February on the Prairie

“The things most worth wanting are not available everywhere all the time.” —Alice Waters

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When you hear the word February, what comes to mind? Ice, maybe? Wind. Sleet. Snowstorms.

Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Hoffman Estates, IL.

Mud? We’ve had plenty of it this year, with warming temperatures in the Chicago Region and concentrated sunshine, turning our expectations for the frigid month upside down.

Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), Schulenberg Prairie Savanna, Willoway Brook, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

It’s a rollercoaster month. 50 degrees. Freezing. Snow. Spring-like temperatures.

In my backyard, hip boots are necessary to navigate the mud. As I make my way to the compost pile, swinging a container of coffee grounds and wilted lettuce leaves, the birds at the feeders take flight. So many!

Juncos. Cardinals. House finches.

House finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

A red-breasted nuthatch snatches a bit of suet.

Red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

In the evenings, the mourning doves gather on the heated bird baths for warmth, keeping a sleepy lookout for the Cooper’s hawk that frequents the backyard.

Mourning dove posse (Zenaida macroura), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

Did you know a group of mourning doves is called a “pitying” or “piteousness”? What a good collective noun! I see a few of these doves now, pecking along the porch for spilled seed.

In the mornings when I replenish the feeders, an eastern cottontail leaps away at my approach. She’s been snacking on birdseed. Birdseed? I read up on bunnies, and discover they like the sunflower, safflower, and other seeds that sift from the feeders.

Eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

If I look closely where the rabbit is foraging, I see our first spring bulbs are budding and blooming. Mixing these bulbs into the native prairie dropseed plantings along the back porch, where the flowers are easily visible from my kitchen window, makes doing the dishes less of a drudgery.

Crocus (Crocus sp.) coming up in the prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

So cheerful! I’m ready for a few flowers. Bring them on!

Our herd of chubby squirrels barely acknowledges my treks through the backyard. Her again. They look up—hopefully?

Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

Then, they return to their feeder reconnaissance. Lately, they’ve been nibbling holes in the finch socks packed with Nyjer seed. I didn’t think they’d eat Nyjer seed! Oh bother! as Winnie the Pooh says. Guess I’ll have to put a squirrel baffle on that feeder pole.

Gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL. Look at those spring bulb leaves!

A glance at the prairie planting across the back of the yard tells me, yes, it’s February. Everything sags. The planting is in tatters. Most of the seeds have long fallen, and the skeletal remains of sneezeweed, Joe Pye, compass plant and prairie dock are bedraggled and worn.

I leave the native plants standing for insects who overwinter and use them as temporary housing. A friend suggested that I wait until temperatures are reliably in the 50s for a few weeks before I clean up my prairie patch, for that reason. I may also cut and stack some of the old foliage to the side if a prescribed burn is in the works before then. We’ll see what weather the end of the month brings.

Meanwhile, I visit nearby prairies. Just the sight of them lifts my spirits.

Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

The sheer masses of native plants look less forlorn than my small prairie patches; there’s beauty in the aggregate. Snow? Depends on where you are. The snow still lingers on prairies a few miles north, where last week’s storm left a few inches behind.

Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Hoffman Estates, IL.

Near me, the prairie trails are full of mud, with snow left in the shady spots. But—the joy of blazing blue skies! Those crosshatches of jet contrails and random clouds.

Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Hoffman Estates, IL.

The smell of decay and fresh green shoots spearing through the mud and slush. The sound of running water as I cross the bridge over Willoway Brook.

Bridge shadows over Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, Lisle, IL.

The clamor of birds arriving and departing, both on the prairies and from my backyard feeders.

Northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL (2022).

February.

Shoe Factory Road Prairie, Hoffman Estates, IL.

I’m going to miss you in a few weeks when we wrap up the month. Yes. Really.

Later, as I stand on the patio, I hear something. Faint, then…Louder. LOUDER.

Sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis), over Crosby’s house in Glen Ellyn, IL (2-20-23)

I shield my eyes against the sun. It’s the sandhill cranes! They’re back!

Sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis), over Crosby’s house in Glen Ellyn, IL (2-20-23).

My pulse quickens.

Spring? It’s on the way.

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The opening quote was taken from This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader by Joan Dye Gussow (2001). In her book, she includes the quote from Alice Waters (1944-), an American chef, food activist, and author of several cookbooks and a memoir. Waters’ promotion of organic, sustainable food choices and gardening have been influential in promoting sustainability and healthy food, especially for school children who benefited from her School Lunch Initiative and Edible Schoolyard programs. Read more about Waters here.

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Join Cindy for a class or program!

Literary Gardens —In Person— March 7, 7-8:30 p.m.—In person. Hosted by the ELA Library and Lake Zurich Garden Club. Location change — now at St. Matthews Lutheran Church, Hawthorn Woods, IL. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit here.

Illinois’ Wild and Wonderful Early Bloomers ONLINE — March 15, 7-8:30 p.m., Hosted by Bensonville Public Library. Free and open to the public, but you must register for the link by calling the library. Contact information click here.

Illinois’ Wild and Wonderful Early Bloomers ONLINE –March 16, 7-8:30 p.m., Hosted by the Rock Valley Wild Ones. This event was formerly a blended program and is now online only. Open to the public; but you must register. Contact information is here.

The Morton Arboretum’s “Women in the Environment Series”: The Legacy of May T. Watts— (in person and online)—with lead instructor and Sterling Morton Librarian extraordinaire Rita Hassert. March 24, 10-11:30 a.m., Founders Room, Thornhill. Registration information available here.

See Cindy’s website for more spring programs and classes.

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Bell Bowl Prairie in Rockford, IL, needs your help! Find out more on saving this threatened prairie remnant at SaveBellBowlPrairie.