More Movement for the Monarch Migration Here

The big push has now gone through - for the fall Monarch Butterfly migration...they're still trickling through but not in the high numbers of a week back.  We had over a hundred at our highest one evening and morning.  This was nothing like 15 years ago when that number was over a thousand and more, but it is a slight improvement over just a couple years ago when a dozen was not attainable.

 

 

 Monarchs in the prairie pasture goldenrod here

Photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 Monarch in the prairie pasture New England Aster here

Photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 Monarchs resting on the Gray-headed Coneflower seed heads

in the prairie pasture here

Photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 Monarchs roosting in the grove here

Photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 Monarchs roosting in the grove here

Photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

Now its up to the rest of their journey and the winter ahead in Mexico...I wish them the best of luck!

Monarch on Joe Pye

(photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison) 

click on image for a larger view

Late yesterday afternoon I was taking a photograph of this female Monarch butterfly on the Joe Pye weed next to the studio deck...somewhere in the back of my mind was the question - "When will the migration begin?  I believe it must be getting close."

"Valley Shadows and Clouds"

(photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison) 

click on image for a larger view

A bit later I noticed the clouds moving in with an intermittent breeze.  It felt like a front moving through.  I was distracted and spent some time looking skyward and photographing the landscape out front.  On my way back into the studio I noticed several Monarchs in the yard acting as if they were "gathering"; was a roost in the making?!!!

"The Roost Begins!"

(photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison) 

click on image for a larger view 

 

We actually had a roost in the yard - it wasn't a record breaker, like back in 2005 but it was a good first roost especially looking back the past 5 years here.

 

"A Small Roost"

(photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison) 

click on image for a larger view 

I could count 46 individuals; there were a few moving around so there certainly could have been more...tough counting these guys when they aren't totally settled in.

 

It's begun!  Lets hope for a good year for Monarchs in North America - and a safe winter ahead!

 

 

July Was Good...On To August!

 Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

I've been pressed to keep up with the progression of plants in the prairie pasture.  I know I've missed things, life gets in the way, but here are a few things from July.

 Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 Culver's Root  (Veronicastrum virginicum)

photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)

photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 Showy tick-trefoil (Desmodium canadense)  

photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) 

 photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) 

 photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) 

 photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 Big Bluestem in Morning Dew

 photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 Canada Milk Vetch (Astragalus canadensis)

 photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 False Gromwell (Onosmodium molle)

 photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 

 Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

 photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 

 Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum)

 photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 Narrow-leafed Purple Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia)

 photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)

 photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta)

 photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

 photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison 

 

There is change in the prairie here...nothing new, its just that we're seeing the end seasons approaching...the mid summer prairie plants, though still offering pollen to many interested bees and butterflies, are passing their peak "glory" and most are now forming seed heads.  

Last night I found the very first Dotted Liatris, Prairie Onion and False Boneset blooms of this new season; things will be progressing more quickly than I'd like now - the prairie bloom periods never last long enough for me!

I found a resting Monarch settling in for the night on some field goldenrod and a skipper feeding on some common milkweed; several small Bumble Bees still taking advantage of the Wild Bergamot's remaining blooms and a male Western Meadowhawk Dragonfly cruising the upper story of grasses and forbs.  I have yet to watch a Robber Fly, a Katydid or an Argiope this summer, and the Argiope spiders have been very scarce for two or three years now...a concern.

This is a bittersweet season, for when it comes and the flaming magenta and riotous yellows wow the senses - it seems to finish as quickly as it started.  Ah, but isn't that the way of things!?  One can never take something so special for granted.

Still...looking forward to what August has to offer - hope to see you on the Tallgrass!

Definitely Dog (and Frog?) Days...

 Adult Cope's Gray Tree Frog and tadpoles

in both of the rain barrels.

