Let's Get Hiking and Learning - July 2024

Prepare for the slow hot days of July and take advantge of learning opportunities that abound in the Driftless region! For more information on the trips, where available, please click on the brown event titles for a link to the program or hike.

Be sure to check often during the month with local hiking groups, universities, naturalist-interest groups, nature conservancies, nature centers and their Friends groups, state parks, US Fish and Wildlife centers and others in your area to see what's new to help you understand the natural world around you better.

Bats of the Blufflands - Bat Count

 - Friday, July 5     8:30-9:30pm

 - Whitewater (MN) State Park

Learn about Minnesota's bat population and the dreaded White Nose Syndrome that threatens their world. We will separate fact from fiction about these fascinating little animals. Program participants will aid in ongoing scientific research at the park by counting bats emerging from their daytime slumber. For more information, Contact Jeremy Darst at 507-312-2301 or by email at Jeremy.Darst@state.mn.us. Sponsor: Whitewater State Park

Introduction to the Avenza Maps app

 - Friday, July 5     3-3:30 pm

  - Whitewater (MN) State Park

Worried about getting lost in the woods? Feeling a little directionally challenged? This is the program for you! During this short program we will show you how to utilize the free Avenza Maps app to navigate any state park like a pro. We will walk you through installing the app on your phone and how to use it step by step. We'll also look at some of the apps more advanced abilities. Sponsor: Whitewater State Park

Saturday Morning Hikes with a Naturalist

 - Saturdays July 6, 13, 20, 27          10-11:00am (ish)

 - Frontenac (MN) State Park

Take a short, guided hike with volunteer naturalist, Bruce Ause! Bruce will lead visitors along trails through the upland area of the park pointing out a variety of natural features as they are encountered. Dress for the weather and bring sun and tick protection. Binoculars and cameras are nice accessories, but not necessary. The hike will last about an hour. This event is free. Vehicles entering the park are required to have a State Park vehicle permit. Permits are $7 per day or $35 for an annual sticker. Meet at the Campground Kiosk at 10 a.m. Sponsor: Frontenac State Park

Community Climbing Days

 -Saturday, July 6    10:00am-1:00pm

 - Sugarloaf Bluff

Don't miss out on this chance to try something new at our upcoming community rock-climbing days! We've heard from some folks that they feel like they're not "outdoorsy" enough for climbing, but we want to assure you that we have options for everyone, from total beginners to those looking for a bit more of a challenge. And don't worry if you've never climbed before! We'll provide all the gear you need, and our awesome guides (who are SPI-certified, by the way) will be right there with you every step of the way. You don't need to bring a partner either - we'll belay you ourselves so you can focus on having fun and enjoying the climb. If you’ve never been to the bluff, don’t fret—we’ll have guided hikes to the top twice throughout the morning, at 10 and 11:30. If you're new to hiking or feeling nervous, this is a wonderful chance to meet some friendly faces and enjoy a leisurely hike to the top. Our volunteer guide will provide some interesting tidbits about the environment and answer any questions you might have. Check this link for more details to this free program. Sponsor:Winona Outdoor Collaborative

Starry, Starry Night Public Sky Observation

 - Saturday July 6   8:30-10:30 pm

 - Frontenac (MN) State Park

Join the Rochester Astronomy Club in the picnic shelter at 8:30pm for a presentation about public sky observation. The viewing event will take place at 9:45pm in the picnic area of the park. Club members will set up their telescopes in "stations" which will allow visitors to observe and learn about different celestial phenomena. Visitors can come and go as they please. More information can be found here.  Important note: This event may be cancelled last minute in the event of bad weather or severely limited visibility. Check the above website or call the park (651-299-3000) for the latest updates. This event is free, but vehicles need to display a valid MN State Park permit upon entering the park ($7 for a one-day permit, $35 for a year-round permit). Permits may be purchased at the park office before or during the event, or online anytime.  Meet at the Picnic Shelter. Park in the overflow parking area. Sponsors: Frontenac State Park & State Park Association and Rochester Astronomy Club

