The Mississippi Black Prairie, also known as the Black Belt Prairie, is a region in the east-central Mississippi and Alabama characterized by dark, fertile soil and once extensive grasslands, now largely converted to agriculture or pine plantations.
Black Prairie Wildlife Management Area serves as a designated area for wildlife conservation habitat management, and outdoor recreation. By maintaining diverse habitats, WMA supports a wide range of plant and animal species, contributing to biodiversity conservation.
Here in the Prairie there’s nothing like the coming of Spring to bring out the critters that live or temporarily visit the Prairie land. Lately the weather has been up and down, bringing freezing cold for a few days followed by the warmth of a bright sun and later occasional rain. The cold brings local birds to the feeders Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Dark Eyed Junco, brown-headed cowbirds, and ground feeding mourning doves. At least one pair of Eastern Bluebirds arrived and settled temporarily into the Bluebird boxes before leaving when another cold spell came in. Bluebirds mostly eat insects, fruits, and small vertebrates like lizards and worms so there wasn’t much to feed on until the warm days return.
Besides the birds we feed we also observe other wildlife, deer, raccoons, possums, coyotes, armadillos, gray squirrels, fox squirrels, rabbits, fish, turtles, frogs, owls, hawks, eagles, herons, geese, ducks, turkeys.
As wonderful as it is to enjoy and appreciate the nature around us, it can also be very painful. A proper saying would be “Sometimes it’s a dog-eat-dog world.”
Last week I told Sam I had to share with him. “I haven’t had fish in four days.” He answered, “We have plenty of fish. We can have fish tonight.” I said, “No, I mean the goldfish. They’re gone, and I won’t be getting anymore.” The goldfish were in a lily pond.
The goldfish I had grew beautifully to a hands length. They were taken by a snake. We also have snakes usually in summer. They were my first goldfish.
The second goldfish also grew large and beautiful. Goldfish can be responsive and come when you feed them. They were taken by a raccoon who tore up the lilies as well. Research on raccoons and goldfish confirmed raccoons will eat goldfish like sushi.
As the days warm, I’ve seen butterflies dining on the dandelions, and they are oh so beautiful. It won’t be long before the black cherry trees bloom and the bees come. The black cherry trees will bloom in April, birds will spread pollen, butterflies will also visit the cherry blooms. All and all it’s a beautiful world.
Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at [email protected].
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