Prairie Works is the source for ecological and landscape services in Northwest Illinois. Prairie Works can assist on projects large and small ranging from prairie and woodland restoration, invasive species control, controlled burning, bio-engineered erosion control and landscaping through the use of native plants. Prairie Works offers an environmentally friendly and dynamic solution to traditional land use practices and strives to connect people to the natural history of the area.

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Archive for the 'fauna' Category

Winter and the Woolly Bear

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on October 23, 2008
in Blog, fauna, seasonal and weather
. 0 Comments

Woolly BearWith winter slowly starting to form we are all hearing varied predictions of how severe this oncoming winter will be. Last year, we were hit with one of the harshest winters in history making the curiosity level high. Will this be the case again?

Long range forecasts from meteorologists, weather statisticians, and the Farmers Almanac are all producing inconsistent predictions. Ranging from mild and dry to cold and snowy. So due to technical difficulties. Let us focus on our most time tested predictor of winter weather, the Banded Woolly Bear or Woolly Worm (Pyrrharctia isabella).

Folklore tells us that the Woolly Worm will produce a larger rusty band if the oncoming winter is to be mild and a thinner band if the winter is to be harsh. The Woolly Bear is often seen in October as it is seeking shelter for the winter.

Beggining in 1948 Dr. C. H. Curran, curator of insects at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, started researching this tale. Between 1948 and 1956 he found that the Woolly Bear can be 80% accurate. His yearly findings were published in the New York Times making the catterpillar one of the most identifiable insects in the United States. Today Woolly Bear festivals are held in Ohio, Kentucky and North Carolina to celebrate this speculating insect.

Have you seen a Woolly Bear?

http://www.almanac.com/preview2000/woollybears.html The Truth About Woolly Bears (From The Farmers Almanac)

 

Badgers

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on July 20, 2008
in Blog, fauna and native species
. 0 Comments

Recently, I have been noticing an increasing amount of presumed Badger activity in the area with hole digging, eye witness accounts or tracks from the creature. I have decided to crash course myself in Badger and have found some very interesting information.

The American Badger (Taxidea taxus), is a fossorial carnivore, meaning its spends most of its life digging and being underground. Badgers inhabit much of the great plains but are scattered throughout the Upper Midwest. They prefer open areas such as prairies, pastures and fallow ground preferably with loose dirt to ease its digging practices. Badgers prey on Squirels, Rabbits, Mice, Moles, Gophers and when those populations are low they will settle for snakes, insects and birds.

 

 

Some interesting facts about Badgers include:

  • Badgers reproduce by delayed implantation, where mating occurs in mid-summer but eggs are not fertilized until December. They give birth to an average of three cubs in March or April.
  • During the winter months Badgers enter torpor, a semi-hibernation state where they will rise in and out of sleep every 29 hours.
  • When challenged the Badger can release a musky odor, similar to a Skunk’s survival tactic but not as powerful.
  • Their digging claws can reach lengths of 4″.
  • They have been known to dig through concrete and asphalt.
  • Badgers will hunt with coyotes to utilize both of their skill sets most efficiently and share the kill.
  • Badger hair is used for shaving and paint brushes.
  • In the middle ages Badger vs Dog fights would be arranged for gambling entertainment, much like illegal Cockfighting today.
  • Their burrows are called setts.
  • One unwilling Badger used as a mascot at a Wisconsin high school football game escaped and dug its way under the football field creating humps and holes throughout.
  • Early settlers in southwest Wisconsin would live in underground lead mines during the winter months, thus receiving the nickname of Badgers. Later, this created the state’s official animal and mascot, The Wisconsin Badgers 
  • Bucky Badger, the University of Wisconsin mascot, was once replaced by a raccoon because the live mascot was too ferocious to handle. It was call ‘Regdab,’ Badger spelled backwards.  

