On Thursday I texted Jeanne, “Do you want to go out to the grasslands?” Of course she did. 🙂 The weather was absolutely perfect.
The prairie!
A tall Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) defies its name in height here.
Red sumac (Rhus) berries! Consumed by humans, other mammals, and birds.
Vine Mesquite (Hopia obtusa syn Panicum obtusa) seeds! Someone had been nibbling. Many species of birds will also find it nutritional.
It is not often we run across a lone bunch of Three Awn (Aristida). The Three Awn (Aristida) is going full force now. It reminded me of dandelion with the wispy awns. LOL.
The Three Awn with the Narrow-leaf Gayfeather (Liatris punctata var mucronata) was a wispy sight. Moreover if you don’t want your socks stuck with the awns, wear your leg gaiters! Three Awn is beneficial for songbirds for the seeds. Additional some birds and bees will use it as nesting material. Oh wait there is more, it is a host plant for skippers and satyrs according to Wildflower.org!
Certainly now is the time to see our beautiful LBJ National Grasslands!
Good work by Xerxes Society protecting all those critters.
No way to pick a fav funny photo – mantis? stuck squirrel? Gang of 4? Rock star? All just too doggone funny!
That’s a beautiful prairie. Will we never learn how devastating pesticides are? Sad
Good work by Xerxes Society protecting all those critters.
No way to pick a fav funny photo – mantis? stuck squirrel? Gang of 4? Rock star? All just too doggone funny!
Love the grasslands. Important to appreciate our grasshoppers.