Weather has been hot and stormy in the Grantsburg area. We have had most of our days in the high 70’s and 80’s, but also had several days close the 90’s over the past week. We have had lots of random storms that came along with the heat wave, none that became too severe in our area. But with these storms we have had an incredible amount of rain. Some of our flowages are still a bit high after these rain events, and some of our minimum maintenance roads are muddy. Most of the main roads through Crex and Fish Lake have been holding up well to the moisture, but be cautious while you drive, as sink holes can develop even days after rain events.
We are still in the midst of brood rearing season, which is always a fun time of the year for a visit! Baby birds are growing fast, and there are some that may not even look like babies anymore! Loons, cranes, swans, and ducks with young have been plentiful on and around our flowages lately, with Phantom Lake Road being a good place to see them all!
It is not only the bird babies you will want to watch out for, as we have many fawns wandering around, and several bear cub sightings as well.
Because it is baby animals season, the Wisconsin DNR wants to remind you to help keep wildlife wild whenever possible. It is important to observe wildlife at a distance, and to remember that a baby animal’s best chance for survival is with its parents. If you think an animal many be orphaned, please refer to the DNR website for more information on what to do next.
Bird sightings within the last week on Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
| Alder Flycatcher | Eastern Phoebe | Red-necked Grebe |
| American Bittern | Eastern Towhee | Red-tailed Hawk |
| American Crow | Eastern Wood-pewee | Red-winged Blackbird |
| American Goldfinch | Field Sparrow | Ring-necked Duck |
| American Kestrel | Golden-winged Warbler | Ring-necked Pheasant |
| American Robin | Grasshopper Sparrow | Rock Pigeon |
| American White Pelican | Gray Catbird | Rose-breasted Grosbeak |
| American Woodcock | Great Blue Heron | Ruby-throated Hummnigbird |
| Bald Eagle | Great Crested Flycatcher | Ruffed Grouse |
| Baltimore Oriole | Green Heron | Sandhill Crane |
| Bank Swallow | Green-winged Teal | Scarlet Tanager |
| Barn Swallow | Hairy Woodpecker | Sedge Wren |
| Barred Owl | House Finch | Song Sparrow |
| Belted Kingfisher | Indigo Bunting | Sora |
| Black Tern | Killdeer | Spotted Sandpiper |
| Black-and-white Warbler | Least Bittern | Swamp Sparrow |
| Black-billed Cuckoo | Least Flycatcher | Tree Swallow |
| Black-capped Chickadee | LeConte’s Sparrow | Trumpeter Swan |
| Blue Jay | Lesser Yellowlegs | Veery |
| Blue-winged Teal | Mallard | Vesper Sparrow |
| Bobolink | Marsh Wren | Virginia Rail |
| Brown Thrasher | Mourning Dove | Warbling Vireo |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Northern Cardinal | Whip-poor-will |
| Canada Goose | Northern Flicker | White-breasted Nuthatch |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | Northern Harrier | Wild Turkey |
| Chipping Sparrow | Osprey | Wilson’s Snipe |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | Ovenbird | Wood Duck |
| Common Grackle | Pied-billed Grebe | Wood Thrush |
| Common Loon | Pileated Woodpecker | Yellow Warbler |
| Common Nighthawk | Pine Warbler | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
| Common Raven | Purple Finch | Yellow-billed Cuckoo |
| Common Yellowthroat | Purple Martin | Yellow-headed Blackbird |
| Double-crested Cormorant | Red-bellied Woodpecker | Yellow-rumped Warbler |
| Downy Woodpecker | Red-breasted Nuthatch | Yellow-throated Vireo |
| Eastern Bluebird | Red-eyed Vireo | |
| Eastern Kingbird | Red-headed Woodpecker |
Mammals seen in the area within the last week:
| Beaver | Grey Squirrel | White-tailed Deer |
| Black Bear | Muskrat | 13-lined Ground Squirrel |
| Cottontail Rabbit | Raccoon | |
| Fisher | Red Squirrel |