Bager Tracks contain many pads and prominant claws up front.

badger_sound If you hear something like this, you may have a Badger.

http://www.prairieworksinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/badger_big.jpg Me with the largest Badger I have ever seen.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Badger For more information

Mountain Lion Happenings

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on February 25, 2008
in Blog, driftless area and fauna
. 0 Comments

Puma concolorThe Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) is an elusive mammal and the largest member of the cat family in North America. Other names for this animal include: Cougar, Puma, Panther, Catamount and many local variations including the Wisconsin Puma and Florida Panther. As of late, this creature has been receiving some attention locally. 

Last month a sighting was confirmed near Janesville, WI. It was the first confirmed sighting in Wisconsin in a century, although there have been hundreds of ‘probable’ accounts. A mountain Lion was killed by a train in downstate Illinois in 2000 and ’possible’ and ’probable’ sightings have been common since. Most of the sightings have been along the Mississippi River corridor and in Shawnee National Forest.  

Here in JoDaviess county, sightings have been occuring for several years now but no solid evidence yet. Last week I was called to investigate a possible sighting of a cougar in a tree. After an hour of tracking and searching for hair samples we declared the sighting as ‘possible’.

One of the pictures used in the false emailRecent Email Hoax - Coincidentally, two weeks ago an email started to circulate around the area. This email stated that a Cougar was seen near Elizabeth, IL on someone’s deck. Four very eerie pictures were attached and it provided some good shock value. However, the pictures originated from Montana in 2003 and the same email and pictures has started rumors in different parts of the country. Some people contacted me about it, Thank you. If you received this email, IDNR officials have told us that it is not true. A quick Google search will also confirm this.

What does all of this mean? Well, Cougar populations have been rising out west and some individuals have moved eastward. Cougars have the largest range of any mammal on the continent. Being able to cover 75 miles a day, cougars will expose themselves occasionally. The probability of sightings will increase during their high travel months. Hunting and bounty killings essentially eliminated the Cougar from existence in this area 100 years ago. With that pressure now removed, reproduction and survival rates can increase. We can expect this trend to continue and expect to have more ‘confirmed’ sightings in the Midwest in the future.

Cougar Track - 4 pads up frontIf you think you have seen a Cougar or its tracks please contact one of us as soon as possible:

Cory Ritterbusch, Prairie Works, 815.751.7400

Chris Kirkpatrick, JoDaviess Conservation Foundation, 815.541.3494

Emily Lubcke, The Galena Territory Association, 815.777.2000

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-cougar_22feb22,0,4931096.story  Read the Chicago Tribune article

Brush Piles

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on December 13, 2007
in Blog, fauna, invasive species, land management, seasonal and woodland
. 0 Comments

Typical Brush PileNow that snow has fallen and temperatures have dropped, the controlled burn season has ended and the brush clearing season has begun. Our woodlands are easily traversed now and the ground is solid, making invasive brush removal efficient and reducing disturbance. Invasive shrubs, low quality trees, and understory woody species that are crowding Bur and White Oaks are easily removed in the winter.  Invasive shrubs include species such as Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.), Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) and Prickly Ash (Xanthium strumarium). Low quality trees include Box Elder (Acer negundo), Black Locust (Robinia psuedoacacia), Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana) and Maples (Acer spp.). When spring begins the cleared woodland begins to recover from encroachment. Byproducts of this management technique are low quality firewood and brush piles.

Brush Piles for HabitatBrush piles are constructed by placing the cut materials into piles. Brush piles make for less labor hours, prevent machinery from entering the restoration area and provide habitat for a variety of fauna. Songbirds use the top branches for perching and the small dead peices for nest building. Mammals, such as fox, rabbit, bobcat, squirrel and coyote, will utilize brush piles for dens if they are remote or for shelter in inclimate weather. Many amphibians use them for those same purposes and countless insects utilize the decaying wood. 

Burning Brush PilesWhen brush is very dense there can be many piles created or piles can become very large. In this situation, specfic piles can be burned to eliminate the quantity and size of them. Blowers with cruise control settings are used to consume piles faster and to reduce the size of the burn scar that is created. An inexpensive and easy-to-establish seed mix should be planted on top of the burn scar to assist in healing and to provide a starting point for native grasses to spread.

