Going to Mason County for... Flowers?

I've been quite busy lately.  School is ramping up in the tail half of the semester, just as the flowers and birds come back in full.  I wish finals came in March so that we could have spring to enjoy unencumbered by exams and grades.  That being said, I got to go to Revis Hill Prairie and a few other sites in Mason County, spending a full day doing so.  It's not something I can do often, but it sure is fun to do when possible!

Our first find of the day turned out to be one of our best, as we found the State-endangered Prairie False Dandelion (Nothocalais cuspidata), a plant far more common on the Great Plains.  In Illinois, this plant is in the as far southeast of its range, and Revis is one of its most southerly outposts here.

As usual, the views from the top of the hill prairies were great, even if the majority of the landscape remained in somber winter hues.

Several different forms of Cleft Phlox (Phlox bifida), all varying in petal "cleftness" (like the one at top), bloomed throughout the hill prairie.  This was the most common spring flower present.

It's always fun introducing people to Revis Hill Prairie, and I've gotten to do it a couple times now.

Even I, however, keep finding new life here.  For instance, I was not aware of Carolina Anemones (Anemone caroliniana) as a plant species until now.  They have to be the most attractive plant species I've seen this year, though that's currently a short list.

The flower is so tiny and delicate, and yet so durable as to survive here.  It is well made!

Our party worked our way downhill, and we found some bird hiding in a clump of bushes.  It eventually went up a bit and revealed itself to be an Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)!  This is a bird I don't feel that I see enough.  Then again, this is about as good a view as most people ever get of an Eastern Towhee- they're remarkably shy birds!

Then I found a plant I've been after for years- the Violet Wood Sorrel  (Oxalis violacea), in full bloom, at the base of the slope.  This is a "common" plant in Illinois, but it's common in areas where I don't live.  Dozens grew on the loose loess slopes. (Say that three times fast!)

We left from Revis after a bit more hiking, and on into further adventures.  However, since I am busy currently, I don't have time to write those all up now.  I leave you with one last look at Revis. I've waxed lyrical at many times about the views at Revis Hill Prairie, but they are the best I know of within an hour's drive of my residence.  What more can I say?