Preschool Nature Explorers

 - Tuesday July 9    10-11:00 am

 - Frontenac (MN) State Park

Join us for this free monthly program series for preschool children  to learn about nature in the Lake Pepin area. We'll read stories, make nature crafts and explore outdoors. Children must be accompanied by an adult. As part of the program, state park vehicle permits will be provided when you arrive at the picnic shelter. Additional dates: Aug 13; Sept 10; Oct 8. Sponsors: MN DNR, Project Get Outdoors; Frontenac State Park Association, Lake City and Red Wing Public Libraries

Guided Forest Bathing Walk
- Monday, July 8           5:30-7:30pm
Nature Place, Myrick Park, La Crosse

The Nature Place partners with Char Peterson and Kati Thompson, certified Forest Therapy Guides,  for a guided Forest Bathing walk. This event is an immersive experience that is designed to relax and recharge both the body and mind. Our walk will be less than a mile on relatively level ground and is appropriate for ages 16+. Modifications can be accommodated for all physical abilities.To learn more about Forest Bathing visit: www.anft.earth. $15 per participant - cash or check in advance or at time of event. Contact: Steph@natureplacelacrosse.org to register or ask any questions about the event. 25% of the proceeds go towards youth programming at The Nature Place. Sponsor: The Nature Place

Friday Foray: Hiking Off the Beaten Path

 - Friday, July 12         9am-11am

 - Whitewater (MN) State Park

Come join us for an early morning hike off the beaten path. During this hike we will be leaving the trail system behind and visiting a place that most people have never seen. We will be traveling over uneven terrain and through underbrush, so hiking boots and pants are recommended. Meet at the Visitor's Center Bring Transportation, Registration is required - contact Jeremy Darst at 507-312-2301 or by email at Jeremy.Darst@state.mn.us. Distance: 2.5 Miles, Elevation Gain: 250ft Sponsor: Whitewater State Park

Bird Walk - Campground

 - Saturday July 13    9-11am

 - Frontenac State Park

Meet at the Frontenac State Park campground shower building at 9:00 AM. and walk through a mixed habitat of prairie and woodland looking for resident birds that specialize in these areas. The trail is mowed grass and is well maintained. Bring your binoculars or borrow some from the park office. No need to register. If you have any questions, email janetmalotky@gmail.com. This event is free. Vehicles entering the park are required to have a State Park vehicle permit. Permits are $7 per day or $35 for an annual sticker. Sponsors: Frontenac State Park and  the Frontenac State Park Association.

 Wilderness Weekends with Emily

 - Saturday, July 13        9:30-11:30 am

 - Location TBD

Wilderness Weekends, led by Emily Gorman, is an environmental education program offering an immersive experience to explore the ecosystems and ecological treasures of Winona County. Join us to discover, appreciate, and protect the region's natural wonders. Sponsor: Winona Outdoor Collaborative

Raptors
- Saturday, July 13           7-8:00pm
Wildcat Mountain State Park
Join Abbey Krumrie from River Valley Raptors for an interactive program about raptors. Meet some live raptors and learn about the differences between their adaptations. Please, no pets because they may scare the raptors. Meet at the Amphitheater. WI Vehicle admission is required. Sponsor: Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park

Early Birds Hike: Off the Beaten Track

 - Saturday, July 20   6:00-7:30am

 - Whitewater (MN) State Park

Join us on an early morning hike up the bluffs. We will travel to a rarely visited spot in the park and soak in the morning sunshine while enjoying an amazing view. Along the way we will enjoy the sights and sound of nature, as the animals wake from their nighttime slumber. Meet at the Visitor's Center. Long Pants and Hiking Boots are recommended. Registration is required - contact Jeremy Darst at 507-312-2301 or by email at Jeremy.Darst@state.mn.us. Distance: 2 Miles, Elevation Gain: 300ft. Sponsor: Whitewater State Park

Highlights Hike - Eagle Point

 - Friday, July 26     9-10:30 am

 - Whitewater (MN) State Park
The trails in the park all have unique historical and ecological tales to tell. During this hike we will learn about some of the unique stories this section of the park's trail system can tell. Come join us for some great views and enhance you appreciation for this wonderful trail. Distance: 1 mile. 200ft elevation gain and stairs. Contact Jeremy Darst at 5073122301 or by email at Jeremy.Darst@state.mn.us for more information. Sponsor: Whitewater State Park