 Newly constructed piles are sometimes larger than desired but they will usually decrease by 50% as gravity and snow weight compress them to a shorter stature. There are three options for managing brush piles: they can be lit on fire shortly after they are piled, they can remain on site as habitat or they can sit until a controlled burn is performed, at which time the piles are consumed. In very large restoration projects a pit us dug and several thick tree trunks are layed across the top. Piles are then constructed on top of that while air is injected into the cavity below. This pit fire method consumes piles very quickly and leaves the ash to fall in the hole, which is then filled with soil.

A seemingly simple task turned into a science by land managers. 

Bobcats

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on November 13, 2007
in Blog, driftless area and fauna
. 0 Comments

Lynx rufusRecently, a bobcat was sighted within the city limits of Galena, ILL. This serves as a reflection of the status of the bobcat population regionwide. The last two decades has seen a surge in the population, especially in Northwest Illinois and adjacent Iowa.

The Bobat (Lynx rufus) was once a contemporary of bison, elk, and wolves in the wild pre-settlement times. The changing of the landscape to agriculture and bounty killings in the 1800s led to plummeting populations. High pelt prices, indiscriminate killing and little government protection in the 1900s continued this trend. In the 1980s the Bobcat was thought to be absent from the agricultural Midwest. During the late 1970s Illinois and Iowa placed the Bobcat on their lists of state-threatened species. During the 1990s sightings became more common and by 1996 92 of Illinois’ 102 counties had at least one reported sighting. The Bobcat was removed from the threatened species list in Illinois in 1999 and from Iowa’s in 2003. Iowa is currently conducting its first Bobcat trapping season this fall in over three decades. Wisconsin, always having a stable population in the Northern half of the state, is now experiencing common sightings in the Southern half.

Why is this happening? There are several reasons. First, popularity of trapping and pelting has decreased as has the pelt price for Bobcat. The average pelt price in 1982 was $70.67 in 2003 that price had dropped to $67.23. That has left little encouragement for the trapper. Secondly, several states banned the sport including Illinois, Iowa and Indiana allowing the population to rebound. Third, the threat of Bobcats to farmers has decreased as farms have become less diverse. Fourth, land use has changed as more goverment programs are available to create wildlife habitat and more recreation grounds are purchased.  Therefore, the Bobcat can increase its range.

The driftless area offers great habitat for Bobcats. Its steep ravines with small caves offer excellent den opportunities and shelter. Early winter offers the best time to see and hear Bobcats. The males begin to squall and yowl to gain attention of passing females during the night during upcoming mating season. With open woods and a cover of snow one must keep their eyes peeled to catch a glimpse of the wild cat of the Midwest.

 http://dnr.state.il.us/orc/wildlife/furbearers/bobcat.htm Illinois DNR Description

http://www.iowadnr.com/wildlife/files/bobcat.html Iowa DNR Description

The Passenger Pigeon

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on November 6, 2007
in Blog, birds, fauna and history
. 0 Comments

Passenger Pigeon IllustrationThere are parts of our living world that are in such great abundance that it is difficult to imagine without it. Consumables such as air and water could fall in this category; but how about living creatures. How about the American Robin, the most common bird in North America. Do you think it could ever vanish and go extinct? Probably not but this is exactly what happened to the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) 100 years ago. Once the most numerous bird in our hemisphere it became extinct within 100 years of human intervention and it may be the only species in which the exact time of extinction is known. 

The Passenger Pigeon once had flocks so large that it would darken the sky for hours as they passed. It comprised 40% of all birds that existed in the 1800’s. The nesting colonies covered as large as 850 square miles of forest. A bird population that has no comparibles, it is hard to fathom these large quantities today. Many factors contributed to the demise of the Passenger Pigeon which included: Hunting for it’s food, using it as fertilizer, shooting for sport, habitat destruction and disease. Many creative and cruel methods were used to kill the bird as it began to harm valuable crops when agriculture came to the frontier.

