My Species Accounts from the Great Plains
I am using the term "species account" loosely as these will be more casual documentation and comments of species I have encountered across the NGP and Great Plains as a whole. Expect photos, fun facts, annecdotes, and/or impressions in each account. Accounts will also include geological and ecological topics.
Photo is from the Slim Buttes in South Dakota, part of the US National Forest system
Plants
Grasses
- Big Bluestem
- Little Bluestem
- Blue Gramma
- Sideoats Gramma
- Buffalo Grass
- Western Wheatgrass
- Needle and Thread
- Green Needlegrass
- Prairie Sandreed
- Alkali Sacaton
- Inland Saltgrass
- Indian Ricegrass
- Purple Threeawn
- Bluebunch Wheatgrass
- Ventenata
- Cheatgrass
- Kentucky Bluegrass
Grass-alikes
Forbs
- Scarlet Globemallow
- Basketflower
- Prairie Sunflower
- Prairie Smoke
- Goldenrods
- Showy Milkweed
- Sand Milkweed
- Dotted Gayfeather
- Russian Thistle
- Musk Thistle
- Leafy Spurge
Shrubs/Trees
- Wyoming Big Sage
- Silver Sagebrush
- Skunkbush
- Rabbitbrush
- Prairie Rose
- Sand Cherry
- Western Snowberry
- Leadplant
- Cottonwood
- Ponderosa Pine
- Russian Olive
- Red Cedar
- Juniper
Parasitic
- Paintbrushes/Broomrapes
- Pipes
Birds
Raptors
- Rough-Legged Hawk
- Red-Tailed Hawk
- Bald Eaagle
- Golden Eagle
- Prarie Falcon
- American Kestrel
- Merlin
- Northern Harrier
- Short-Eared Owl
- Great Horned Owl
- Burrowing Owl
- Norther Saw-whet Owl
- Turkey Vulture
Passarines
- Western Meadowlark
- Lark Bunting
- Horned Lark
- Bobolink
- Lapland Longspur
- Chestnut-collared Longspur
- Brewer's Sparrow
- Grashopper Sparrow
- Lark Sparrow
- Vesper Sparrow
- Northern Shrike
- Loggerhead Shrike
- Western Kingbird
- Eastern Kingbird
Shorebirds/Waterfowl
- Long-Billed Curlew
- Upland Sandpiper
- Marbled Godwit
- Sora
- Kildeer
- Avocet
Upland Game Birds
- Greater Sage Grouse
- Sharp-tailed Grouse
- Gray Partrige
- Wild Turkey
- Greater Prairie Chicken
Nightjars
- Common Nighthawk
Mammals
Ungulates
- Mule Deer
- White-tailed Deer
- Elk
- Bison
- Pronghorn
Carnivores
- Coyote
- Red Fox
- Swift Fox
- Mountain Lion
- Bobcat
- Black-footed Ferret
Others
- Beaver
- Black-Tailed Prairie Dog