Short Trip Through the Prairie

After meeting with the Emiquon Corps of Discovery at Dickson Mounds Museum, I drove through the prairie to see if the Cardinal Flower was still in bloom. I found several of the brilliant red plants blooming at the foot of the bluff along Prairie Road:


I found several Anise Hyssop plants blooming, which is rare in Illinois. Typical habitats include upland areas of prairies, such as the one at the base of the bluff here at Emiquon. It may also be found in scrubby barrens and thickets.


The cup flowers had almost finished blooming by mid-August.

Summer Sunrise at Emiquon

The summer of 2011 was sweltering here in Fulton County, as in much of the nation, and I didn't venture out very often. Early one day in August, I woke to find the temperature had dropped into the upper 60s. A cool front! So I headed to the Lake Observatory at Emiquon Nature Preserve's newly opened visitor center.

 From the boardwalk at the Lake Observatory, I could see across the lake to the Wetland Observatory, which was silhouetted against the morning sky.

Crop Dusting the Valley

Mid-July a flurry of crop dusting took place, with planes flying directly over our little house on the bluff.

Simmering July 2011

July was a hot and humid month, with temps around 100 degrees, heat index even higher. I didn't get out much. But I did stop on the way along IL 78 to take some photos of a couple of barns in disrepair. They will not be with us long. I keep telling myself to take a picture while I can, so I finally did!




Later in the month, on a trip to Peoria, I stopped at the sunflower field north of Banner Marsh. I love sunflowers in July!

From the Top -- Emiquon Wetland Observatory

Black Saddle-bag and Common Green Darner dragonflies patroled the area by the Wetland Observatory. I was able to capture this one dragonfly in flight. The others were mere blurs against the background as they changed course and zoomed out of focus.


I turned back on the steps to the upper level of the observatory and took a photo of IL 78/97 as it heads up the bluff. The Nature Conservancy owns the upper woodlands on both sides of the highway.


Double-crested Cormorants and Cattle Egrets rested on the snags out on the far side of the lake.


Looking back the other way, I captured the boardwalk in the setting sun.


The canoe launch sat empty and unused, yet peaceful against the blue sky.

Emiquon in June on a Not-So-Humid Day

After a week or so of oppressive humid heat in early June, some cooler air blew in over the Emiquon Wetland Observatory.

As I entered the compound from the highway, I paused and looked south towards Havana. Bright blue sky and billowing clouds filled the sky behind the remaining foundations left over from farming.


Looking North, the trees that once surrounded the farm houses and buildings stood tall on the grass emerging after the year-long construction project.


The Lake Observatory is closest to the boat ramp. The boardwalk reaches out over the edge of Lake Thompson.


Looking north across the lake from here I could see the long boardwalk leading to the Wetland Observatory.




Looking to the west towards the highway and the upland bluffs of Morton Mounds, a semi-truck passes by.


I started out on the boardwalk that crosses the wetland on its way out to the observatory.


Long ropes of algae made patterns in the water.


As the humidity began to rise, clouds formed over the bluffs.


And a Red-winged Blackbird called out to mark his nesting territory.


A female Red-wing also stood watch nearby.

Clark Road in June

On a walk along Clark Road, I found some Assassin bugs on various types of vegetation.




The apples on the old apple tree that grows along the road, one of the few of an original orchard planted by one of the settlers along Clark road, had a few apples beginning to form.


From the mowed path leading from Clark Road to the wetland, you can see the growing bottomland forest trees planted by TNC back in the spring of 2009. One day, I will not be able to see the lake from this spont for the trees!


Quite a few Blue Dasher dragonflies were cruising along the path, pausing every now and then on a dried stem or blade of grass.




A pair of Red-tailed Hawks worked the area from high above.


Moth Mullein, Purple Vetch, and Wild Parsnips were in bloom.








Grapes were forming in the vines growing along the tree-lined creek that runs beside the path.


Large patches of Prairie Thistle are establishing themselves in the prairie.






An Indigo Bunting sang a brief song before disappearing into the tree line.


Dragonflies flew overhead, underfoot, across the path in front of me, and on both sides. A few were nice enough to land briefly for photographs.






While photographing a bug landing on the leaf of a milkweed plant, I found a green tree frog camouflaged against the leaf.




Duckweed covered the creek that the beavers dammed earlier in the spring.