Every year I have one favorite prairie – this year it’s Buffalo Ridge.  All the purple and yellow flowers are blooming, and it’s full of birds.  There aren’t as many butterflies as usual this year.  Maybe because it’s been so cool, or maybe the birds have been too efficient.

Missouri Goldenrod, Yellow Coneflower, Monarda, Prairie Coreopsis, Fleabane

This one’s a runner up for favorite prairie – it’s the middle section of Western Prairie – 3 years old.

And this is the southern section of Western Prairie, 4 years old.

Here are some farm creatures from the last few weeks.

Black Dash female (Skipper butterfly)

Inchworm caterpillar on Oxeye – I don’t know the species.  This caterpillar eats parts of flowers, and will turn into a small moth.  I’m raising it so I can see what it turns into.

This was a cool find!  It’s a stack of eggs and newly hatched caterpillars of one of the Hackberry butterflies – either a Hackberry Emperor or a Tawny Emperor.  Both kinds of caterpillars eat Hackberry leaves.  I’m raising these too.

A very friendly Eyed Brown

Promethea moth eggs and newly hatched larvae  I’m raising these too, and hoping I’ll have enough next year to share.

I discovered a new part of the wetland this week.  I’ve been there before, but never paid much attention to it.  It’s a beautiful spot!  I’ve been pulling Wild Parsnip and this fall we’ll spray some of the big Reed Canary Grass areas.  But otherwise it has sedges, Swamp and Common Milkweed, and Joe Pye Weed, as well as lots of smaller wetland plants.

Wetland with Swamp Milkweed and Joe Pye Weed

Turk’s Cap Lilies, Joe Pye Weed and Swamp Milkweed

Turk’s Cap Lily

Two views of Pat’s Prairie

Spiderworts in Pat’s Prairie

Whorled Milkwort  This plant is very small and often overlooked – it’s only a few inches high.

Monarch on Oxeye