The Unhuggables

 - Saturday, July 20       7-8:00 pm

 - Wildcat Mountain (WI) State Park

Join Scott Lee as he presents about various critters that people aren’t real comfortable with. The ones we don’t want to hug. The program will include a live ball python as well as a wolf, skunk and several other pelts, an owl mount, skulls and other “hands-on optional” animal props. Please meet at the Amphitheater. WI Vehicle admission is required. Sponsor: Wildcat State Park

Sand Point Bird Walk

 - Saturday July 27,   9-11:00 am

 - Frontencac (MN) State Park

Walk through the riparian forest and along the beach to Sand Point. Look and listen for resident forest birds such as warblers, orioles, thrushes, wrens, and sparrows, as well as gulls and raptors. Bring binoculars. The trail is well maintained and flat. The full loop is approximately 2 miles long, but you can head back whenever you need to. No need to register. If you have any questions, email janetmalotky@gmail.com. This event is free. Sponsors: Frontenac State Park and  the Frontenac State Park Association.

What Are Mussels?

 - Saturday, July 27     1-2:00 pm

 - Frontenac (MN) State Park
Learn about unique and interesting freshwater mussels and why they are an important part of healthy streams and lakes in Minnesota. Also learn about what the Minnesota DNR is doing to help restore freshwater mussel populations across the state. Meet at the picnic shelter. This program is free. Vehicles need to display a valid MN State Park Permit upon entering park. Please stop by the office or purchase beforehand. $7 one-day permit, $35 year-round permit.  Sponsors: Frontenac State Park, Lake City Mussel Lab and  the Frontenac State Park Association.

 Shakespeare in the Parks - Midsummer's Night Dream

- Saturday July 27          5:30 workshop; 7-9:00 pm performance
Perrot (WI) State Park
Kings, queens, fairies, lovers and sprites all collide in an enchanted forest one midsummer night, proving that “the course of true love never did run smooth.” One of Shakespeare's most popular comedies takes us on a beguiling odyssey full of mistaken identities, misguided passions, love potions and magic spells. The Summit Players Theater is a traveling theatre company that presents free, accessible Shakespeare workshops and performances to audiences at Wisconsin state parks. The workshop is at 5:30 p.m., recommended for ages 8 and up. The show is at 7 p.m. Location: Nature Center. Bring a blanket or chairs! Contact: Justin.Wershofen@wisconsin.gov Sponsor: Perrot State Park

Volunteer Stewardship Project Seed Collection

 - Wednesday, July 31     4-8:00pm

 - Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Kellogg MN

Join us in collecting native prairie seed at Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, an ancient sand prairie near the confluence of the Mississippi, Zumbro, and Chippewa Rivers. Volunteers will help search for and collect native plant seeds. Tools, instructions, and good camaraderie will be provided. Bring water, lunch, and dress for working in the weather. If you have your own gloves you'd like to use, please bring those as well. Footwear appropriate for outdoor work/hiking is recommended. Events will be led by naturalist Sara Holger, Footwear appropriate for outdoor work/hiking is recommended. There are no maintained trails, public restrooms nor access to drinking water on these sites. From Kellogg 5.5 miles E and S on Co Rd 84. E on Twp Rd 141 about 0.2 mile, stay left at fork and continue about 0.375 mile to parking at end of field road. For more information, contact Sara Holger, SNA Contract Naturalist at 507-951-5885 or by email at driftlessnaturalistllc@gmail.com.

MN Master Naturalist Course Offered in Winona

Has the nature bug hit you? As you hike and enjoy the outdoors, do you want to go beyond using apps like Merlin and PictureThis to dive more deeply into all that nature offers throughout the year? Are you always looking for ways to encourage people to enjoy the outdoors?  Do you want to be an active steward for the land?

If you are nodding yes to any of these, then the MN Master Naturalist volunteer course may be for you. You don’t need any special expertise other than a love of the outdoors for this course. It provides the grounding to build on that love through hands-on learning and field days along with tons of resources to grow your knowledge.

The multi-day, 40 hour course is offered through the University of MN Extension. It is taught by experienced naturalists who open up and widen your knowledge base so you can earn your certification and do all of the above.  

MN offers three biome-centered course and the Big Woods, Big Rivers course, which focuses on our Driftless region, is being offered for the first time nearby in Winona for two weeks in this August (the nearest location before this was Rochester)! The instructor is Sara Holger, who founded Project Get Outdoors and works as the Driftless Naturalist bringing outdoor experiences to children and people of all ages. She long taught the course at Whitewater State Park.

