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
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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display
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Hello, great variety of birds. I love the robin on the fence and the Bobolink.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos. Happy Thursday, enjoy your day!
your bird shots are always so stunning. i really enjoy the sparrows in the grasses. and a good fence or two, also. ;)
ReplyDeleteI love your robin on the photo. Our European robins an yours have similarities as well as differences! European robin's red breast is limited to a breast patch and is brighter and more of an orange shade. Love also the other birds and what you are writing about the prairie.
ReplyDeleteRobins love our neighborhood. I don't see other kinds of birds except some annoying magpies and some woodpeckers. Sometimes we hear the coo of a dove or two.
ReplyDeletePretty shots! I like the goldfinch reflection and the oil paint edit!
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful series of photos, but that first shot is my favorite. Classic!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures of birds.
ReplyDeleteWonderful shots, KCS. Love that goldfinch at the creek.
ReplyDelete~
So many stunningly beautiful images of birds. Loving the little Sedge Wren and what wonderful captures of the Red-tailed Hawk in flight.
ReplyDeleteHave a truly wonderful weekend :)
aw, I feel renewed. Loved this visit. Such cutie pies
ReplyDeleteSuperb photos! The goldfinch drinking is my favorite. :-)
ReplyDelete@Kenneth Cole Schneider: My reflection. The text was on the window so it's reversed for those inside but not for those outside, unless you see it reflected on something inside. Yes, mind bending. One of the reasons why I love reflections. :-)
DeleteVery nice shot of the Robin on the fence. - You have such a great variety of birds. I like that lots of them seem to pose on fence posts for you. Loved the shot of the Goldfinch drinking water. Also like your barn shot with the oil painting edit.
ReplyDeleteSo many beautiful pictures, and the yellow irds has a great reflection!
ReplyDeleteThese are exceptional photographs. I too love the Goldfinch with its reflection, found the hawk and blackbird exchange fascinating, the robin on the fence, pretty scenery and all your bird close-ups fantastic. The flowers are very pretty also and I thank you so much for once again sharing them with Today's Flowers. Have a great weekend :)
ReplyDeleteYour bird photography is really gorgeous Kenneth. Love the fence shot and the last bird shot was so well captured. I hope you have a lovely weekend.
ReplyDeleteHello Ken!:) Such a delightful variety of birds and truly captivating images, of all the different Sparrows, the adorable Wren, and the more colourful Goldfinches, and Common Yellow Throats.
ReplyDeleteThe Red-winged Blackbirds are always a pleasure to see, and I loved the action shots with the Red-tailed Hawk. It's amazing that a smaller bird would challenge a Hawk!
Splendid images.
ReplyDeleteHello Ken, gorgeous photos and wonderful variety of beautiful birds. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteThe Bobolinks are both gorgeous birds! Love that little goldfinch drinking too. Beautiful photos! Enjoy your weekend.
ReplyDeleteAll wonderful photos of the varied birds ~ love the ones you captured on fences and posts ~ very creative ~
ReplyDeleteWishing you a Happy Weekend ~ ^_^
Beautiful shots. Very cute birds.
ReplyDeleteMiss these
ReplyDeleteNice pics of the birds. Love the goldfinch and the reflection.
ReplyDeleteFunny how things coincide - just back from Darwin, where a good part of the habitat is grasslands, which have been maintained by fire (natural from lightning, and from Aboriginal burning) - did not get has many shots of seed eating finches as I had hoped for - but there is always next year!
ReplyDeleteCheers - Stewart M - Melbourne
Beautiful images of birds.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Poland.
Monika B.
You have dozens of 'beautiful' here today! Wow...such an impressive array of song birds and colors. I too think the females are equally beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you, kindly, for stopping by I'd Rather B Birdin' this weekend to add this post to the linking tool. It's always appreciated by us birders and nature lovers!!
Fabulous photos! Love the goldfinch at the creek...they are all wonderful! The grasslands are beautiful and I really enjoyed your narrative. It's my understanding that, sadly, the original grasses are mostly gone, and in only a few spots in the Midwest there are areas where they are trying to preserve them. What we see are more modern species.
ReplyDeleteWirklich tolle Fotos. Mir gelingt das so nah nie. Und das Spiegelbild des Gelben, Daumen hoch!!!
ReplyDeleteThe landscapes and clear blue skies are just as beautiful as the birds you showcase! I was particularly taken with the bobolink pictures - we never see those up here. Migrations are already underway and I am sure the hummingbirds will leave in the next week or so. Always sad to see the summer birds leave.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, I especially love the goldfinches.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the prairie tour Ken; lots of birds I've never seen (the dicksissel particularly and most of those sparrows. And the bobolink with those amazing upside down patterns is fascinating. We spent a little RVing time in Illinois, not enough obviously and not in the right parts, because I actually forgot that it is a prairie state. We've visited places in Colorado that are set aside to preserve or return the native grasses to the prairie. Too bad that these grasslands nearly disappeared.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe I've ever seen a bobolink - they're beautiful! I looked them up and see that we're within their range, but neither my husband nor I have seen one.
ReplyDeleteThese are all great shots. Thanks for linking up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2016/08/purple-passion.html
What a lovely post and the red winged blackbird is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Dubai and will be back soon. Have a fantastic day!
Shantana
Excellent post!
ReplyDeletelove the photo of the GoldFinch in the creek..... beautiful....
ReplyDeleteLovely photos! You have a good eye. I have trouble focusing with my eye balls. Glasses are such a pain!
ReplyDelete