Featured Image by Heather M Rosa
Spring weather has been much more consistent in the Grantsburg area this past week! Most days were in the 50’s and 60’s, with a couple of days even reaching the 80-degree mark! We have had some precipitation fall over the past few days, with more rain (and potentially storms) in the forecast for the coming days.
With the ice being gone from our flowages, we are seeing a wide variety of waterfowl hanging around. Good viewing locations right now are pretty much anywhere there is water, but there have been high concentrations of ducks at Grettum Flowage (on Fish Lake Wildlife Area) especially.
We are also noticing some of our other wetland birds returning this week, including American Bittern, Greater Yellowlegs, and more. In addition, some of the first songbird sightings have been reported in the past couple of days, including Yellow-rumped Warbler and Pine Warbler.
Springtime also means mating season for birds, and there have been several species participating in mating displays observed this week. Most visible displays are put on by Sharp-tailed Grouse, Sandhill Cranes, Trumpeter Swans, and Wild Turkeys.
Highlights this past week include American Bittern, American Herring Gull, American White Pelican, Greater White-fronted Goose, Horned Grebe, Merlin, Pine Warbler, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-necked Grebe, Short-eared Owl, Wilson’s Snipe, and a wide variety of ducks.
Most roads in Crex Meadows, Fish Lake and Amsterdam Sloughs have been holding up quite well for the most part, but some have been extremely muddy. The east side of Main Dike Road may be impassable for some vehicles, as well as the northeast part of North Refuge Road. It is a good idea to check in with Visitor Center staff before making a trip to the area to learn the most current information.
In the springtime, the Wisconsin DNR conducts several prescribed burns on State Wildlife Areas. While you are visiting Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, and Amsterdam Sloughs, you may notice smoke in the air. These fires are likely controlled by DNR fire staff monitoring them the entire time until they are confirmed to be out. However, springtime is also wildfire season in our area, so it’s important to be aware of your surroundings.
Bird sightings within the last week at Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
| American Bittern | Eastern Bluebird | Pine Warbler |
| American Black Duck | Eastern Meadowlark | Purple Finch |
| American Coot | Eastern Phoebe | Red-bellied Woodpecker |
| American Crow | European Starling | Red-breasted Merganser |
| American Goldfinch | Field Sparrow | Red-breasted Nuthatch |
| American Herring Gull | Fox Sparrow | Redhead |
| American Kestrel | Gadwall | Red-necked Grebe |
| American Robin | Golden-crowned Kinglet | Red-tailed Hawk |
| American Tree Sparrow | Great Blue Heron | Red-winged Blackbird |
| American White Pelican | Greater Scaup | Ring-billed Gull |
| American Wigeon | Greater White-fronted Goose | Ring-necked Duck |
| American Woodcock | Greater Yellowlegs | Ring-necked Pheasant |
| Bald Eagle | Green-winged Teal | Rock Pigeon |
| Barred Owl | Hairy Woodpecker | Rough-legged Hawk |
| Belted Kingfisher | Hermit Thrush | Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
| Black-capped Chickadee | Hooded Merganser | Ruffed Grouse |
| Blue Jay | Horned Grebe | Sandhill Crane |
| Blue-winged Teal | House Finch | Sharp-shinned Hawk |
| Brewer’s Blackbird | House Sparrow | Sharp-tailed Grouse |
| Brown Creeper | Killdeer | Short-eared Owl |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Lesser Scaup | Song Sparrow |
| Bufflehead | Mallard | Tree Swallow |
| Canada Goose | Merlin | Trumpeter Swan |
| Canvasback | Mourning Dove | Tundra Swan |
| Common Goldeneye | Northern Cardinal | Turkey Vulture |
| Common Grackle | Northern Flicker | White-breasted Nuthatch |
| Common Loon | Northern Harrier | Wild Turkey |
| Common Merganser | Northern Pintail | Wilson’s Snipe |
| Common Raven | Northern Shoveler | Wood Duck |
| Cooper’s Hawk | Osprey | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
| Dark-eyed Junco | Pied-billed Grebe | Yellow-rumped Warbler |
| Double-crested Cormorant | Pileated Woodpecker | |
| Downy Woodpecker | Pine Siskin |
Mammals seen in the area within the last week:
| Beaver | Grey Wolf (scat) | River Otter |
| Black Bear | Muskrat | Striped Skunk |
| Grey Squirrel | Raccoon | White-tailed Deer |