The course textbook and the course itself provide deep information and valuable resources to help you to understand and interpret our area ecology, natural history and unique features.

The course immerses you in information, activities and hands-on field experiences that help equip you to be a volunteer in your community and area in promoting the outdoors and being a steward of the land. 

After certification, you volunteer 40 hours annually in outdoor/nature related activities that can include doing citizen science, assisting organizations and communities in nature-based service (Arbor Day plantings, invasive control work, serving on boards and commissions, organizing events or interpretive programs, etc). Your training helps you be a knowledgeable volunteer and advocate for organizations you work with and with the public.

Eight of your 40 volunteer hours are devoted to training. Attending online webinars or outdoor-related classes, attending conferences and going on guided hikes are just a few ways to add to your knowledge and expertise. It helps equip you to better serve your community.  Those 40 hours annually keep your certification up - and let's face it - it's just fun to add to your knowledge base!

I found the ongoing volunteer opportunities to be abundant. I serve on our city's Park and Rec Commission and Natural Resources Advisory Group; provide interpretative programs at libraries and in other educational settings, volunteer for invasives control and created and write this blog to encourage others to discover the wonders of the Driftless regions many trails, flora, fauna and fungi. 

For me, the opportunity to use this blog as a link for people to encourage hiking and deeper discovery of the natural world has been profound. And your learning cohort become friends and colleagues that support you in your ongoing learning and work.

Becoming certified as a MN Master Naturalist volunteer was a life-changing experience. There are so many ways to give back to organizations and communities through knowledgeable volunteerism. 

I hope you too can be part of this experience through the Master Naturalist volunteer course and certification.

I Spy on the Trails - June 1-15, 2024

Checking plant IDs with Jon Rigdon
at TPE Marowski Bluff hike
Image Nola Larson

I could characterize these two weeks as "giant learning labs" for me. So much of my time outdoors involved guided hikes sponsored by The Prairie Enthusiasts (TPE) or the Natural Resource Foundation of WI (NRF). Add in a NRF canoe trip in the backwaters of the Mississippi  near Ferryville WI and you can say I really went to school.  

Each of these learning opportunities was powerful. I went on three TPE guided hikes. The knowledgeable TPE members and trip leaders revealed the history of both Mound Prairie and Marowski bluffs. They also eagerly identified rare plants and shared their knowledge of these and their work in prairie restorations.

Nicky Buck on
He Mni Cha Bluff

In the case of the TPE-sponsored hike on He Mni Cha (formerly known as Barn) Bluff in Red Wing, we learned about Dakota history,  and use of prairie plants in healing and medicine from our guide Nicky Buck, a member of the Prairie Island Indian Community. She also helped us see the connection between land and people and caring for the land.

Unbloomed death camas
Mound Prairie SNA

All the TPE hike leaders pointed out rare plants and the interdependence of these plants on each other. These remnant hill prairies are preserved by the good work of teams of TPE volunteers who work on the bluff prairies to restore them to health and eradicate non-native invasives. Each prairie was a marvel of diversity and rare plants.

A final TPE-sponsored hike on June 15 introduced us to the recently acquired Marowski Bluff near Ferryville. There is much restoration work to be done there. We hiked around up and down this steep praries for less than than a quarter mile. Even so, the plant list for that hike (listed below) was eye-opening.  Spectacular views of the river and IA bluffs greeted us on the steep prairie. While we didn't hike far, we learned tons about how the prairie was acquired, plans for the restoration and the importance of prescribed fire on this fire-dependent ecosystem. Kudos to TPE folks who worked so hard to acquire and now restore this land!

Natural Bridge rock formation

Biologists at the NRF Natural Bridge State Park and SNA trip also shared history of the area as well as plant identification. The park is experiencing an infestation of spongy moths (formerly known as gypsy moths). We learned about their life cycle as well as efforts to eradicate them using natural methods. It was odd walking through the forest to the constant and insistent pitter-patter of spongy moth caterpillar droppings.