The last Passenger Pigeons to exist in the wild were at Babcock Wisconsin 1899 and Pike County Ohio where it was eliminated on March 24, 1900. Martha, who was held in captivity at the Cincinati Zoo died at 1:00 P.M. on September 1st 1914. At that time it joined the ranks of many others living creatures to become only an American memory.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Pigeon Wikipedia

http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmnh/passpig.htm The Smithsonian

The Nebraska Sandhills

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on September 21, 2007
in Blog, birds, fauna, flora, history and travel
. 2 Comments

Cory South of Valentine, NEI often feature natural areas within a reasonable distance from Northwest Illinois. However, there are some places that are so unique and fascinating that they must be included as an option. In 2005 the Natural Areas Association had its annual meeting in Lincoln, Nebraska. We decided to attend four days of seminars and then head off for a week, exploring the great Nebraska Sandhills that we had heard so much about. Since our first trip it has served as a close destination 550 miles west on route 20.

Photo by Michael ForsbergThe Nebraska Sandhills are not kown by many, other than botanists and cattlemen. It plays second fiddle to the Kansas Flint Hills as the best representation of pre-settlement vegetation on a large scale. The Nebraska Sandhills is an area of 19,600 square miles (1/4 of the state) of sand dunes that are covered in native grasses and forbs with clean lakes and marshes scattered between. Early on, settlers realized that the land could not be farmed and it immediatly became an area conducive only to light grazing. In 1904 the Kincaid Act was passed and it allowed homesteaders to claim 640 acres (a square mile or one section), much more than the 160 acres previously defined by the Homestead Act of 1862. The act was created specifically for the sandhills region and is responsible for the hugeness of the land holdings there today. It is now one of the most remote areas of the United States. So sparse, in fact, that Cherry County is similar in size to West Virginia, while holding only 6,098 people, half of which reside in Valentine, NE. This results in a population density of one person per 1.02 square miles. Only areas of the backcountry in Alaska and North Dakota can compare. Land is discussed in sections and the term “acre” brings up odd looks.

Windmill - Photo by Michael ForsbergBecause of these extremes you have an ecosystem that is largely intact. The cattle density is very low due to the fragility of the sand dunes. The ranchers know very well the damage that can be done once a sand “blow out” occurs. Some of the prairie species that occur in the shortgrass and sandy prairies in the Midwest are also found here and feed the prized cattle. The extensive root systems and sandy soils assist in filtering water of the Ogallala aquifer, the worlds largest, which lies beneath the endless sand dunes. Exotic plants make up only 7 percent of the entire flora here - an amazingly low number when compared to the fertility of the Midwest. The area also supports large numbers of birds and mammals, it is the namesake to the Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) and Forbes magazine called Grand Island, NE the number one destination in the world for bird watchers. 

If you travel to the Sandhills region be prepared to not see many people, fill up with gas when you have the opportunity, not sleep at Holiday Inns (we slept at someone’s house once) and be overwelmed by its vastness and ranching traditions. You will also realize that windmill repair and maintenence is an actual industry here. There are several campgrounds and B&Bs throughout and recreational opportunities available, especially near Valentine.

I will never forget the pleasure I had when a hungry sales shark was trying to sell me a timeshare in Orlando, Florida. She asked me where I enjoyed vacationing the most and where I took my last vacation. I didn’t realize that honesty was also the best way to end her sales pitch. The Nebraska Sandhills are located within an easy 9 hour drive from Galena, IL off of route 20.

 http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial/na/na0809.html National Geographic Article

http://www.thenebraskasandhills.com/index.html 

Thomson-Fulton Prairie

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on August 11, 2007
in Blog, driftless area, fauna, flora, prairie, remnant ecosystems and travel
. 0 Comments

Thompson-Fulton Prairie - AugustJust a few miles South of Thomson, IL, and a few miles North of Fulton, IL, is the appropriately named Thomson-Fulton Sand Prairie Nature Preserve. Thomson-Fulton is a 212-acre sand prairie that is a great representation of typical Illinois sand prairies. It also serves as a great alternative to those who cannot gain access to The Savanna Army Depot.

