Minnesota Seasons - Ottertail Prairie Scientific and Natural Area


Ottertail Prairie Scientific and Natural Area

County	Otter Tail
GPS	N46 09.122 W96 13.483
Size	320 acres
Habitat	Wet mesic prairie
Hiking Trails	None

Links	Minnesota DNR

Comments	Ottertail Prairie SNA is brodered on the south by the Doran Wildlife Management Area and on the east by the Prairie Ridge Wildlife Management Area and by land owned and managed by the Fergus Falls Fish and Game Club, Inc.

Images	Click on an image for a larger view.



Amphibians

	northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens)


Birds	Three bird species with protected status in Minnesota are found here: Threatened – Wilson's phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) Special Concern – greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), marbled godwit (Limosa fedoa) Other birds commonly found here include bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus), great egret (Ardea alba), ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta), and willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii). Minnesota DNR Bird List

	barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor)


Insects

	Carolina grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina) monarch (Danaus plexippus) orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme)


Mammals

	whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)


Plants	Other plants that can be seen here, along with those listed below, include Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum), mountain death camas (Zigadenus elegans ssp. glaucus), downy gentian (Gentiana puberulenta), and yellow star grass (Hypoxis hirsuta). Minnesota DNR Plant List

	American bugleweed (Lycopus americanus) big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii var. andrewsii) broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia) Canada anemone (Anemone canadensis) Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis var. canadensis) Canada hawkweed (Hieracium kalmii) candle anemone (Anemone cylindrica) common dogmustard (Erucastrum gallicum) common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) common strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) curly dock (Rumex crispus ssp. crispus) dotted blazing star (Liatris punctata) false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides var. occidentalis) field sow thistle (Sonchus arvensis) Flodman’s thistle (Cirsium flodmanii) foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum ssp. jubatum) golden alexanders (Zizia aurea) grass-leaved goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia var. graminifolia) Great Plains ladies’ tresses (Spiranthes magnicamporum) heart-leaved golden alexanders (Zizia aptera) hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium ssp. angulata) Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum) Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) leadplant (Amorpha canescens) little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium) marsh hedge nettle (Stachys p alustris) Maximilian’s sunflower (Helianthus maximilianii) Missouri goldenrod (Solidago missouriensis var. fasciculata) New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) northern bedstraw (Galium boreale) northern bugleweed (Lycopus uniflorus) prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya var. pycnostachya) prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata) prairie ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata var. fasciculata) prairie lettuce (Lactuca ludoviciana) prairie onoin (Allium stellatum) prairie peppergrass (Lepidium densiflorum) prairie rose (Rosa arkansana) purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea var. purpurea) purple rattlesnake root (Prenanthes racemosa) red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea) red-seeded dandelion (Taraxacum erythrospermum) rough blazing star (Liatris aspera) rough bugleweed (Lycopus virginicus) scouring rush horsetail (Equisetum hyemale var. affine) silky aster (Symphyotrichum sericeum) silverleaf scurfpea (Pediomelum argophyllum) smooth blue aster (Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve) stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida ssp. rigida) stinging nettle (Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis) swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata ssp. incarnata) tall cinquefoil (Potentilla arguta ssp. arguta) tufted lovegrass (Eragrostis pectinacea var. pectinacea) Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya) white ash (Fraxinus americana) white heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides) white panicle aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum) white sage (Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana) white sweet clover (Melilotus albus) wild licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota) wolfberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis) yellow foxtail (Setaria pumila ssp. pumila) yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis)


Visits	9/15/2009