Luckily, this trip ended with an opportunity to learn more about native bumblebee species, their life cycle and identifying marks. I am pumped to try my new bumblebee ID skills in the field! You can up your skills by visiting WI's Bumblebee Brigade webpage to help learn more about and identify our local bumblebees.

Atop Mound Prairie Bluff
with Scott Leddy our TPE guide

If you haven't lately, I highly recommend going on a guided hike. You'll learn a ton from really knowledgeable subject experts while in the field. You can find a monthly list of learning opportunities on the last week of each month for the next month in my monthly "Let's Get Hiking and Learning" column. You can find June's events here.

On the phenology front, the weather over these two weeks was sunny and in the 70s with a few days of rain scattered throughout. I appreciated the rain so I could catch up on reading,  blogging and landscape chores around the homefront!

The birdsongs were quieter in the open prairie bluff areas (and we were out later) than in the forested areas I often hike in. Despite some rain days, there were plenty of days to hit the trails and see the wonder of June in the Driftless area!

Because each of these two week's of hikes was so unique, I decided to split out the plant life I encountered into separate sections. 

Hiking tip: the dry sand prairies in the Driftless area are particularly glorious right now and anyone of any ability can walk through the Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge, Holland Sand Prairie, Mathy Quarry and Hixon Forest prairies. You'll be gobsmacked by the floral exuberance.

Plants

Mound Prairie SNA, MN (TPE) - hill prairie

• Clasping milkweed

  

  Small skullcap
  Image -Betsy Knowles

  
  
• Short green milkweed
• Narrowleaf milkweed
• Whorled milkweed
• Cream white indigo
• Small skullcap
• Palespike lobelia
• Harebell
• Prairie smoke
• Fringed puccoon
• Yellow salsify
• Death camas
• Black-eyed Susan
• Yellow star grass
• Blue-eyed prairie grass
• Ox-eye daisy
• Flowering spurge
• Prairie fleabane
• Lyreleaf rock cress
• Prairie groundsel
• Wood betony
• Leadplant
• Prairie rose
• Pasque flower leaf
• Horsetail
• Ninebark

Natural Bridges SNA, WI (NRF) - hardwood forest/wetlands

• Smooth rockcress

  

  Eastern giant swallowtail
  Natural Bridges State Park

• Mayapples
• Poison ivy
• Yellow salsify
• Nettles
• Upright carrion flower
• False Solomon’s seal
• Lady fern
• Rock cap fern
• Ebony spleenwort
• Bulblet bladderfern
• Spiderwort
• Angelica

He Mni Cha (Barn) Bluff, MN (TPE) - hill prairie

• Burdock root

  

  Ground plums
  He Mni Chi Bluff

  
  
• Pasque flower ( unbloomed)
• Leadplant
• Ground plum 
• Hoary verbena
• Wild prairie rose
• Penstamon 
• Rough blazing star (unbloomed)
• Candle anemone
• Orchard grass
• Canadian black snakeroot
• Yellow salsify
• Prairie groundsel

Holland Sand Prairie, WI  - sand prairie

• Spiderwort 

  

  Swallowtail butterfly on hoary puccoon
  Holland Sand Prairie

  
  
• Prairie smoke
• Large beardstongue
• Hairy beardstongue
• Yarrow
• Lupine (leaves and seed pods)
• Candle anemone
• Prairie June grass
• White sagebrush
• Carolina larkspur
• Rough blazing star (unbloomed)
• Hoary alyssum
• Hoary puccoon
• Leadplant
• Wild bergamot (unbloomed)
• Canada goldenrod (unbloomed)
• Clasping milkweed
• Common milkweed
• Purple coneflower
• Ox-eye daisy
• Stiff goldenrod
• Red sorrel

South Park, Houston MN  - hardwood forest/remnant hill prairie

• Death camas

  

  Death camas
  South Prrk, Houston

  
  
• Harebells
• Lady fern
• Interrupted fern
• Sensitive fern
• Maidenhair fern
• Green milkweed
• Upright carrion flower
• Sweet cecily (past bloom)
• Jack-in-the -pulpit (past bloom)
• Canadian honewort
• Flowering spurge 
• Hoary puccoon (past bloom)
• Bastard toadflax (past bloom)
• Stiff tickseed
• Canada ginger (past bloom)
• Leadplant
• Candle anemone
• Scarlet elf cap
• Dryad’s saddle
• Oyster mushroom
• Coral fungi
• Haploa moth
• Many butterflies who wouldn’t stay still for ID ;>

