July 12 - Minnesota hills and prairies

My friends report to me that they are somewhat disgusted by my Blog being nearly two months out-of-date.  I point out to them that I could be working on keeping the blog current, or I could be out looking at birds, flowers and butterflies.  It's all a matter of priorities.

Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa

I ate a light breakfast at the Fergus Falls Super 8, and have to report that this motel had not all that much to recommend it; the breakfast was packaged waffles for toasting, and the coffee maker was broken.  I shrugged and drove out to Maplewood State Park, where birders had recently reported seeing Golden-winged Warbler, which would be a “Life Bird” for me.  This is Prairie Home Companion country, with Norwegian bachelor farmers along the way.

Real 'Mericans fly the Norksy flag . . .

I drove into the park, paying the $7 entrance fee, and up to Hallaway Hill to take the trail to the hilltop, and enjoying the views for an hour or so.

Lake Lida can be seen from the crest of the hill

And there were a few birds to be seen.

Clay-colored Sparrow

Yellow Warbler, all a-flutter

Chipping Sparrow

These hills, part of the Alexandria Moraine near the eastern edge of the Red River Valley, were deposited during the last ice age.

The Lake Lida Basin was formed when the last glacier retreated around 20,000 years ago and left ice stranded in a valley. The ice melted, exposing the basin and forming the lake.

Coming down from the hill, I saw that there are 25 miles of trails, mostly open for horseback.

I took the trails that looped from the Hallaway Hill parking lot, east and south past Andrew Lake, and back past Lake Lida and Beaver Lake & up the hill to return to the parking lot.

The park has a lot of prairie, much of it restored, and many of the trails pass through this habitat.

I ended up walking over 5 miles of trail, enjoying the prairie and woodlands, and the birds

Black-billed Cuckoo

and butterflies

This is the White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis arthemis

I've not yet looked this one up . . .

The butterflies above were mostly 'nectaring' on the ground, rather than on the many prairie wildflowers that were blooming.  Go figure.

Leaving Maplewood SP, I was intrigued by the title of a unit of the Felton Prairie, the Assiniboia Skipper Unit, northwest of the park.  I’d read that the collection of four units on the Felton Prairie has some excellent prairie habitat, and that the Assiniboia Skipper butterfly - which is listed as State Endangered in Minnesota - relies on the native prairie here.  I didn't see the butterfly, but I wasn't looking hard, either.

I drove along the road and stopped every 1/4 mile to see what prairie birds I might see.  As it was late in the afternoon on a hot day, I was happy to see 21 species.

I left the Minnesota DNR prairie, and went south to Highway 10, intending to cross the river into Fargo and get on Interstate 94.  However, the river was flooded and several roads and bridges were closed.  It took a while to make it to North Dakota, but I finally headed west, making it as far as Jamestown, where I checked into the Two Rivers Inn for the night.

Maplewood State Park Redstart

Maplewood State Park Hallaway Hill eBird Checklist is Here

Maplewood State Park Trails eBird Checklist is Here

Felton Prairie eBird Checklist is Here

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Maplewood State Park