A Sea Of Beardtongue

So, I went to Centennial Park recently.  At this time of year, the park's large prairie restoration is a canvas of white flowers.  Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) dominates these prairies.

Centennial Park's beardtongue flowering is likely the showiest floral display May/June has to offer in the Springfield area, and it's one of the best all year. Viewed from the hill, it's even more spectacular:

While on the hill, I spotted a local Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus).   This species is abundant on the hill itself, and it's wise to watch out for burrows when walking.
The meadows of both native and non-native grasses surrounding Centennial Park attract many rabbits, and both Illinois ground squirrels, including the elusive Franklin's Ground Squirrel (Poliocitellus franklinii), a state threatened species.  I may have seen one once, but this is uncertain.

The ponds below the hill were smooth and reflective.  It was a perfect landscape picture day.

In the restored prairie itself, the panorama was unbelievable.

Here's a close-up of the Foxglove Beardtongue flower, pollinator included.

Birds, of course, were also around. This Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) called from the top of a willow tree right next to a playground.  A few of the people there stared at me and my camera as I took picture after picture.   I read recently that birders are considered among the creepiest people, just after clowns, taxidermists and entomologists.  Well, at least clowns are creepier.

Old Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum) flower stems stretched up into the sky...

...While the enormous leaves with their backlit veins made this plant a worthy photography subject. Prairie Docks can have flowering stems ten feet tall, leaves two feet long, and roots twelve feet deep!

The clouds were also lovely... 

... but the gnats were not.  Buffalo gnats, so named because of their humped shape, swarmed me as I wandered over the prairie, ignoring the excessive amounts of bugspray.  They are actually rumored to be attracted to bugsprays with DEET, but considering the local tick population I'll keep using sprays.

A small strip of trees divides the prairie in two.  Here I spotted a Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus).

Back in the prairie,  one Field Sparrow  (Spizella pusilla)  allowed me to get within twenty feet, enough for a pair of decent pictures.

I probably mentioned the beauty of the sky on that day, but let me remind you all...

As I went to leave, a Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) appeared in a red ceder.  I first saw this bird in Georgia when I was younger, and as this bird is the state bird of Georgia, that seems appropriate.  With those yellow eyes, Brown Thrashers also seem to be staring me down.  Quite intimidating.

One final shot of the prairie...

...and of the Field Sparrow I saw just before leaving.

All in all, it was one of the better couple of hours I've spent recently.  I got many, many great pictures, some of which I haven't even posted out here.  I'm contemplating starting an Instagram account to show off my better pictures.  I'm also considering  putting ads on this website, just as a source for a tad more spending money so I can go on more trips.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.