Mid summer and the heat is on...Dog Days of Summer comes to mind, but frogs have a mind of their own!  We had been having a lot of evening "music" in the yard here and in the valley below...love hearing the frogs sing at night!  Apparently some Cope's Gray Tree Frogs took a real liking to our side rain barrels and laid eggs there, which then gave us a bumper crop of tree frog tadpoles.  Only real drawback has been not being able to use water out of the barrels...it hasn't rained here in 16 days and the heat is oppressive in the yard and gardens.
 

 Rain Barrel Hotels

 

Little Cope's Gray Tree Frog still with a bit of it's

tadpole tail - with a dime for size comparison!

 A drink glass with just a few tadpoles.

 A Little goofing around (I hope!).

The tree frogs have been a fun diversion to the acreage...kind of takes me back to being a kid again!  My Mother would let me keep frogs, toads and turtles in the basement..."Free Range"!  We really were pretty bug free for a few years until I grew out of the menageries!

I actually became pretty good at raising frogs and toads - there were gallon honey jars everywhere (no honey in them of course!) filled with water and vegetation and tadpoles; it was a real blast watching the transformation.  Now-a-days it's just fine sharing a garden path with toads and frogs on occasion as well as enjoying the night music!

Aside from Herps I've been busy with a few Artisan Road Trip exhibits and a small solo showing....A.R.T has had 2 exhibits simultaneously in Minnesota and Iowa one at the Nobles County Art Center in Worthington, Minnesota and one at the Pearson Lakes Art Center in Okoboji, Iowa.  on August 1st we'll also have an exhibit at the Red Rock Art Center in Fairmont, Minnesota too.  On top of all that I have a small exhibit that'll run all summer (though August) at the Lost Island Prairie Wetland Nature Center at Lost Island Lake in Palo Alto County.

"Spring Bobolink"

oil painting - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

On top of all that I have a small exhibit that'll run all summer (through August) at the Lost Island Prairie Wetland Nature Center at Lost Island Lake in Palo Alto County, north of Ruthven, Iowa.

 

"Dickcissel"

color pencil drawing - © Bruce A. Morrison

The natural wetland areas around Lost Island are a particular favorite of mine; commingling the wetlands and the tallgrass prairie "is the best of both worlds"!

"Big Bluestem in Bloom"

color pencil drawing - © Bruce A. Morrison

The Lost Island Prairie Wetland Nature Center gives the public an appreciation and basic understanding of the wetlands and offers opportunities to enjoy the beauty of these natural treasures.  One of the goals of the Lost Island Prairie Wetland Nature Center is to give to give visitors the information and skills needed to make wise decisions regarding our natural resources, to become better stewards of the land and to make an impression that will last a lifetime.

Its been a busy summer so far! Catch the showing of select artwork on display July through the end of August - and take in the beauty of our wetlands and prairies while you're at it!  A win -win!

 

Hope to see you on the Tallgrass - tay cool out there! 

"Father's Day Rainbow"

photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

(click on images for a larger view) 

All is good out here on the prairie this spring - now summer is here and the native pastures here are picking up steam!  Its been a fairly dramatic here with the sky and weather as well; the clouds across the valley from the studio are beginning to take over my efforts with the camera and the easel.  

 

"Breaking Clouds Over the Rookery"

oil painting - © Bruce A. Morrison

(click on images for a larger view) 

I've been working with the sky out front on the easel as well as with the camera - this painting was my first plein air work in quite some time...it is easy to just sit out on the studio deck and paint away...oh I still get distracted constantly but it sure is convenient just outside the studio door!

On the studio deck!

 

I've looked at the rookery across the valley each spring and summer and always wanted to see if I could paint it in some way.  The breaking clouds one day this spring was the answer and I was lucky enough to be able to take advantage of it! 

 

"Valley Rain"

photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

(click on images for a larger view) 

But its really amazing what the weather will create for the "eyes"!  Whether it was the rainbow I barely caught in time, or the "Valley Rain" system that knocked the rainbow out of the sky and drenched me as I was trying to hide under the eaves of the corn crib!  Whatever and whichever - they were all fun to watch and do!

 

Hope to see you on the Tallgrass this summer - take care!