In the spring months, you’re likely to find early wildflowers. You may also see many species of grassland birds that arrive in spring and stay through summer, including Eastern and Western meadowlarks; Henslow’s, vesper, savannah, grasshopper and lark sparrows; and dickcissels. Habitat fragmentation and loss on both their breeding and wintering grounds is causing the decline of many species of grassland birds.
During the summer growing season, Spring Green is home to many beautiful and interesting plants that thrive in this sandy prairie. Some of these include compass plant, dwarf dandelion, leadplant, puccoon, blazingstar and Venus looking glass. Though uncommon in Wisconsin, prickly pear cactus is abundant here. It blooms in late June, producing many large yellow flowers.
During the warm months you can also see 16 species of tiger beetles. The small creatures are voracious hunters and fast runners. Ten species of wolf spiders have also been found at the preserve, although they are harder to see because they hunt at night, either by waiting near their burrows until unsuspecting insects walk past or by venturing out to seek prey. Eastern pocket gophers, which tend to be solitary creatures, dig and form tunnels about one foot below the surface of the soil at the preserve. Their digging enriches the soil by mixing plant material and oxygen.
As fall approaches, the summer colors fade to red, orange and gold. Migratory birds such as warblers are on the move, and you’re likely to spot raptors such as red-tailed hawks.
When winter arrives, snow and ice blanket the area, making it a welcome respite for visitors seeking the peace and quiet of the season. But winter is still a busy time in nature; watch for great-horned owls, bald eagles and potentially even snowy owls.
Many of our preserves allow deer hunting from October through the first week of January, so wearing blaze orange is suggested when hiking in these areas during hunting season.
