far from my house.  This field was located on one of the Missouri Conservation Department's (MCD) local conservation areas. I've noticed these beautiful sunflower fields before, but just never stopped to check them out. But this summer, I decided I'd grab a few lenses and make a trek through the field and see what I would find. First, let me show you a few images of the sunflower field:

As you can see, a wonderful display was there for the taking. But what about birds? What visited these beautiful flowers? One of the most common visitors was the American Goldfinch:

 Then there was a flycatcher (I was unable to identify the species or grab an acceptable image), and several Ruby-throated Hummingbirds:

I saw a gorgeous male Blue Grosbeak:

And even a Wild Turkey appeared to be happy strolling through the maze of sunflowers:

Also, a couple of interesting winged, nonbirds showed up, including a Hummingbird (Clearwing) Moth:

And a beautiful Monarch Butterfly:

So, if you see a field of sunflowers growing near you next summer, you might want to stop to check them out.  I'm already planning on a steady visit to my local sunflower patch!

Images and Post by Jim Braswell of Show-Me Nature Photography