Bearing Witness to Spring Green Preserve

Thus far this spring and summer I've made a rewarding effort to spend more time at Spring Green Preserve. It's been a on my bucket list for several years to observe the changing flora of this place. Therefore, on July 12, 2013, I returned to Spring Green Preserve to continue to bear witness to the changing flora at Wisconsin's desert prairie. My primary goal this trip was to reach the top of bluff. This is something that has eluded me for many years. Most visits, I find my time constrained by the hours I spend admiring the birds, insects and flowers along the first half mile or so of the trail. I also came to the prairie with the hope of seeing the rare fame-flower or adding a new species of tiger beetle to my growing life list.  

When I arrived shortly after 10 a.m., the temperature was still relatively mild by Spring Green standards, hovering around the mid 70s and sunny. Complimentary sprays of purple Hoary Vervain and yellow Sand Evening-Primrose greeted me along the path into the preserve. The temperature remained pleasant throughout my 5 1/2 hour visit. Though I still felt like I was baking as I traveled along the exposed desert prairie landscape.

Near the entrance kiosk, I spotted an unfamiliar brilliant reddish flower mixed in among the vervain and evening-primrose.

I concluded later this was Clustered Poppy Mallow which is listed as a "special concern" species for Wisconsin per Black and Judziewicz's Wildflowers of Wisconsin.

Clustered Poppy Mallow

I noted as I gazed across the prairie landscape, once again the predominant palate was yellow and green. However the yellows of the Hoary Puccoon and St. John's Wort of earlier visits were now replaced by Sand Evening-Primrose.

Punctured Tiger Beetles were easily spotted and actually quite common along the path leading across the prairie to the base of the bluff. In the sand blowouts, Big Sand Tiger Beetles were present as well. Although frequently encountered, neither the Punctured Tiger Beetles nor the robberflies were easy to photograph.  Most attempts to capture acceptable photos were thwarted by stealthy fleeing escapes or shady opportunities.

Punctured Tiger Beetle

Punctured Tiger Beetle

The robberflies were characteristically more skittish than the tiger beetles, fleeing in response to the slightest approach toward them. Fortunately, I lucked out when one was preoccupied long enough with its prey to allow me close enough for fairly decent photos.

Efferia albibaris robberfly

sand wasp, Bembix americana sp.

Early in my visit I acquired a rather annoying companion. I initially thought it was a hoverfly, but came to learn the creature was a sand wasp (Bembix americana sp). This wasp literally stayed with me for the first TWO PLUS HOURS of my hike.While I generally felt content on this day, I'll admit this insect was slowly driving me toward insanity by its constant buzzing about my person. I will also admit to having audible words with this creature. But my profanity was lost on its lower order brain. The sand wasp predominated such a large chunk of my time in the prairie, I began wishing it would land so I could take its picture and give it proper acknowledgement as the pervasive creature of the day. To my initial disappointment, it did not oblige with a photo op on my trek up the bluff trail. Eventually I lost its tail when I entered the shady woods where wasp buzzing was quickly replaced by the din of a dense population of mosquitoes. However as luck would have it, an hour or so later, when I returned from the woods, my persistent buzzing friend awaited me in one of the sand blows on the east side of the prairie. At this point, it was less interested in annoying me. Instead it was fiercely digging away in the sand, kicking up sand like only this maniacal wasp could do. I have to say, seeing it grounded was quite a stunning sight and this bug-of-a-wasp quickly became the star of my day. With the wasp now preoccupied digging, I was afforded a moment to capture the beauty that had escaped me earlier. 

Kicking sand

As mentioned, I did achieve my goal of getting to the top of the bluff. While I was hoping for a snake encounter, none were seen.  If you obey the sign indicating the "Bluff Trail Ends Here," this is your view... 

View from Bluff

I did encounter I few butterflies along the steep wooded trail that ascends to the bluff. Common Wood-nymph, Red-spotted Purple and Great Spangled Fritillary were among the species seen. Also in the shadier woods, I found the first Six-spotted Tiger Beetles I've seen at Spring Green Preserve. These were a particularly randy pair having a "good time" as only tiger beetles know how to do.

Common Wood Nymph

Six-spotted Tiger Beetles
(in a compromising position)

Great-spangled Fritillary

The insect orgy continued in the prairie where I spotted these copulating Eastern Tailed-Blues.

In contrast, the American Coppers were resigned to less risqué activities such as gathering nectar. These were the most numerous butterfly species encountered.

American Copper on Lead-plant

As for the birds, they too appear to have moved on from nature's drive toward copulation. The Grasshopper, Field and Lark Sparrows continued to be busy carrying mouthfuls of insects to nests at clandestine locations. Despite it being near mid July, all three of these sparrow species were still singing throughout the late morning and early afternoon. In addition, Dickcissels seemed more prevalent than prior visits and were quite vocal as well.

I was glad I decided to hike the entire bluff trail because this took me farther east in the prairie where I typically don't venture. It was here that I was pleased to find a small patch of the rare fame-flower.  Unfortunately no blooms were open in the early afternoon when I happened upon these plants. Being truly ephemeral, the flowers of this succulent only bloom for one day and only for a few hours in the late afternoon sun...quite an alluring little fact that makes me wish to return and observe this fleeting bloom on another more fortunately timed visit.

Fame-flower's succulent foliage

Fame-flower bud

Going further to the east I also found Dotted Horsemint and Prairie Tick-trefoil. The latter is a new plant species I've not observed before.

Dotted Horsemint

Prairie Tick-trefoil

And with I was nearing the end of my visit. While I didn't add any lifer tiger beetles nor see any reptiles or amphibians, I did achieve my goals of reaching the bluff top and seeing the rare fame-flower.  Also par for course were the unexpected discoveries of a intriguing "life" plants, robberflies and other insects that made for another spectacular visit to this magical place. Witnessing the succession of plants, insects and reptiles has been nothing short of amazing this season. I am impressed by the diversity and rapidly changing palate of flowers and insects seen in a relatively short span of time. I look forward to what other unexpected discoveries await me on my next visit.