Weather has been variable in the Grantsburg area, with some cooler days over the last week, but temperatures rising again over the past couple of days. The rain has finally stopped coming down as frequently, and there isn’t much for precipitation in the 10 days forecast either.
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, so keep a lookout for a variety of shorebirds, some songbirds, and even watch for some of our local birds to begin flocking up (blackbirds, ducks, etc.). We will expect to see more of this as August moves along.
Our prairies continue to be in full bloom, with some species blooming right at the Education & Visitor Center listed below!
Bird sightings within the last week on Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
| Alder Flycatcher | Eastern Bluebird | Pine Warbler |
| American Bittern | Eastern Kingbird | Purple Finch |
| American Crow | Eastern Meadowlark | Red-bellied Woodpecker |
| American Goldfinch | Eastern Phoebe | Red-breasted Nuthatch |
| American Kestrel | Eastern Towhee | Red-eyed Vireo |
| American Redstart | Eastern Whip-poor-will | Red-headed Woodpecker |
| American Robin | Eastern Wood-pewee | Red-tailed Hawk |
| American White Pelican | European Starling | Red-winged Blackbird |
| Bald Eagle | Gray Catbird | Ring-billed Gull |
| Barn Swallow | Great Blue Heron | Ring-necked Pheasant |
| Belted Kingfisher | Great Egret | Rock Pigeon |
| Black Tern | Green Heron | Rose-breasted Grosbeak |
| Black-and-white Warbler | Hairy Woodpecker | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
| Black-capped Chickadee | Hermit Thrush | Ruffed Grouse |
| Blue Jay | Indigo Bunting | Sandhill Crane |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | Killdeer | Savannah Sparrow |
| Blue-winged Teal | Mallard | Sedge Wren |
| Bobolink | Marsh Wren | Song Sparrow |
| Broad-winged Hawk | Merlin | Swamp Sparrow |
| Canada Goose | Mourning Dove | Tree Swallow |
| Cedar Waxwing | Northern Cardinal | Trumpeter Swan |
| Chimney Swift | Northern Flicker | Turkey Vulture |
| Chipping Sparrow | Northern Harrier | Vesper Sparrow |
| Common Grackle | Northern Rough-winged Swallow | White-breasted Nuthatch |
| Common Loon | Osprey | Wild Turkey |
| Common Raven | Pied-billed Grebe | Wilson’s Snipe |
| Common Yellowthroat | Pileated Woodpecker | Wood Duck |
| Double-crested Cormorant |
Mammals seen in the area within the last week:
| Beaver | Grey Wolf | White-tailed Deer |
| Black Bear | Muskrat | 13-lined Ground Squirrel |
| Cottontail Rabbit | Raccoon | |
| Grey Squirrel | Red Squirrel |
Flowers Blooming in the Visitor Center Prairie:
| Birdsfoot Trefoil | Early Goldenrod | Hoary Vervain |
| Black-eyed Susan | Harebell | Leadplant |
| Blue Giant Hyssop | Hawk’s-beard | Stiff Sunflower |
| Butterflyweed | Hedge Nettle | Wild Bergamot |
| Daisy Fleabane | Hoary Alyssum | Yarrow |