Marowski Bluff, WI (TPE) - hill prairie

• Whorled milweed
• Wild germander
• White snakeroot
• Blackberry lily (non-native)
• Goatsbeard
• Coreopsis
• Wild bergamot

  

  Seven-spot ladybird on wild bergamot
  Makowski Bluff

  
  
• Virginia mountain mint
• Leadplant
• Skyblue aster
• Silky aster
• Common boneset
• Northern bedstraw
• Licorice bedstraw
• Eastern bedstraw
• Prairie dropseed
• Prairie brome
• Ground cherry
• Tall thimble weed
• Pussy toes
• Hoary puccoon
• Bloodroot
• Mayapple
• Canadian honewort
• Harebells
• Prairie junegrass
• Flowering spurge
• Grey headed coneflower
• Rough blazing star
• Wood sorrel

Wildlife

• Snowy egret

  

  Spongy moth caterpillar

  
  
• Great blue heron
• Prothonotary warbler
• Yellow warble 
• Field sparrow
• Indigo bunting
• Red-eyed video
• Yellow-throated vireo
• Eastern peewee
• Eastern towhee
• Wood thrush
• Yellow-bellied sapsucker
• Hairy woodpecker
• Blue jay
• Cardinal
• Robin
• Rose-breasted grosbeak
• Wild turkey 
• Tufted titmouse
• Indigo bunting
• Scarlet tanager
• Beaver
• American Eagle
• American pelican
  
• Eastern giant swallowtail
• Tiger swallowtail
• Harvestman spider
• Spongy moth caterpillar
• Seven-spot Ladybird

What are YOU noticing on your hikes?

Two weeks of hikes:

Mound Prairie SNA, Hokah, MN; Natural Bridge State Park, North Freedom, WI; He Mni Can (Barn) Bluff, Red Wing; Riverside Park, La Crosse WI; Holland Sand Prairie, New Amsterdam, WI; South Park, Houston MN; Marowski Bluff, Ferryville WI 

Heading up the steep prairie
at Mound Prairie SNA

All images, unless otherwise noted - Marge Loch-Wouters

Naturalist’s Corner - Many Mayflies

In this month's column, our guest is Steve Dietz, a bird watcher who was part of my 2022 Master Naturalist volunteer cohort. He is also a member of the Frontenac State Park Association and the State Parks and Trails Legacy Advisory Council. As an avid birder, when not enjoying the dawn chorus, he is working to enhance FSP's bird-friendly habitat and resources. In this timely article (Mayfly hatches are beginning soon), Steve explores some of the cultural history of a key bird food source - mayflies. This article first appeared in the June 2024 Frontenac State Park Association newsletter.

Further afield: Mayflies in science, art and on your windshield by Steve Dietz

Last July we told you about the ecological importance of mayflies as both food source and bioindicator. Since they are such a phenomenon— thankfully so—throughout the summer, we thought we’d flesh out their story with more details.

Such as this one from the famed German artist Albrecht Durer’s 1495 print “The Holy Family with the Mayfly,” where he included a mayfly in the lower right-hand corner to indicate, presumably, the ephemeral nature of life and, some scholars suggest, a “cosmic resonance between sacred and profane, celestial and terrestrial, macrocosm and microcosm."

Think about that for a second or two.

Albrecht Dürer, The Holy Family with the Mayfly,1495-/1496. 

 Source: National Gallery of Art

In art and literature, mayflies commonly represent life’s fleeting quality. Consider this description in the Epic of Gilgamesh, circa 2000 BCE: Ever the river has risen and brought us the flood, the mayfly floating on the water. On the face of the sun its countenance gazes, then all of a sudden nothing is there.

It is important to remember, however, that in the mayfly’s pre-adult, nymph stages, it can live for more than a year underwater. Their adolescence ends in a brief but spectacular adulthood. Their relatively long composite lifespan, however, makes them an important bioindicator, subject as they are to water quality over time and not just in passing.

Mayflies are perhaps not as well known as American Woodcocks for their aerial displays of courtship, but in fact they don’t just mate in the air—they perform an elaborate dance that might be described as up-and-down movement, like a winged horse moving steadily if jerkily skyward. When the mayfly stops beating its wings, it gently falls, its abdomen almost vertical.

