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 in 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.
We are in the midst of nesting and brood rearing season, which is always a fun time of the year for a visit.
We have seen Common Loon chicks, lots of Trumpeter Swan cygnets and Canada Goose goslings, and duck broods are growing quickly. We have had several reports of Sandhill Crane colts around Crex Meadows as well.
It is not only the bird babies you will want to watch out for, as our fawns are continuing to drop, and we have had a couple reports of Black Bear cubs that are becoming more active as well. More and more young will be popping up by the day!
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.
| Cottontail Rabbit | Raccoon | 13-lined Ground Squirrel |
| Grey Squirrel | Red Squirrel | |
| Muskrat | White-tailed Deer |
Bird sightings within the last week on Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
| Alder Flycatcher | Eastern Kingbird | Purple Martin |
| American Bittern | Eastern Phoebe | Red-bellied Woodpecker |
| American Coot | Eastern Towhee | Red-breasted Nuthatch |
| American Crow | Eastern Whip-poor-will | Red-eyed Vireo |
| American Goldfinch | Eastern Wood-pewee | Red-headed Woodpecker |
| American Kestrel | European Starling | Red-necked Grebe |
| American Redstart | Field Sparrow | Red-tailed Hawk |
| American Robin | Golden-winged Warbler | Red-winged Blackbird |
| American White Pelican | Grasshopper Sparrow | Ring-billed Gull |
| American Woodcock | Gray Catbird | Ring-necked Duck |
| Bald Eagle | Great Blue Heron | Ring-necked Pheasant |
| Baltimore Oriole | Great Crested Flycatcher | Rock Pigeon |
| Barn Swallow | Great Horned Owl | Rose-breasted Grosbeak |
| Barred Owl | Green Heron | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
| Belted Kingfisher | Green-winged Teal | Ruffed Grouse |
| Black Tern | Hairy Woodpecker | Sandhill Crane |
| Black-and-white Warbler | Hooded Merganser | Savannah Sparrow |
| Black-billed Cuckoo | House Sparrow | Scarlet Tanager |
| Black-capped Chickdee | Indigo Bunting | Sedge Wren |
| Blue Jay | Killdeer | Song Sparrow |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | Lark Sparrow | Sora |
| Blue-headed Vireo | Least Bittern | Swamp Sparrow |
| Blue-winged Teal | Least Flycatcher | Tree Swallow |
| Bobolink | Mallard | Trumpeter Swan |
| Brewer’s Blackbird | Marsh Wren | Turkey Vulture |
| Brown Thrasher | Mourning Dove | Upland Sandpiper |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Mourning Warbler | Veery |
| Canada Goose | Nashville Warbler | Vesper Sparrow |
| Cedar Waxwing | Northern Cardinal | Virginia Rail |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | Northern Flicker | Warbling Vireo |
| Chimney Swift | Northern Harrier | White-breasted Nuthatch |
| Chipping Sparrow | Northern House Wren | Wild Turkey |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | Northern Rough-winged Swallow | Wilson’s Snipe |
| Common Grackle | Orchard Oriole | Wood Duck |
| Common Loon | Osprey | Wood Thrush |
| Common Nighthawk | Ovenbird | Yellow Warbler |
| Common Raven | Pied-billed Grebe | Yellow-bellied Flycatcher |
| Common Yellowthroat | Pileated Woodpecker | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
| Double-crested Cormorant | Pine Warbler | Yellow-headed Blackbird |
| Downy Woodpecker | Purple Finch | Yellow-rumped Warbler |
| Eastern Bluebird | Yellow-throated Vireo |