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Upland sandpiper Fritillary butterfly Photography by Pam Johnson

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Several Threatened or Endangered Species Observed at Lost Mound National Wildlife Refuge
Winter 2009 Newsletter

Several threatened or endangered species are found at Lost Mound. A pair of upland sandpipers was observed with one young sighted. The upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) is the shorebird of the prairie but it is endangered in Illinois. Sandpipers prefer grasslands of 40 acres or more, and these birds have been disappearing rapidly. The sandpiper has a unique call that sounds like a wolf whistle. It begins southward migration unusually early, beginning in mid-July. It spends up to eight months of the year in its winter home in South America, during the austral summer.

The regal fritillary butterfly (Speyeria idalia) showed up in abundance in one location late June. The larvae of this threatened species feed on violets, and the adults sip the nectar of milkweeds and thistle. Regal fritillary populations have declined in the Midwest, mainly due to the conversion of tall grass prairies into cropland. Pesticides have also contributed to the species' decline. Large tracts of native prairie with abundant wildflowers are needed to protect this beautiful butterfly.

A number of loggerhead shrike pairs breed at Lost Mound. The loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is a predator, but it does not have the strong feet and talons of a raptor. Instead it uses its hooked bill for gripping flesh and its "tooth" near the bill tip to sever the spinal cord of its prey. It uses thorns of the honey locust tree (Gleditsia triacanthos) to hold large prey while it rips it up. We see evidence of these "larder trees" at Lost Mound. The numbers of loggerhead shrikes have declined across North America, for reasons that are not well understood. It is a threatened species in Illinois. It is considered an important indicator species for the health of the shrub-steppe ecosystem, which has undergone major destruction and alteration. Protection of habitat and reduction of pesticide use should both be implemented to stem this decline.

Fragile prickly pear cactus (Opuntia fragilis) is endangered in Illinois. There is one site at Lost Mound where this is prevalent. It breaks off easily and sticks to your clothing, so long pants are desirable when walking the sand prairie. I was fortunate to see it bloom in June.

As non-scientists, we Lost Mound Corps of Discovery members share our 21st Century discoveries in an exhibit of our first impressions of this special place — capturing our reactions in writing, photographing and creating original works of art. What makes this exhibit unique is that we have turned our experience into a visual story, which we call "Learning to See — the Experience of Lost Mound." The Lost Mound Experience has been made possible by the Lost Mound Corps of Discovery, the Illinois History Survey, The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, the Upper Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Service, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Conservation Guardians of Northwest Illinois.

This summer our exhibit was shown at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque. LMCD members whose work was represented in the exhibit are Lu Bleveans, Rosemary Burns, Jane Holland, Ed Strenski, Chuck Wemstrom and Patty Wemstrom and GTA members Maureen Bardusk, Pam Johnson, Carol Mantey, Rich Mattas and Beth Pomaro. Other LMCD members are Gary Frederick, Charlotte Kennedy, Dorothy Lashelle, GTA member Richard Peterson, Barb Rutherford, Wayne Schaible, GTA member Larry Stoneburner, John Walt and Loren Wasson.

— Pam Johnson

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Related Resource:

• Lost Mound National Wildlife Refuge