JUST PECKING AROUND CABBAGE WHITE BUTTERFLY (PIERIS RAPAE) I could smell the beautiful

I could smell the beautiful sweet fragrance of the milkweed

Many species of wildflowers were in prime conditions to photograph including these yellow coneflowers that were near the blazing star flowers

oak and hophornbeam trees of this deciduous forest in Northern Illinois

A thick heavy fog surrounds Wildflower Lake with the sun beginning to shine through the clouds as I make my way through the park

JUST PECKING AROUND CABBAGE WHITE BUTTERFLY (PIERIS RAPAE) I could smell the beautifulThe smallest of North Americas woodpeckers, the downy woodpeckers are wide spread and common throughout their range however, they avoid the arid southwest. They are typically very active moving quickly on the branches and through the tree looking for insects. The downy and hairy woodpeckers are almost identical in plumage. The downy can be distinguished from the hairy by its smaller size and by the black dots on its white tail feathers. (523 92)