Check it out some summer evening. So sexy.

Left: Mayfly by Jan Sadeler after Maerten de Vos, detail from “The Fifth Day: The Creation of the Birds and Fishes,” 1587. Right: "May-Flies in Sunset Dance" by Philip Henry Gosse in a Victorian edition of Gilbert White's “Natural History of Selborne.”

Mayflies often emerge in large numbers. That’s likely an evolutionary survival strategy, since any single mayfly is less likely to be eaten, statistically, when protected by the sheer numbers of the swarm, while at the same time, the hatch is an all-you-can-eat buffet for fish and birds. The hatch is often so large that it can be captured on radar by the NOAA weather station downriver in La Crosse, Wis., which has a web page for tracking mayflies.

Mayfly emergence, NOAA radar Imagery (La Crosse, WI),
June 1, 2023; 8:5 4-10:16 pm.

Next time you are shoveling dead mayflies off your patio or cleaning your windshield, take a moment to appreciate that they have ancestral traits probably present in the first flying insects, a storied history in art and literature, indicate a healthy ecosystem, and can cut a pretty move on the dance sky.

Thanks Steve! 

If you enjoyed this article, I highly recommend subscribing to the Frontenac State Park Association monthly newsletter edited by journalist and MN Master Naturalist volunteer Pamela Miller. It is full of lively nature articles, events at the park, poetry and photos that invite you to step out and learn about our natural world.

Goodbye to a Grand Old Eagle's Nest

Locals who drive WI Highway 35 between Winona and La Crosse have had a spectacular sight along the way once they reach the Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge. A massive eagle's nest that was perhaps 40 years in the making, towered in the floodplain forest on the north side of the refuge and could be easily spotted from the highway - especially after leaf-fall until leaf-out in spring. 

I thought of it as the ultimate high-rise lodging.

The "high-rise" eagle's nest, Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge
Image - Kris Lawson

During a severe storm system on the evening of May 21, with damaging high winds the old tree and its heavy nest came crashing down. 

The National Eagle Center reported on their Facebook page nullabout this grand old nest's demise:

"Several times over the years we have shared photos of what is undeniably the most impressive nest along the Upper Mississippi River. Located just south of Winona, MN along highway 35 on the Wisconsin side of the river stood a mammoth Bald Eagle nest that was impossible to miss. It stood out on the landscape and had done so for decades!

Until last week.

Severe thunderstorms moved through the region and high winds damaged many trees, including this tree. Given the likely hundreds of pounds of weight from the nest and the force of the wind, it all came crashing down. This is the natural end for nests; eventually, the tree either dies and falls, or the nest becomes so large and heavy that the tree collapses under the weight. It marks the end of an era and a very impressive run for a nest that defied belief for those who laid eyes upon it.

We've heard speculation that this particular nest could have been upwards of 40 years old, dating back to the early 1980s. If that was indeed true, it would mean that that particular nest was one of the first nests to be built in the area as the Bald Eagle population began to rebound from near extinction in the 60s and 70s. What a legacy! The sheer size of this nest certainly makes it plausible that that was the case. Goodbye, old friend! You helped a lot of eagles enter into the world."

I am happy I had a chance to see this behemoth before it's end. It speaks to me of why we hike and explore the outdoors - to see and experience everything that nature has to offer. It helps us realize that nothing lasts forever. It also helps us appreciate each fleeting flower, plant, fungi and creature as we come upon it.

I Spy on the Trails - May 16-31

Rain, sun, rain, sun, rain, sun...well, you get the picture. The past two weeks have been challenging for hiking for many, including me. With all the moisture, everything is growing by leaps and bounds.  The lawn, the vegetable and herb gardens, the landscaping (and all those happy weeds) have been calling more strongly than the trails when the weather is good.  So although I was on the trails less than I had planned, I caught up with all my yard - and computer - work and got in a ton of reading!

Fields of lupines at
Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge

Two of the hikes over the past two weeks were on new trails or new parts of trails and it was amazing how much in those two hikes that I spotted/heard. It really highlights how quickly things change once spring and the growing season hit.

The bird migrations are starting to slow as migrators stay or continue onward to more northern nesting grounds. There are still surprises in the birds one finds.

