Crex Meadows State Wildlife Area
Wildlife Update: March 30, 2023
Summer Visitor Center Hours
Weekdays from 8:00 am-4:30 pm
Weekends 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Signs of Spring are everywhere in the Grantsburg area! Snow is melting (slowly), the sun is getting stronger, the days are getting longer, and the birds are returning. We have still had a few cold days recently, but warmer weather looks to be on the way.
As the snow melts and the temperatures rise, visitors should continue to proceed with caution when driving around the wildlife areas, as roads may be very wet and muddy. It may not hurt to give us a call if you are planning a trip, just to see what road conditions are like.
Within the past few days, we have been seeing several different species showing up in the area, including Killdeer, Eastern Meadowlark, Common Merganser, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Northern Pintail, Sandhill Crane, Wood Duck, and more. Although some of our spring migrants are returning, we still have many winter birds hanging around. Snowy Owls (have been sighted as recently as March 28th), snow buntings, and many Rough-legged Hawks. These birds won’t stick around long, so make a trip to see them while you still can!
Mammals are still roaming around as usual. Highlights this week include: Black Bear, Coyote, Red Fox, and River Otter.
Mammals seen in the area within the last week:
| Black Bear Coyote Fisher (tracks) | Grey Squirrel Red Fox River Otter | Striped Skunk White-tailed Deer |
Bird sightings within the last week on Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
| American Crow American Goldfinch American Robin Bald Eagle Barred Owl Black-capped Chickadee Blue Jay Canada Goose Cedar Waxwing Common Goldeneye Common Merganser Common Raven Dark-eyed Junco Downy Woodpecker Eastern Meadowlark European Starling | Gadwall Great Horned Owl Hairy Woodpecker Hooded Merganser Horned Lark House Sparrow Killdeer Mallard Northern Cardinal Northern Flicker Northern Harrier Northern Pintail Northern Shrike Pileated Woodpecker Purple Finch Red-bellied Woodpecker | Red-breasted Nuthatch Red-tailed Hawk Red-winged Blackbird Ring-necked Pheasant Rock Pigeon Rough-legged Hawk Ruffed Grouse Sandhill Crane Sharp-tailed Grouse Snow Bunting Snowy Owl Trumpeter Swan Tundra Swan White-breasted Nuthatch Wild Turkey Wood Duck |