by Carl Strang
Between trips to Indiana for parental care, and vacation days for research, I haven’t spent as much time as usual in Mayslake Forest Preserve. Life goes on there, of course, and I have some glimpses to share.
This summer’s deer have been more secretive than usual. This doe, photographed at the beginning of July, showed no signs of nursing.
However, she sometimes has accompanied another doe, and this week I saw tracks of a fawn, which I expect to encounter at some point.
There have been a few tawny edged skippers this year, a species I have seen at Mayslake before but not in most years.
A new species for the preserve list was Mydas tibialis, a large and impressive, flower-visiting fly discovered at Mayslake by Nikki Dahlin.
The rains of spring and early summer, along with the prairie burns, have resulted in Mayslake’s prairies blooming with unprecedented beauty.
The first swamp rose mallow I have seen blooming on the preserve.
Prairie blazing stars are just now peaking.
Banks of yellow coneflowers and wild bergamot are providing gorgeous backdrops.
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