Weather has continued to be extremely hot and stormy in the Grantsburg area over the last week. Many days have been in the upper 80’s, and some hitting the 90’s- but most days with high humidity. Because of this, we have had lots of random days of rain and some storms, none of the storms ended up being too severe in our area. Some of our flowages are still 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 amid 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.
It is also the time of the year where we are seeing some of our earliest fall migrants coming through, including some interesting shorebirds (Pectoral Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, etc.). We will expect to see more of this as August moves along.
Bird sightings within the last week on Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
| Alder Flycatcher | Downy Woodpecker | Purple Martin |
| American Bittern | Eastern Bluebird | Red-bellied Woodpecker |
| American Black Duck | Eastern Kingbird | Red-breasted Nuthatch |
| American Crow | Eastern Phoebe | Red-eyed Vireo |
| American Goldfinch | Eastern Towhee | Red-headed Woodpecker |
| American Kestrel | Eastern Wood-pewee | Red-necked Grebe |
| American Redstart | Eurasian Collared-Dove | Red-tailed Hawk |
| American Robin | European Starling | Red-winged Blackbird |
| American White Pelican | Field Sparrow | Ring-billed Gull |
| Bald Eagle | Golden-winged Warbler | Ring-necked Duck |
| Baltimore Oriole | Gray Catbird | Ring-necked Pheasant |
| Barn Swallow | Great Blue Heron | Rock Pigeon |
| Barred Owl | Great Crested Flycatcher | Rose-breasted Grosbeak |
| Belted Kingfisher | Great Egret | Ruby-throated Hummigbird |
| Black Tern | Greater Yellowlegs | Ruffed Grouse |
| Black-and-white Warbler | Green Heron | Sandhill Crane |
| Black-capped Chickadee | Hairy Woodpecker | Savannah Sparrow |
| Blue Jay | Hermit Thrush | Scarlet Tanager |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | Hooded Merganser | Sedge Wren |
| Blue-winged Teal | House Sparrow | Sharp-shinned Hawk |
| Bobolink | Indigo Bunting | Song Sparrow |
| Broad-winged Hawk | Killdeer | Sora |
| Brown Creeper | Least Flycatcher | Stilt Sandpiper |
| Brown Thrasher | Lesser Yellowlegs | Swamp Sparrow |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Mallard | Tree Swallow |
| Canada Goose | Marsh Wren | Trumpeter Swan |
| Cedar Waxwing | Mourning Dove | Turkey Vulture |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | Mourning Warbler | Veery |
| Chimney Swift | Northern Cardinal | Vesper Sparrow |
| Chipping Sparrow | Northern Flicker | White-breasted Nuthatch |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | Northern Harrier | Wild Turkey |
| Common Grackle | Northern House Wren | Wilson’s Snipe |
| Common Loon | Osprey | Wood Duck |
| Common Raven | Pectoral Sandpiper | Yellow Warbler |
| Common Yellowthroat | Pied-billed Grebe | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
| Cooper’s Hawk | Pileated Woodpecker | Yellow-headed Blackbird |
| Dickcissel | Pine Warbler | Yellow-throated Vireo |
| Double-crested Cormorant | Purple Finch |
Mammals seen in the area within the last week:
| Beaver | Grey Squirrel | Red Squirrel |
| Black Bear | Muskrat | White-tailed Deer |
| Cottontail Rabbit | Raccoon | 13-lined Ground Squirrel |
Flowers Blooming in the Visitor Center Prairie:
| Birdsfoot Trefoil | Harebell | Leadplant |
| Black-eyed Susan | Hawk’s-beard | Stiff Sunflower |
| Blue Giant Hyssop | Hedge Nettle | Wild Bergamot |
| Butterfly Weed | Hoary Alyssum | Yarrow |
| Daisy Fleabane | Hoary Vervain | |
| Early Goldenrod | Blue Vervain |