Minnesota Seasons - Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area


Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area

County	Dakota
GPS	Parking: N44 47.375 W93 02.092
Size	185 acres
Habitat	River bluff, mesic oak forest, dry oak forest, sand gravel prairie, white pine-hardwood forest, and black ash seepage swamp
Hiking Trails	None

Links	Minnesota DNR Friends of the Mississippi River Katharine Ordway Natural History Study Area

Comments	This is one of the newest SNAs. It was dedicated in May of 2004. In the spring of 2006 the Friends of the Mississippi River sowed little bluestem seed on recently-cleared prairie north of the small pond. North of the SNA is an area of private property ownded by Flint Hills Resources. North of that is the Katharine Ordway Natural History Study Area.

Images	Click on an image for a larger view.







Amphibians

	eastern gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor)


Birds

	American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) American robin (Turdus migratorius) bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) eastern wood-peewee (Contopus virens) gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)


Insects

	bee fly (Villa lateralis) eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) familiar bluet (Enallagma civile) goldenrod soldier beetle (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus) hoverfly (Toxomerus marginatus) northern crescent (Phyciodes selenis) pyramid ant (Dorymyrmex insanus) tachinid fly twelve-spotted skimmer (Libellula pulchella)


Mammals

	whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)


Plants	Three plant species with protected status in Minnesota are found here: Endangered – James’ polanisia (Polanisia jamesii), pale green orchid (Platanthera flava var. herbiola) Threatened – kitten-tails (Besseya bullii) Minnesota DNR Plant List

	alfalfa (Medicago sativa ssp. sativa) alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum) American basswood (Tilia americana) American elm (Ulmus americana) asparagus (asparagus officinalis) bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus) bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) black medick (Medicago lupulina) black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) blue giant hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) blue spruce (Picea pungens) boxelder (Acer negundo) bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) butter-and-eggs (Linaria vulgaris) Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis var. canadensis) Canadian horseweed (Conyza canadensis var. canadensis) Canadian tick trefoil (Desmodium canadense) catnip (Nepeta cataria) common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) common motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) common plantain (Plantago major) common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) common strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) common yarrow (Achillea millefolium var. millefolium) crown vetch (Coronilla varia) curly dock (Rumex crispus ssp. crispus) curly-cup gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa) eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana) eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) field pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta) flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata) giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida var. trifida) gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) great burdock (Arctium lappa) green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) green foxtail (Setaria viridis var. viridis) hairy false golden aster (Heterotheca villosa) hairy hedge nettle (Stachys hispida) heal-all (Prunella vulgaris) hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium ssp. angulata) hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana) hoary vervain (Verbena stricta) Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) June grass (Koeleria macrantha) large-flowered bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) large-flowered beardtongue (Penstemon grandiflorus) leadplant (Amorpha canescens) narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia) northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) northern red oak (Quercus rubra) paper birch (Betula papyrifera) Parlin’s pussytoes (Antennaria parlinii ssp. fallax) Pennsylvania smartweed (Polygonum pensylvanicum) plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera) prairie peppergrass (Lepidium densiflorum) purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea var. purpurea) purple-leaved willow herb (Epilobium coloratum) quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota ssp. carota) rabbit’s foot clover (Trifolium arvense) rattlesnake fern (Botrychium virginianum) red pine (Pinus resinosa) reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) rough cinquefoil (Potentilla norvegica ssp. monspeliensis) rough-fruited cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) round-headed bush clover (Lespedeza capitata) rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) showy partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata var. fasciculata) silver maple (Acer saccharinum) smooth hedge nettle (Stachys tenuifolia var. tenuifolia) smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) spotted knapweed (Centaurea biebersteinii) staghorn sumac (Rhus hirta) swamp smartweed (Polygonum amphibium var. emersum) tall bellflower (Campanulastrum americanum) tall cinquefoil (Potentilla arguta ssp. arguta) Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) western poison ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii) wheat (Triticum aestivum) white campion (Silene latifolia ssp. alba) white mulberry (Morus alba) white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima var. altissima) white spruce (Picea glauca) white sweet clover (Melilotus albus) wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) wild grape (Vitis riparia) wild oat (Avena fatua) woodbine (Parthenocissus vitacea) yellow foxtail (Setaria pumila ssp. pumila) yellow goat’s beard (Tragopogon dubius) yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) yellow wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta)


Visits	04/04/2006 08/11/2008