Minnesota Seasons - Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area


Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area

County	Dakota
GPS	Main Parking: N44 47.375 W93 02.092
Size	256 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 relatively new SNA 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 owned by Flint Hills Resources. North of that is the Katharine Ordway Natural History Study Area.

Images	Click on an image for a larger view.
Parking
	2010	2008

Pond

Overlook






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 kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) eastern wood-peewee (Contopus virens) gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) turkey vulture (Cathartes aura) wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)


Insects and Arachnids

	American dog tick (Dermacentor variablis) bee fly (Villa lateralis) common green darner (Anax junius) common whitetail (Libellula lydia) dog day cicada (Tibicen canicularis) eastern daddy-long-legs (Phalangium opilio) eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum) eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) familiar bluet (Enallagma civile) goldenrod gall fly (Eurosta solidaginis) goldenrod soldier beetle (Chauliognathus pennsylvanicus) hoverfly (Toxomerus marginatus) monarch (Danaus plexippus) multicolored Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis f. succinea) northern crescent (Phyciodes selenis) northern pearly eye (Lethe anthedon anthedon) pyramid ant (Dorymyrmex insanus) red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) tachinid fly twelve-spotted skimmer (Libellula pulchella) two-marked treehopper (Enchenopa binotata) widow skimmer (Libellula luctuosa)


Mammals

	red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) 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) American germander (Teucrium canadense) American hazel (Corylus americana) asparagus (asparagus officinalis) Bell’s honeysuckle (Lonicera × bella) bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus var. corniculatus) bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) black ash (Fraxinus nigra) black cherry (Prunus serotina var. serotina) black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) black medick (Medicago lupulina) black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) black walnut (Juglans nigra) black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) black-seeded plantain (Plantago rugelii var. rugelii) bland sweet cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii) blue giant hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) blue spruce (Picea pungens) boxelder (Acer negundo) bristly greenbrier (Smilax tamnoides) broadleaf enchanter’s nightshade (Circaea lutetiana ssp. canadensis) bull thistle (Cirsium vulgare) bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa var. macrocarpa) butter-and-eggs (Linaria vulgaris) Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) Canadian horseweed (Conyza canadensis var. canadensis) Canadian tick-trefoil (Desmodium canadense) Canadian woodnettle (Laportea canadensis) carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata) catnip (Nepeta cataria) cleavers (Galium aparine) common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) common burdock (Arctium minus) common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) common false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum var. racemosum) common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) common motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) common strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) creeping bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides) crown vetch (Coronilla varia) curly dock (Rumex crispus ssp. crispus) curly-cup gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa) cut-leaved coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata var. laciniata) eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana) eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) field clover (Trifolium campestre) field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) field pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta) flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata) foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum ssp. jubatum) fragile fern (Cystopteris fragilis) garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida var. trifida) gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) grayleaf red raspberry (Rubus strigosus) 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) hairy sunflower (Helianthus hirsutus) heal-all (Prunella vulgaris) hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium ssp. angulata) hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana) hoary vervain (Verbena stricta) Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum ssp. triphyllum) Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) June grass (Koeleria macrantha) large-flowered bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) large-flowered beardtongue (Penstemon grandiflorus) leadplant (Amorpha canescens) long-headed coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) Missouri gooseberry (Ribes missouriense) Morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia) northern hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) northern lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina ssp. angustum) northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) northern prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) northern red oak (Quercus rubra) orange daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) orange hawkweed (Hieracium aurantiacum) paper birch (Betula papyrifera) Parlin’s pussytoes (Antennaria parlinii ssp. fallax) Pennsylvania smartweed (Polygonum pensylvanicum) plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera) pointed-leaved tick-trefoil (Desmodium glutinosum) prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus var. strigosus) prairie peppergrass (Lepidium densiflorum) prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) 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 clover (Trifolium pratense) red pine (Pinus resinosa) reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) rough cinquefoil (Potentilla norvegica ssp. monspeliensis) rough false pennyroyal (Hedeoma hispida) rough-fruited cinquefoil (Potentilla recta) round-headed bush clover (Lespedeza capitata) rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides) sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus) sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) showy partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata var. fasciculata) silver maple (Acer saccharinum) smooth brome (Bromus inermis) smooth hedge nettle (Stachys tenuifolia var. tenuifolia) smooth Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum) smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos) spreading dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium) staghorn sumac (Rhus hirta) stiff sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus ssp. subrhomboideus) swamp smartweed (Polygonum amphibium var. emersum) tall bellflower (Campanulastrum americanum) tall buttercup (Ranunculus acris var. acris) tall cinquefoil (Potentilla arguta ssp. arguta) tall goldenrod (Solidago canadensis var. scabra) timothy (Phleum Pratense) tower mustard (Arabis glabra) Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) western bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum) western poison ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii) western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya) wheat (Triticum aestivum) white avens (Geum canadense var. canadense) white campion (Silene latifolia ssp. alba) white clover (Trifolium repens) white mulberry (Morus alba) white sage (Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana) 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) wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) winter vetch (Vicia villosa ssp. villosa) woodbine (Parthenocissus vitacea) woolly plantain (Plantago patagonica) yellow foxtail (Setaria pumila ssp. pumila) yellow goat’s beard (Tragopogon dubius) yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) yellow wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta)


Visits	4/4/2006 8/11/2008 7/2/2010