“It was that day when the end of summer intersects perfectly with fall.” —Ann Patchett
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High daytime temperatures which hovered around 100 degrees last week have given way to nights in the 50s. Grateful, we open our windows to the cool breaths of air.
Hiking sounds like fun again.
Let’s go see what the prairies are up to.
A few tattered tiger swallowtails hang around the thistle nectar bar, possibly humming “staying alive, staying alive.”
If you’re an insect, there is so much to be done at the end of August on the prairie. Avoid birds. Answer any final mating calls. Eat. Eat some more.
Eyes seem to watch us from behind every leaf.
Overhead, green darner dragonflies swirl, fueling up for migration.
In a few weeks, the swarms of dragonflies and troupes of monarchs will be gone.
I wonder what they’ll be up against as they make their journeys, with Hurricane Idalia unleashing her winds and rain in the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. Fly safe, little ones.
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After leaving Wolf Road Prairie, we realize we still haven’t had enough tallgrass for the day. I look at Jeff, and he looks at me. Russell R. Kirt Prairie is close to our house. Let’s go!
Once there, I scan the skies. Not a single monarch in sight this afternoon, despite the excellent work going on to record them on special wipe-off boards at the trailheads (kudos!).
But other little creatures are everywhere. Can you find one?
But the dragonflies—wow—they fill the prairie airspace here. Maybe we should be counting them! Green darners. Black saddlebags. Wandering gliders.
We admire the wildflowers and grasses as we hike the circular paths, then head for home.
In our backyard, the birds continue their assault on the zinnias. I planted extra flowers this season, so I don’t begrudge them the seeds.
Well…not too much, anyway.
The sparrows splash in the birdbath, and a bedraggled squirrel stops by for a fountain drink.
It should be a peaceable kingdom. But… not so much. Hummingbirds battle the wasps and bees at the nectar feeder.
I should swap the little feeder out for the bigger one that has the bee guards. I’ve been too lazy lately to do it. As I watch, the hummingbird gives up and tries the the zinnias.
But someone else got there first.
There’s always the hyssop by the patio. They love that. But wait!
What’s a hummingbird to do? Ah well. Soon, they’ll be headed south, foraging through gardens and prairies as they go. They add such pizazz to the prairies and our backyards. I miss them already.
August has been such an amazing month. So many intriguing wildflowers!
So many fascinating creatures.
As the wildflowers go to seed…
…and the grasses begin their rule on the prairies…
…there is an endless supply of discoveries to be made. What a beautiful world it is, at the end of August.
Why not go see?
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Ann Patchett (1963-) is the award-winning author of Bel Canto (2001) and many other bestselling works of fiction, most recently Tom Lake (2023). As a child, she didn’t learn to read until third grade. Patchett lives in Nashville, TN, where she is the owner of Parnassus Books.
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Upcoming Programs and Classes
September 6 — The Tallgrass Prairie: Grocery Store, Apothecary, and Love Charm Shop, hosted by Field and Flower Garden Club, Lake Barrington, IL. (Closed event for members)
September 11— Literary Gardens, hosted by the Long Grove-Killdeer Garden Club, Barrington, IL (Closed event for members)
September 21-– The Tallgrass Prairie in Art, Music, and Literature, hosted by the Lincolnshire Garden Club (Closed event for members).
September 26 — Dragonflies and Damselflies: The Garden’s Frequent Fliers, 1-2:30 p.m., hosted by the Itasca Garden Club (Itasca Park District Recreation Center). Free and open to the public!
September 27 — Literary Gardens, 7-8:30 p.m., hosted by the Barrington Public Library (Barrington, IL). Free and open to the public! For more information and to register, call 847-382-1300.
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A note to my wonderful readers: Jeff and I are celebrating our 40th anniversary by visiting 40 natural areas over the summer and fall this year. Please let us know where you think we should head to next. Thanks to everyone who has sent ideas! So far, we’ve enjoyed visiting the following places:
Kayaking at #1 Rock Cut State Park (Rockford, IL); hiking at #2 James “Pate” Philip State Park (Bartlett, IL); #3 Potato Creek State Park (North Liberty, IN); #4 Indiana Dunes State Park (Porter County, IN); #5 Indiana Dunes National Park (Beverly Shores, IN); kayaking Silver Lake at #6 Blackwell Forest Preserve (Wheaton/Warrenville, IL); hiking #7 Belmont Prairie Nature Preserve (Downers Grove, IL), #8 Winfield Mounds Forest Preserve (Winfield, IL), #9 Bluff Spring Fen (Elgin, IL), #10 Herrick Lake Forest Preserve (Wheaton, IL); Jeff’s family reunion at #11 Hawthorn Park (Terre Haute, IN); hiking #12 Turkey Run State Park, Marshall, IN) and at #13 Shades State Park, Waveland, IN; hiking and bison viewing at #14 Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN; hiking at #15 Hidden Lake Forest Preserve (Downers Grove, IL), #16 Peck Farm Park (Geneva, IL), #17 Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum (Lisle, IL); #18 Busse Woods Forest Preserve, Elk Grove, IL; #19 Nachusa Grasslands (Franklin Grove, IL); reading in a swing along the Rock River at #20 Lowell Park (Dixon, IL); cabin overnight and hiking at #21 White Pines State Park (Mt. Morris, IL); hiking to the overlook at #22 Castle Rock State Park (Oregon, IL); enjoying the views at a prairie remnant gem #23 Beach Cemetery Prairie (Ogle County, IL); #24 Springbrook Prairie (Naperville, IL); watching eagles and hiking at #25 Starved Rock State Park (Oglesby, IL); watching the dragonfly migration at #26 Matthiessen State Park (Oglesby, IL); river overlook at #27 Buffalo Rock State Park (Ottawa, IL); #28 monarch and dragonfly migration at Wolf Road Prairie (Westchester, IL); and hiking #29 Russell R. Kirt Prairie at College of DuPage (Glen Ellyn, IL). Thanks to everyone who sent suggestions last week.
Tuesdays in the Tallgrass 
Barn Swallows left this last week. Obviously it was warm enough out but somehow knew it was time to go. Sandy Deny and Fairport Convention asked the question years ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkOB57UcYk8
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They have been such a presence on the prairie these past few weeks! See you later, swallows! Thank you for the link. And thanks for reading, John, and for all you and Lisa do for prairie. Cindy 🙂
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Oh! Sometimes natural areas are right under our noses. So here is another – the bioswales along residential streets in Downers Grove (1 min. Video). https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=58&v=7d4kw39PQYY&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.downers.us%2F&source_ve_path=MTM5MTE3LDIzODUx&feature=emb_title
From the village: “While we don’t have a list, there are a few located in Clyde Estates (east of Main Street and south of 59th Street) and also on Adelia Street. If you’d like to know more, contact Julie Lomax at the village at 630.493-8821”.
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Thank you for reading, and for the link, Paula! Nice to see folks planting natives. Enjoy the holiday weekend! Cindy 🙂
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