« Spider Web | Main | The Hidden Life of the Decomposers »
October 10, 2005
Autumn on the Prairie
On September 27, I made a special trip out to the Ecology center with my camera. I wanted to capture the last colors of fall before winter's cold set in. Here are my thoughts and pictures from that day.
Before the Europeans set foot in North America, over half of the state of Missouri was covered in Prairie grasses. The soil was loamy, silty and fertile for the taking. Over time, Missouri's native habitat was transformed into farmland and urban development. Today less than 2% of natural prairie remains but there is a new movement within the Natural Sciences community to rebuild prairie habitat. The Missouri Botanical Garden here in St. Louis is doing a fantastic job of recreating prairie habitat. The MO Botanical Shaw Nature Reserve out in Gray Summit MO has some impressive prairie habitat and the Litszinger Road Ecology Center has a wonderful small piece of prairie land as well.
There is so much life out in the prairie of the Litszinger Road Ecology Center. (LREC) Right now most of the flowers are past their prime and beginning to die off, but some colorful blossoms remain.
Right now the Goldenrod is abundant and a flurry of life surrounds these beautiful prairie flowers.
The prairie is a harsh place and the grasses, flowers and animals that inhabit the land must adapt to a dry, hot climate. Prairie plants have roots that grow deep in the earth, deeper than other plants to be able to reach water. American Goldfinches nest later in the summer, past the time when all the other birds have raised their young. These birds time their nesting activity around the blooming of thistle and coneflowers so that they have a good food source for themselves and their young.
Goldfinches also lose their bright yellow feathers and take on a more drab appearance once Autumn sets in. Here are a few pictures of a female American Goldfinch.
As of September 27 a few hummingbirds were still found lingering around the feeder set at the edge of the prairie. But most of our ruby-throated gems have migrated south now.
This is life on the prairie during Autumn. I look forward to watching the land and its inhabitants change with the seasons. Stay tuned!
Posted by Colleen Crank on October 10, 2005 09:46 PM
Comments
Beautiful, colorful pictures! I had no idea this area even existed as a place to walk and enjoy!! I found the information interesting and well-written. I'll be looking forward to more from you!
Posted by Chris Bubbico on October 11, 2005 05:43 PM
Absolutely beautiful colors-great pictures!!! I will add LREC to my list of places to walk and enjoy. The information was interesting and well-written. I will be looking forward to seeing more from you!
Posted by Chris Bubbico on October 11, 2005 05:46 PM
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)