BUTTERFLIES AND FLOWERS OF BLOOMFIELD DITCHES

Painted Lady on Bergamot.  The few and far between unmowed ditches of Bloomfield Township, Fillmore County, Mn  provide habitat for prairie flowers and therefore butterflies.

Monarch on Purple Coneflower.

Tiger Swallowtail on Bergamot..

Black Swallowtail on Bergamot.

Wild Turk's Cap (Michigan) Lily.

Hoary Vervain.

Culver's Root.

Lead Plant.  Past its prime, but still showing blue.

Rattlesnake Master

Purple Prairie Clover

Purple Coneflower.  This species of Purple Coneflower does well as a domestic and also a wildflower.  I collect the seeds in the fall and throw them to the wind-easy to spread.

Hysop on our prairie.

Thunderhead just north of Rushford, Mn about  9 Pm last night.  Could see lightening but could not hear thunder, so the storm was at least 30 miles away.

St. John's Wort.  Every few day a new flower appears on our little one acre prairie.

Wild Bergamot

Yellow Coneflower(grey-headed coneflower)

Rosin Weed

Black-eyed Susan and white fleabane in a new planting(really weedy), but this part of the prairie will look totally different next year-hopefully the Blazing Stars will appear.

We have been seeing quite a few young Killdeer lately.  They are not car smart, and we often have to slow down for them.

                             
                                        The Dickcissel has been singing everyday on our little prairie for over a
                                         month now.