The early delicate ephemerals are starting to fade as the hardier and longer lasting flowers of summer push their way up and cover the forest and wetlands. We are still about 10-14 days ahead of last year although cooler nights are slowing the mad growth slightly. The lupines are stunning right now and trilliums are starting their time in the sun.

Weather patterns continue to indicate frequent rains. After last year's drought, I can't complain.

Plant Life

• Jack-in-the Pulpit
• Lady fern

  

  Thigh-high Jack-in-the-pulpit
  South Park, Houston
  Image - Michaeleen Bonner

  
  
• Sensitive fern
• Interrupted fern
• Ostrich fern
• Wood fern
• Hoary puccoon
• Fringed puccoon
• Lupine
• Hoary verbena
• Downy phlox
• Yellow salsify
• Poke milkweed
• Black snakeroot
• Wood betony
• Lyreleaf rockcress
• Large-flowered bellwort
• Leadplant
• Spiderwort
• Golden Alexander
• Prairie rose
• Leafy spurge
• Prairie groundsel
• Large beardstongue

  

  Scarlet Elf cap fungi

  
  
• Sage mugwort
• Bluntleaf sandwort
• Twoleaf miterwort (bishop’s cap)
• Littleleaf buttercup
• Bird’s foot violet
• Prairie blue-eyed grass
• Pussytoes
• Columbine 
• Hairy sweet cecily
• Wild geranium 
• False Solomon’s seal
• Mayapple, blossomed
• Rue anemone
• False rue anemone
• Canada anemone
• Golden ragwort
• Virginia waterleaf
• Marsh marigold
• Nodding wakerobin (drooping trillium)
• American stoneseed

  

  Prairie smoke

  
  
• Robin’s plantain
• Smooth horsetail, blossoming
• Wintercress
• Dryad’s saddle
• Oyster mushrooms
• Scarlet eld cap mushrooms
• Crown-tipped coral fungi
• Compass plant (unbloomed)
• Cup plant (unbloomed)
• Meadow Rue (unbloomed)
• White indigo
  
• Prairie smoke
• Lanceleaf coreopsis
• Hoary alyssum
• Prairie cinquefoil

Wildlife (seen, hear, detected)

• Woodchuck

  

  I see the deer and the deer sees me!
  Image - Kris Lawson

  
  
• Muskrat
• Deer
• American eagle
• Great blue heron 
• Green heron
• Sandhill cranes
• Eastern wood peewee
• Eastern towhee
• American redstart
• Prothonotary warbler
• Yellow warbler
• Yellow-rumped warbler
• Common yellowthroat
• Warbling vireo
• Red-eyed vireo
• Yellow-throated vireo
• Bell’s vireo
• Indigo bunting
• Scarlet tanager
• Blue-gray gnatcatcher
• Great crested flycatcher
• Willow flycatcher
• Barred owl
• Rose-breasted grosbeak
• Pine grosbeak
• Tufted titmouse
• Ovenbird
• Gray catbird
• Brown-headed cowbird
• Eastern kingbird
• Eastern bluebird
• Orchard oriole
• Baltimore oriole
• Barred owl
• Northern cardinal
• American robin
• Red-winged blackbird
• American goldfinch
  
  

  

  Silver-spotted skipper butterfly

• American crow
• Song sparrow
• Field sparrow
• House sparrow
• White-throated sparrow
• Chipping sparrow
• White-breasted nuthatch
• Red-headed woodpecker
• Red-bellied woodpecker
• Hairy woodpecker
• Yellow-bellied sapsucker
• Wood thrush
• Monarch butterfly
  
• Karner blue butterfly
• Red admiral butterfly
• Eastern swallowtail butterfly
• Black swallowtail butterfly
• Silver-spotted skipper butterfly

What are YOU noticing on your hikes?

Two weeks of hikes:

South Park, Houston MN (2); Lost Creek Trail, Chatfield MN; Prairie’s Edge Trail, Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge, Trempealeau WI (2); Riverside Park and International Gardens, La Crosse WI; Appleblossom Overlook Park, Winona County MN; Upper Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Visitor Center, Brice Prairie WI

Lupines in their glory, Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge
Image - Kris Lawson

Unless noted, images by Marge Loch-Wouters