 |
Species of the Week |
|
|
|
We NOW HAVE A
GROUP FORUM!
|
Flower of the Week Critter of the Week Bird of the Week Insect of the Week
FLOWERS OF THE WEEK (May 17-23, 2008) Bird's-foot violet Viola pedata and Prairie violet Viola pedatifida (Violet Family Violaceae)
The bird's-foot violet is one of eleven different violet species found within the GLG-managed properties. There are eight blue violets, and this is probably the most striking of them all. The bird's-foot violet's leaves are divided into three narrow segments radiating from a single point. Each main leaf segment is usually further lobed and divided. All of the leaves are on individual stalks coming from the roots. The flower is mainly a pale-blue to rich violet in color, and the ones commonly found here have a half-white lower petal. The petals are hairless on the inside.
The Bird's-foot violet is usually found on sandy, rock soils in prairies and savannahs, but can also be present on mesic, black-soiled prairies. The Prairie violet is found more often on higher-quality soils, although it can be found on sand too, as the one in this photo was (just a few feet from some Bird's-foot violets). Both violets bloom in May and June. Some areas of the country can see a fall bloom for these as well. Look for these and other violets throughout the wildlife areas in open prairie settings and along roadsides. A good spot is along North Refuge Road near Rices Lake in Crex or Jimmy Carter Road and Stolte Road in Fish Lake Wildlife Area. BIRD OF THE WEEK (May 17-23, 2008) Redhead Aythya americana (Ducks and Geese Family Anatidae)
A relatively large duck, the redhead measures 18 to 22 inches. The male is gray in the back with a uniformly red head and black chest. The female is dull brown with a larger and rounder head than a female ring-necked duck. Both sexes have a pale blue-gray bill and a gray stripe on the wing. Redheads breed in marshes but are often found on large lakes. They migrate through Crex and can be seen from early to late in the spring migration. A pair was spotted here as late as May 11 this year.
Go to Previous Critters (mammals, reptiles, and amphibians CLICK HERE FOR WHAT IS BEING SEEN IN THE WILDLIFE AREA THIS WEEK! REFERENCES Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wildflowers. Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston, MA. Crudishank and Crudishank. 1958. 1001 Questions Answered About Birds. Dover Publications, Inc., New York, NY. Cutright, Harriman, and Howe. 2006. Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, Inc., Waukesha, WI. Elphick, Dubbibg, Sibley. 2001. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. National Audubon Society. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York, NY. Janssen, Tesson, and Kennedy. 2003. Birds of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Lone Pine Publishing, Auburn, WA. Ladd, Doug. 2001. North Woods Wildflowers. Globe Pequot Press. Guilford, CT. Ladd, Doug and Oberle, Frank. 2005. Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers, 2nd Edition. Globe Pequot Press. Guilford, CT. Mead, Kurt. Dragonflies of the North Woods. Kollath+Stensaas Publishing. Duluth, MN Tekiela, Stan. 2000. Wildflowers of Wisconsin. Adventure Publications, Inc., Cambridge, MN. Weber, Larry. 2006 Butterflies of the North Woods, 2nd Edition. Kollath+Stensaas Publishing. Duluth, MN http://www.answers.com/topic/crab-spider http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/PUBL/wlnotebook/bear.htm http://www.enature.com/fieldguides
|
|
|
|
***This website is brought to you by the Friends of Crex, a non-profit organization dedicated to SUPPORTING WILDLIFE AND WILDLIFE EDUCATION at the crex meadows complex*** FRIENDS OF CREX, INC. 102 EAST CREX AVENUE, GRANTSBURG WISCONSIN 54840 (715) 463-2739 www.crexmeadows.org |
|||
The 5 large orange stamens of the Bird's foot violet are prominent in
the center of this flower, which differs from the similar prairie violet
(viola pedatifida) which is densely bearded with hairs on the
lower half of their inside surfaces with no protruding stamens.
The Prairie violet's leaves are also divided into three segments with
further segmentation of each leaf segment. The flower is violet
purple in color. 