Blazing Star Prairie

 

 

     
 
About
 
 

Ownership

 
 

The Nature Conservancy logo

 
     
 

Links

 
 

Felton Prairie (MinnesotaSeasons.com)

Minnesota DNR

The Nature Conservancy

 
     
 

Overview

 
 

The four units of Felton Prairie SNA are made up of parcels of land owned by the Minnesota DNR, The Nature Conservancy, and Clay County. Fifteen protected bird species, six protected butterfly species, and five protected plant species have been seen on at least one of the units of this SNA. The Blazing Star Unit of Felton Prairie SNA is owned by The Nature Conservancy and is called simply “Balzing Star Prairie”. Marbled Godwit, a special concern species, nests on this unit. Blanket flower, another special concern species, is also found on this unit.

 
     
 

History

 
 

 

 
     
 

Management

 
 

 

 
     
 

Comments

 
 

 

 
     
 
Location
 
 

Maps

 
 

 

 
         
 

Printable Map(s) with GPS coordinates

 
  Printable map      
         
 

Size

 
 

480 acres

 
         
 

Getting There

 
 

From County Road 34, turn south on 190th St. N., an unimproved township road. Drive over the cattle crossing and continue south on the two-track field road one mile to a gated fence and the Blazing Star Prairie interpretive sign. There is a cattle pen and a gate across the township road just beyond the cattle crossing. If the gate is open, follow the instructions above. If the gate is closed, park at the Bicentennial Unit and walk northwest to Blazing Star Prairie.

 
         
 

Parking

 
 

N47 3.844, W96 24.654

 
         
 

Driving Directions

  Area and County  
 

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          Clay County  
          Northwest Minnesota  
     
 
Activities
 
 

Hiking Trails

 
 

No maintained trails

 
     
 

Hunting

 
 

All hunting and trapping. See Hunting and Trapping Regulations (MN DNR) for details.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Ecological Classification

  Ecological Classification  
  Ecological Province    

Prairie Parkland Province

   
  Ecological Section    

Red River Valley

   
  Ecological Subsection    

Red River Prairie

   
  Land Type Association    

Barnesville Beach Complex

   
             
 

Native Plant Communities*

   
 

Dry Sand - Gravel Prairie (Northern)

Mesic Prairie (Northern)

   
  * Source: The Minnesota Biological Survey, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Ecological Resources      
         
 

Natural Features

     
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Parking

 
    Blazing Star Prairie   Blazing Star Prairie  
           
 

Interpretive Sign

 
    Blazing Star Prairie      
           
 

Dry Sand - Gravel Prairie (Northern)

 
    Blazing Star Prairie      
           
 

Mesic Prairie (Northern)

 
    Blazing Star Prairie   Blazing Star Prairie  
           
 

Other Prairie

 
    Blazing Star Prairie      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
 
     
     

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
     
     
     

 

Camcorder

           
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

Visits

8/22/2009

  8/19/2012   6/29/2014        
 
 

Amphibians

 
 

boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata)

northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens)

  northern leopard frog  
 

Birds

 
 

Fifteen bird species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:

Endangered

Baird’s Sparrow (Ammodramus bairdii)

Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia)

Chestnut-collared Longspur (Calcarius ornatus)

Henslow’s Sparrow (Centronyx henslowii)

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)

Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus)

Sprague’s Pipit (Anthus spragueii)

Special Concern

Bell’s Vireo (Vireo bellii)

Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)

Greater Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido)

Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus)

Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla)

Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)

Nelson’s Sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni)

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

 
 

Minnesota DNR Bird checklist

Minnesota’s Pine to Prairie Birding Trail

National Audubon Society – Felton Prairie IBA

eBird Field Checklist

 
 

Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)

Clay-colored Sparrow (Spizella pallida)

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)

Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa)

  Mallard  
 

Insects and Arachnids

 
 

Six insect and arachnid species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:

Endangered

Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae)

plains skipper (Hesperia assiniboia)

Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek)

Uhler’s arctic (Oeneis uhleri varuna)

Special Concern

Pawnee skipper (Hesperia leonardus pawnee)

regal fritillary (Argynnis idalia)

 
 

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Insects List

 
  monarch (Danaus plexippus)   monarch  
 

Mammals

 
 

One mammal species with conservation status in Minnesota has been seen on at least one of the units of this SNA:

Special Concern

prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster)

 
 

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Mammals List

 
  plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius)   plains pocket gopher  
 

Plants

 
 

Five plant species with conservation status in Minnesota are found here:

Special Concern

blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata)

blunt sedge (Carex obtusata)

dry sedge (Carex xerantica)

small white lady’s slipper (Cypripedium candidum)

spikeoat (Avenula hookeri)

 
 

Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas and Minnesota Biological Survey Vegetation Releves Plant List

 
 

Plants frequently found in:

Dry Sand - Gravel Prairie (Northern) UPn12b

Mesic Prairie (Northern) UPn23b

     
 

 

alfalfa (Medicago sativa ssp. sativa)

autumn willow (Salix serissima)

balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera)

black medick (Medicago lupulina)

black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima)

blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata)

bracted spiderwort (Tradescantia bracteata)

Canada anemone (Anemonastrum canadense)

Canadian horseweed (Erigeron canadensis)

Canadian milkvetch (Astragalus canadensis var. canadensis)

common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis)

common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

curly dock (Rumex crispus)

downy gentian (Gentiana puberulenta)

downy painted cup (Castilleja sessiliflora)

dwarf false indigo (Amorpha nana)

field sagewort (Artemisia campestris ssp. caudata)

