(Photos) Orland Grassland in winter

Former farmland in Orland Park, Illinois has been transformed into native prairie by the Cook County Forest Preserve District--the Orland Grassland. I visited yesterday morning.

A couple of inches of snow fell the day before. In the distance is an oak savanna.

Nebraska? Oklahoma? No, Orland Park.

Here is one of many beaver lodges on one of the ponds in the grassland. Or is this a muskrat lodge?

Most of Illinois looked like this, during winter of course, prior to European settlement.

The grassland is a birder's paradise, I saw a Cooper's hawk during my visit.

Trees are pretty even without leaves.