Sheep Hill Bluff Prairie – 2024

[To see photos and stories of this prairie in other years, go to the links on the main Sheep Hill Bluff Prairie page.]

We didn’t mow at all this year – many prairie flowers bloomed and we saw almost no Queen Anne’s Lace. I cut and treated some Common Mullein and pulled Wild Parsnip, but otherwise weeds didn’t seem to be much of a problem.

The most exciting thing I found this year was one Northern Flower Moth on Sky Blue Aster on September 6. The DNR folks say they’ve never seen one in a planted prairie before. I was thinking it came from the population on Sumac Prairie – although it would have had to come through or over the thick overgrown savanna that’s in between. Now I’m wondering if there might be another population at the eastern edge of Sheep Hill Meadow. There’s a sharp drop off on that edge, and along and below it are many asters including Sky Blue Asters. It could be that some Northern Flower Moths have been hanging on there and I haven’t noticed them.

2/3/2024