P L E N T Y SUMMER 2019 Plenty Summer 2019-joomag copy | Page 49

over 200 species of songbirds
alone, plus waterfowl, beautiful
wood ducks, a variety of herons
and egrets.
In recent weeks, I’ve spotted
a baby beaver, a fox, muskrats,
and way too many birds to count.
I spotted my very first owl on my
own, sitting quietly on a branch
looking down through my sunroof
at me while I looked up in won-
der at another bucket-list bird to
check off. The little Green Herons
are my personal favorites as they
often resemble 1980’s punk rockers
with their blue/green feathered
mohawks that they raise up and
down at will when searching the
banks for prey.
On the not-so-scary side
of McKee-Besher’s, are the up-
wards of 30 acres of sunflowers
that the Department of Natural
Resources plants every year. In
mid-July, when the sunflowers are
Over 240 species of birds and waterfowl
have been spotted in the McKee-Besh-
er’s WMA, including the Indigo Bunting,
(left), the Barred Owl (below) Blue Heron
(bottom) and Green Heron (inset).
in full bloom, thousands of people
come to the fields for the perfect
photo opportunities. Most visitors
respect the rules against cutting,
picking or otherwise disturbing the
blooming sunflowers that tower
some 6-8 feet tall in places. The
fields are located off a parking area
on River Road near Poolesville, and
a little further up off of Sycamore
Landing Road. After about two
short weeks of peak blooms, the
fields fade and the crowds dis-
perse. Bug spray, long pants and
sturdy shoes are also recommend-
ed to provide extra protection
from ticks and other critter bites.
What most visitors don’t real-
ize is that these sunflowers also
provide a food source for beauti-
ful birds like Indigo Buntings with
brilliant sapphire blue feathers,
Goldfinches, butterflies, humming-
birds, and other colorful species.
Birding enthusiasts and photogra-
phers also flock to the fields every
year to capture their best images
of the birds feasting on the flowers.
In recent times, the frequent
heavy rains have made parts of
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