Flodman’s thistle (Cirsium flodmanii)

giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)

golden alexanders (Zizia aurea)

grooved yellow flax (Linum sulcatum var. sulcatum)

ground plum (Astragalus crassicarpus var. crassicarpus)

harebell (Campanula rotundifolia)

heart-leaved golden alexanders (Zizia aptera)

hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana)

hoary puccoon (Lithospermum canescens)

Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum)

leadplant (Amorpha canescens)

Leiberg’s panic grass (Dichanthelium leibergii)

marsh vetchling (Lathyrus palustris)

Maximilian’s sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani)

narrow-leaved meadowsweet (Spiraea alba var. alba)

northern bedstraw (Galium boreale)

pale agoseris (Agoseris glauca var. glauca)

porcupine grass (Hesperostipa spartea)

prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)

prairie peppergrass (Lepidium densiflorum)

prairie rose (Rosa arkansana)

prairie sagewort (Artemisia frigida)

prairie smoke (Geum triflorum var. triflorum)

prairie spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis var. occidentalis)

prairie turnip (Pediomelum esculentum)

prairie willow (Salix humilis var. humilis)

purple meadow-rue (Thalictrum dasycarpum)

quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides)

sandbar willow (Salix interior)

scarlet beeblossom (Oenothera suffrutescens)

silky aster (Symphyotrichum sericeum)

silverleaf scurfpea (Pediomelum argophyllum)

smooth brome (Bromus inermis)

smooth scouring rush (Equisetum laevigatum)

spotted water hemlock (Cicuta maculata)

stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida ssp. rigida)

tall thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana)

toothed evening primrose (Oenothera serrulata)

tower mustard (Turritis glabra)

violet wood sorrel (Oxalis violacea)

white camas (Anticlea elegans ssp. glauca)

white prairie clover (Dalea candida var. candida)

white sage (Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana)

white sweet clover (Melilotus albus)

wolfberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis)

wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis ssp. canadensis)

wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum var. andinum)

yellow star grass (Hypoxis hirsuta)

yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis)

 

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)

Agoseris glauca var. glauca (pale agoseris)

Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed)

Amorpha canescens (leadplant)

Amorpha nana (dwarf false indigo)

Anemonastrum canadense (Canada anemone)

Anemone virginiana (tall thimbleweed)

Anticlea elegans ssp. glauca (white camas)

Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp)

Artemisia campestris ssp. caudata (field sagewort)

Artemisia frigida (prairie sagewort)

Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana (white sage)

Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)

Astragalus canadensis var. canadensis (Canadian milkvetch)

Astragalus crassicarpus var. crassicarpus (ground plum)

Berteroa incana (hoary alyssum)

Bromus inermis (smooth brome)

Campanula rotundifolia (harebell)

Castilleja sessiliflora (downy painted cup)

Cicuta maculata (spotted water hemlock)

Cirsium flodmanii (Flodman’s thistle)

Dalea candida var. candida (white prairie clover)

Dichanthelium leibergii (Leiberg’s panic grass)

Equisetum laevigatum (smooth scouring rush)

Erigeron canadensis (Canadian horseweed)

Erigeron strigosus (prairie fleabane)

Gaillardia aristata (blanket flower)

Galium boreale (northern bedstraw)

Gentiana puberulenta (downy gentian)

Geum triflorum var. triflorum (prairie smoke)

Helianthus maximiliani (Maximilian’s sunflower)

Hesperostipa spartea (porcupine grass)

Hypoxis hirsuta (yellow star grass)

Lathyrus palustris (marsh vetchling)

Lepidium densiflorum (prairie peppergrass)

Lilium philadelphicum var. andinum (wood lily)

Linum sulcatum var. sulcatum (grooved yellow flax)

Lithospermum canescens (hoary puccoon)

Medicago lupulina (black medick)

Medicago sativa ssp. sativa (alfalfa)

Melilotus albus (white sweet clover)

Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweet clover)

Oenothera biennis (common evening primrose)

Oenothera serrulata (toothed evening primrose)

Oenothera suffrutescens (scarlet beeblossom)

Oxalis violacea (violet wood sorrel)

Pedicularis canadensis ssp. canadensis (wood betony)

Pediomelum argophyllum (silverleaf scurfpea)

Pediomelum esculentum (prairie turnip)

Populus balsamifera (balsam poplar)

Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen)

Rosa arkansana (prairie rose)

Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima (black-eyed Susan)

Rumex crispus (curly dock)

Salix humilis var. humilis (prairie willow)

Salix interior (sandbar willow)

Salix serissima (autumn willow)

Solidago gigantea (giant goldenrod)

Solidago rigida ssp. rigida (stiff goldenrod)

Spiraea alba var. alba (narrow-leaved meadowsweet)

Symphoricarpos occidentalis (wolfberry)

Symphyotrichum sericeum (silky aster)

Thalictrum dasycarpum (purple meadow-rue)

Tradescantia bracteata (bracted spiderwort)

Tradescantia occidentalis var. occidentalis (prairie spiderwort)

Turritis glabra (tower mustard)

Zizia aptera (heart-leaved golden alexanders)

Zizia aurea (golden alexanders)

 

alfalfa

black-eyed susan

Canada anemone

common evening primrose

downy gentian

Flodman’s thistle

harebell

hoary puccoon

leadplant

northern bedstraw

pale agoseris

prairie rose

prairie smoke

silky aster

toothed evening primrose

violet wood sorrel

wood lily

yellow sweet clover

 
 

Reptiles

 
 

One reptile species with conservation status in Minnesota have been seen here:

Special Concern

plains hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus)

 

 

 

Binoculars

 

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