Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium) seeds hang tenuously to the flower head. Lincoln Creek Prairie (Prairie Plains Resource Institute) in Aurora, Nebraska.
I stole an hour of photography time this week as a foggy morning worked its way toward a sunny afternoon. The small restored prairie on the edge of town was a great place to explore. A few surprises awaited. Though most flowers were well done with flowering, a few late ones were still in bloom – possibly plants that were injured earlier in the season and were trying to squeeze out a flower on hastily regrown stems. Insects were surprisingly abundant – taking advantage of a day with temperatures in the high 60’s and rising. Here is a selection of images from my prairie walk.
Late goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)
More goldenrod
A tiny beetle takes advantage of a rare pollen dinner on a stiff goldenrod plant (Solidago rigida) that was flowering extraordinarily late.
This stink bug blends in wonderfully with the drying head of pitcher sage (Salvia azurea) it was exploring.
Giant milkweed bug on a common milkweed pod.
There were quite a few damselflies feeding on tiny flying insects as I walked around. They were difficult to get close to, though…
After many failed attempts, I did finally manage to get close enough to a couple damselflies to get reasonable photos. Here is one of them.
The Prairie Ecologist 
That damselfly pictured close-up could be a Familiar Bluet.
Love the up-close fall colors
I love these short studies on particular species or microhabitats, with your great photos and casually shared natural history, embedded in an evocative description of a day on the prairie. Your longer essays are great, and I look forward to them, but these short ones are wonderful, too!