Sunflower and a bee – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1/2500, ISO 400, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
Nowadays, I don’t take as many photos of cultivated flowers, but in the fall, I can’t help but take pictures of a sunflower field close to the nature center at Farmington Bay WMA. The large, bright sunflowers and the birds and bees on them draw me in for a few weeks in late September into early October.
It is really more of a strip of sunflowers than a field because the farm focuses more on growing pumpkins than sunflowers. I’m always happy to photograph the flowers and pumpkins.
Yesterday I saw Red-winged Blackbirds and White-crowned Sparrows in the sunflowers but wasn’t able to get high quality images of them. I really didn’t take that many photos of the sunflowers either but this one sunflower appealed to me. I simply got lucky that a bee landed on it while I was taking photos.
These cultivated sunflowers make me think of autumn, shorter days, and cooler temperatures. I suppose two out of three of those things isn’t terrible since yesterday we hit another record high temperature for this time of year.
I have to wonder if there will be frost on those pumpkins in the field by Halloween or if the first frost won’t happen until November down in the valley. It has been so warm this year I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes that long for the first frost.
Life is good.
Mia
More info on cultivated sunflowers: Cultivated Sunflowers and Their Wild Relatives
Click here to see more of my wildflower, shrub and tree photos.
Thank you for this sunny beauty.
Compared to the bee, those sunflowers are HUGE!! It’s lovely to see sunflowers at this time of year.