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While we were photographing butterflies and enjoying Bob Stroud's legendary Rock and Roll Roots radio show on the Jeep's radio, a rough-legged hawk came swooping down at breakneck speed, talons bared and quite nearby. It caught a thermal from the hill and would climb to an altitude of a hundred feet or so, and then upon catching sight of potential prey it came swooping down, wings folded and talons extended. The attacks were impressive but as far as we could see, unsuccessful; possibly this was a young and inexperienced bird.
Invariably accompanying the liatris aspera, an outstanding example of the sunflower family, helianthus occidentalis [pictured below] brightens the prairie with a myriad of yellow disk flowers on long, naked stems - the leaves form a basal rosette. These attract gold finches, and a peculiar type of bee-like fly which is covered with a fine felt-like fuzz.
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