Scott and I took a walk today at the Rock Island Trail Prairie Nature Preserve north of Princeville, Illinois. It is a long narrow patch of prairie along what used to be the Rock Island Rail Road. We saw wildflowers and other emerging prairie plants, some of which I have posted photographs on this page. We also saw many different species of birds, which I was not able to photograph: Red-winged Blackbird, Mourning Dove, Dickcissel, Northern Cardinal, Easter Blubird, Eastern Kingbird, Mocking Bird, and American Goldfinch.
J G Ward

Yellow Oxalis.
J G Ward

Unknown prairie flower with some white blossoms opening from elongated red-colored sepals.
J G Ward

Tiny green insects hid inside the opening blossoms of this yellow prairie flower.
J G Ward

Ohio Spiderwort, Tradescantia ohiensis, a member of the Dayflower family (Commelinaceae). Common throughout Illinois in black soil prairies, oak savannas, thickets and woodland borders.
J G Ward

Equisetum hymale, from the Latin, equus, "horse", and seta, "bristle, animal hair;" the common name is Scouring Rush, a reference to its early use for cleaning pots, made possible by its high silica content.
J G Ward