This morning I took a walk through the two-year-old, 70-acre
Coneflower Prairie here in the Linnaeus Arboretum at Gustavus Adolphus
College in St. Peter and found 19 Le Conte's Sparrows. All of these
birds were in the southern half of this rectangular prairie, and all but
three of these birds were found close to the strip of taller grass that
runs north-south on the eastern side of the prairie. Also present were
around two dozen Savannah Sparrows, a couple Vesper and Swamp Sparrows,
and a Song Sparrow.
This prairie is a former soybean field that was restored in fall 2008.
The prairie grasses have been mowed both this summer and last (necessary
in the first two years of a restored prairie), so most of the prairie is
currently very short (no higher than your knees). The taller strip of
grass running north-south has been there for years however, and this
short-tall edge is apparently very conducive to attracting Le Conte's
Sparrows right now.
To reach the prairie, either park in the Interpretive Center parking lot
(in the visitor section, but parking is free anywhere on campus on
weekends and after 4:30pm on weekdays) and hike the trails west to the
prairie or park along Jefferson Street on the south side of campus which
is adjacent to the prairie. There are no trails in the Coneflower
Prairie yet, but you're welcome to walk through any part of it. Watch
out for badger holes though.
Bob Dunlap, Nicollet County
--
Bob Dunlap
Naturalist, Linnaeus Arboretum
Manager, Nobel Hall Greenhouse
Gustavus Adolphus College
800 West College Ave.
Saint Peter, MN 56082
507-933-7199
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