What Do Country Kids Do For Excitement?

They head to the Great Swamp Conservancy and watch them release quail out into nature.
Over at the "swamp" they have raised 1500 quail from day old chicks. Quail are a native species to this central NY rural area, and people are trying to re-establish
the population for hunting.

They were very cute!

They were everywhere.

When I pictured a bird release, I pictured 1000 birds fluttering away, but these birds just wandered out of their enclosure, a few flew, but most of them just strutted around.

They let most of them go at about 1:00 and by the time we left, at 3:30, it was hard to spot any, they are very good at hiding in the underbrush.

Another thing that is fun for country children is playing in a cornbox, as opposed to a sandbox.

We met this barred owl. He is blind from a car accident and is a demonstration bird.

Country children don't need playground equipment. Tree stumps and mulch hills are perfect.

Kim and Luke actually cried when we had to leave the "playground."

Of course, Kimberly wouldn't let go of her free flyswatter which was given away to help "fight" west nile virus.

Then we took a hike.

The weather was perfect.

Actually, the temperature this morning was 38 degrees here at the house, but it got into the 60's by the afternoon without a cloud in the sky.

late purple aster

thistle down

purple loosestrife--a very invasive species of flower that is now everywhere in our neck of the woods

Our hikers....

To the left of this picture you can see an osprey nest.

cattail fluff---it is fall.....

I do not know the type of berries around here---I need to investigate and become an expert on this topic.

Turtlehead---which I have never encountered before, but identified from this great site.
If you live in the northeast, this site can help you identify all the wildflowers in your area---I haven't found a flower that wasn't on this great site.

butter and eggs

And especially for us, on the ride home, a great blue heron hanging out beside the road.