Päiväkirja-arkisto kohteelle kesäkuu 2021

kesäkuu 22, 2021

Kellogg Weaver Dunes Scientific and Natural Area

Kellogg Weaver Dunes Scientific and Natural Area (SNA) | 2 disconnected units
Kellogg, Wabasha county, MN
697 total acres; dry barrens prairie, oak savanna, sitting on a sand terrace above the Mississippi River; floodplain forest
Kellogg parcel, northern unit: about 100 acres; owned by the MN Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Weaver Dunes parcel: 592 acres; owned by The Nature Conservancy

Park Notes
from WildlifeViewingAreas.com:

Kellogg-Weaver Dunes SNA contains waving sand dune topography well above the current floodplain of the Mississippi River, on a terrace where the Mississippi, Chippewa and Zumbro Rivers once came together. Some dunes are 30 feet high. The site encompasses a diversity of successional stages ranging from blowouts with bare sand to mature dunes with dry, mesic, or wet prairie species. An oak savanna, with pin oak, bur oak and jack pine, occurs along the edges.

Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA is known for hosting a variety of mammals, spiders, butterflies, moths, snakes and wildflower many of which are endangered or of special concern. But the area is especially known for being a primary nesting site for the state-threatened Blanding's Turtle. Visitors are asked to keep an eye out for turtles on the nearby roadway and to give any turtle one encounters a wide berth so as not to disturb any nesting behavior.

Some notable wildlife mentioned in various literature are: Apache Jumping Spider, Ottoe skipper, Regal Fritillary, Plains Pocket Mouse, Gopher/Bull Snake, Loggerhead Shrike, Rough-seeded Flameflower (Phemeranthus rugospermus)

As is standard for SNAs, there are no facilities on site.

Parking for north unit:
There is a small (2 car) pull-over lot on the west side of County Road 84 that is marked with a wood sign for the SNA. The SNA sits on the east side of the road. There is a little wedge of land directly across from the parking area that is not SNA property but the directions on the DNR site say to 'walk east' so it's likely not an issue to walk across this non-SNA section. More details, map, and directions on the DNR webpage.

Parking for the south unit:
There is a parking area at the east (terminal) end of Township Road 141 which is accessed from Country Road 84. The road is adequately maintained for the first 1,000 feet. At that point, the service road to the SNA veers to the left and becomes noticeably rougher. There had been some rain storms a few days prior to our visit and the road was on the verge of having been washed out in spots. We made it okay, but it is wise to keep an eye on the road condition as one travels along it. After taking the left veer, one will encounter a sign for the SNA. Keep driving till you encounter the second sign and a windmill where there is parking for a good handful of cars. From that spot, the SNA lies north, east, and south. More details, map, and directions on the DNR webpage.

also nearby:
The McCarthy Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA)
Kellogg, Wabasha county, MN
3,129.36 acres; mixed upland and lowland hardwood, upland grasss fields, wetlands
Lies west of County Road 84 and both units of the Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA

Weaver Bottoms:
Less than 5 miles south of the Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA's southern unit, Weaver Bottoms is an important stopover in the fall for migrating waterfowl including Tundra Swans.

Visits
June 21, 2021; sunny to partly sunny; temperature 63/4; winds 12-18 mph
I found some indication on various (non-official) websites that there might be a path on the southern unit, but when we visited in late June the there was no sign of any path. Not even a slightly trod animal path. The vegetation to the east of the parking spot (toward the Mississippi River) was mostly knee to thigh-high grass with a few other green plants interspersed. The grass was quite 'hillocky' growing and the footing was very uneven. We would have worked moderately hard to get any distance at all and it didn't seem that there was going to be anything different about the landscape in any distance we could manage. So we made the decision to just walk west of the parking spot along the sandy road we had traveled in on.

The south side of the road was SNA property with a diverse mix of green plants and small shrubs. The north side of the road was private property with a line of trees. CAUTION: There was quite a lot of poison ivy along the north side of the road, some of it directly adjacent to the road where it would be very easy to brush against.

There were a lot of dragonflies along the wooded area to the north - mostly Widow Skimmers, Twelve-spotted, and Eastern Pondhawks. I observed only a few damselflies. We also encountered quite a few insects we hadn't seen before: Dung Roller beetles, Milkweed Stem Weevil, Robber/Assassin Fly, Blue-black Spider Wasp, and Scoliid Wasp. Only 3 butterflies, a few moths, and a handful of bees were found, but there weren't a lot of plants blooming. I found two spiders and a trail of larger ants were crossing the sandy road. (keep in mind, we are moderately casual naturalists - more inquisitive than many, less probing than those more avid)

There were a handful of birds. We observed/heard Field Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Dickcissel, Lark Sparrow, American Goldfinch, House Wren, Indigo Bunting, Wild Turkey (off in the distance), Common Yellowthroat, Gray Catbird, and Turkey Vulture. Someone had observed/heard a Bell's Vireo at this site just two days prior but, although I'm not great with bird songs, I don't think we heard one.

We saw evidence of mounding - likely Plains Pocket Gopher - and some canine prints on the sandy road. No vertebrates other than birds were seen.

We were kitted for ticks and didn't find any on us afterwards. There were zero biting flies, gnats, mosquitoes, etc. But it was a fairly windy day (10-20 mph) so that likely helped in that regard.

All in all, it was a lovely day to be outside and I appreciated seeing some insects different than those I commonly see closer to home.

Useful links
MN DNR: Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA
Wildlife Viewing Areas: McCarthy Lake WMA; Kellogg-Weaver Dunes SNA and Preserve
MinnesotaSeasons.com: Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Weaver Dunes Unit
The Nature Conservancy: Weaver Dunes Preserve
iNaturalist: Kellogg-Weaver Dunes SNA Open Space page
iNaturalist: Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA Project page
MN DNR: Mc Carthy Lake WMA

Note regarding Weaver Dunes Preserve
The southern unit of the Kellogg Weaver SNA is owned by The Nature Conservancy as is other nearby land which, together, is called 'The Weaver Dunes Preserve' I have not found any specific information on where that non-SNA land might be. Their website (see link above) mentions a state-endangered flower that is found on the 'preserve' as well as many other plants of special concern. But I'm not entirely sure if those can be found within the SNA property or if they are growing on some of this other property that is part of the Weaver Dunes Preserve.

Julkaistu kesäkuu 22, 2021 10:30 IP. käyttäjältä mmmiller mmmiller | 24 havaintoa | 0 kommenttia | Jätä kommentti