Thomson-Fulton has great plant diversity and looks different each time I visit. Being the vegetation is sparce and short, it makes for an easy walk. Reptile lovers may find this prairie particularly interesting as snakes and lizards are found in great numbers. The six-lined-racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus) are in very healthy numbers here. The state record Bullsnake, Plains Hognose Snake and Eastern Garter Snake were all recorded here in 1997. This prairie serves as a great area for ecological study by scientists from both Illinois and Iowa.

Thomson-Fulton is highly reccomended prairie to visit. It is located west of route 84, 1.25 miles North of Lock Rd.

http://dnr.state.il.us/INPC/Directory/Sitefiles/Area1/thowh.htm  

Spring Green Prairie

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on August 3, 2007
in Blog, fauna, flora, prairie, remnant ecosystems and travel
. 0 Comments

Spring Green Sand PrairieOne of the great benefits to living in Northwest Illinois is its access to great natural areas. Some very fine remnant ecosystems are within a leisurely drive. I would like to introduce Spring Green Prairie Preserve. Located just North of Spring Green Wisconsin, this 260 acre tract offers many unusual sights for the plant, bird, reptile, and insect lover.

Known locally for generations as “The Wisconsin Desert” this is a dry and sandy prairie with an upland savanna. The area is owned together by the Wisconsin DNR and The Nature Conservancy with management being performed by the latter. It was designated as a state natural area in 1972. Restoration efforts have been ongoing since and from observations made on my visit, they will continue for a while. At the prairie one can view dozens of rare plants, birds, insects and maybe see a lizard.

A trip to Spring Green Prairie can be done in conjunction with viewing Taliesin, the Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece. Taliesin is located just South of Spring Green. Viewing Taliesin and Spring Green Prairie together is a wonderful way to view prairie style architecture and prairies themselves. You cannot help but notice how the surrounding landscapes were integrated into Wright’s design. 

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/sna/sna102.htm Spring Green Prairie Preserve http://www.taliesinpreservation.org/ Taliesin

Common Birds Declining

Published
by
Cory Ritterbusch
on July 26, 2007
in Blog, birds, environmentalism, fauna and news
. 0 Comments

The National Audubon Society released a survey in June that our country’s most common bird species are declining at an alarming rate. The data compiled is based on the famous Christmas Bird Count which has taken place every winter for 107 years by us, the citizens. Twenty of our most common birds have declined on an average of 68% - some as high as 80% - since 1967.

Of the twenty common species the Northern Bobwhite has seen the greatest decline at 82% and finishing at number 20 is the Ruffed Grouse at a 54% decline. In between, beloved birds in decline include: Evening Grosbeak, Boreal Chickadee, Meadowlark, Field Sparrow, Grackle, Whip-poor-will, and the Northern Pintail duck.

Why is this happening? Audubon points towards urban sprawl, an increase of invasive species, intensive agriculture practices and habitat fragmentation. Veryln Klinkenborg of the New York Times wrote a great article on the matter a few weeks ago. She wrote, “The Audubon Society portrait of common bird species in decline is really a report on who humans are. Let me offer a proposition about Homo sapiens. We are the only species on earth capable of an ethical awareness of other species and, thus, the only species capable of happily ignoring that awareness. I don’t suppose that most Americans would actively kill a whippoorwill if they had the chance. Yet in the past 40 years its number has dropped by 1.6 million. We look around us, expecting the rest of the world’s occupants to adapt to the changes that we have caused, when, in fact, we have the right to expect adaptation only from ourselves.”

The report certainly has offered a lot for analysis and maybe not just about birds. Read the full report here: http://www.audubon.org/