The last week in January was a cold one in the Grantsburg Area. Our temperatures have been mild for this time of the year, all month long, but we hit -20°F several days within the past week. The amount of snowfall has finally seemed to slow down a bit, which is a good thing for our winter resident wildlife (and for us, too!). We expect the weather to warm up again by this coming weekend.
Visitors should continue to proceed with caution when driving around the wildlife areas, as There is still a lot of snow (that has done some drifting over the past week), and the roads may become increasingly icy with this cold weather. It may not hurt to give us a call if you are planning a trip, just to see what road conditions are like.
Wildlife viewing has been quite typical for this time of year- relatively quiet, but with a few fun sightings here and there. A Snowy owl has been consistently sighted on Crex Meadows, as well as a Golden Eagle sighting now and again. Mammals are still roaming around as usual, and due to the large amount of snow, many are using the roads to get from place to place. Go slow as you drive, and you may be able to see all kinds of different tracks (including Grey Wolf, Coyote, Fox, Fisher, and even Bobcat!).
Our highlights within the past week included Snowy Owl, Golden Eagle, Brown Creeper, and Northern Shrike.
Mammals seen in the area within the last week:
Fisher (tracks)
Grey Squirrel
Grey Wolf (tracks)
Red Fox
River Otter
White-tailed Deer
Bird sightings within the last week on Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
American Crow
American Goldfinch
American Kestrel
American Tree Sparrow
Bald Eagle
Black-capped Chickadee
Blue Jay
Brown Creeper
Common Raven
Dark-eyed Junco
Downy Woodpecker
European Starling
Golden Eagle
Hairy Woodpecker
Horned Lark
House Sparrow
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Northern Cardinal
Northern Shrike
Pileated Woodpecker
Purple Finch
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Ring-necked Pheasant
Rock Pigeon
Rough-legged Hawk
Ruffed Grouse
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Snow Bunting
Snowy Owl
Trumpeter Swan
White-breasted Nuthatch
Wild Turkey