Spring migration is over. Most of the local breeding birds have finished nesting and as July approaches the woodlands fall silent. Now is the time to retreat from the cool shade and visit the prairie, where the calendar appears to have been turned back.
In a sense, the forest is the enemy of the Midwestern prairie. After the last of the glaciers retreated some 14,000 years ago, the bare land progressed from soggy tundra to evergreen woodland. As the climate warmed and dried, hardwoods such as hickory and oak invaded and eventually blanketed the land.
Drought and lightning combined to cause wildfires which produced huge swaths of grassland, and herds of bison helped to keep the prairie open. Prairie plants developed extensive underground roots which resisted destruction from fires and grazing until human settlement turned most of their habitat into rich cropland. Water-filled depressions (potholes) were left behind by the glaciers. These provided places for bison to wallow and waterfowl to find refuge. They often resisted cultivation.
Restored prairie pothole at Nelson Lake Marsh/Dick Young Prairie preserve, near our second home in Kane County, Illinois:
Now the remnants of the prairie require human intervention in order to prosper. The grasslands survive because of controlled burns and selective removal of invasive shrubs, trees and other vegetation, both native and exotic. At Nelson Lake preserve the grass is tall and seed heads are golden, inviting me to render my photo as an oil painting (click on photo for enlarged views):
Song Sparrows and Common Yellowthroats have started second and even third broods, and are singing vigorously.
Old fence posts are the tallest roosting places in the grasslands, and a Savannah Sparrow keeps watch from one:
Tiny Henslow's Sparrows are hard to find in the tall grass. Note the greenish tint on its head:
Grasshopper Sparrows prefer areas with shorter grass:
Sedge Wrens rattle their songs along the path:
Bobolinks are still feeding their young. Their upside-down plumage pattern makes them favorite subjects as I try to obtain a perfect pose:
The demure female Bobolink is nonetheless beautiful:
Colorful Dickcissels do not arrive in any great numbers until mid- to late June.
American Goldfinches wait for thistle and milkweed to produce the down for their nests and seeds for their vegetarian babies:
I catch the reflection of a goldfinch as it sips at a nearby creek:
Red-winged Blackbirds defend their territories with song...
...and action, as one takes on a Red-tailed Hawk:
Spiderwort and Black-eyed Susan are common summer flowers in the prairie:
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Linking to Misty's CAMERA CRITTERS,
Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,
Linking to GOOD FENCES by Tex (Theresa).
Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James
Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni
Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart
Linking to Today's Flowers Friday by Denise
Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue
Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display