Summer Visitor Center Hours
Weekdays from 8:00 am-4:30 pm
Weekends 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Spring has sprung in the Grantsburg area. The sun is getting stronger, the days are getting longer, and more birds are returning every day! Ice is completely gone from the flowages and all the snow has melted from the ground. We have had several days of rain in the past week, making the roads on Crex Meadows and Fish Lake extremely muddy. There are some roads that visitors without 4-wheel drive should not attempt to drive on. It is a good idea to call or stop in the visitor center to find out which routes are best to take.
Waterfowl species continue to return and pass through the area, including Canvasback, Common Goldeneye, Greater and Lesser Scaup, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Redhead, Ruddy Duck, and more. A great place for viewing most of these species has been Grettum Flowage down on Fish Lake Wildlife Area.
We have also had several of our warblers and sparrows returning to the area within the past week. A few highlights include Clay-colored Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Orange-crowned Warbler, Palm Warbler, Savannah Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, and White-throated Sparrow.
A few other bird highlights include Sharp-tailed Grouse (currently participating in their spring mating dances), American White Pelican, Bonaparte’s Gull, Common Loon, Eastern Whip-poor-will, Forster’s Tern, Herring Gull, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, and Solitary Sandpiper. Both grebe species (and also the Pied-billed Grebe) have been consistently sighted near one another on Phantom Lake (closer to the south end of the flowage).
Visitors should be aware that we are getting close to the time where wood ticks and deer ticks will become abundant. Be sure to wear the appropriate clothing and utilize permethrin or other deterring sprays on your clothing to minimize risk.
Mammals seen in the area within the last week:
| 13-Lined Ground Squirrel | Grey Wolf (tracks) | Red Fox |
| Beaver | Mink | Red Squirrel |
| Black Bear | Muskrat | River Otter |
| Coyote | Porcupine | Striped Skunk |
| Grey Squirrel | Raccoon | White-tailed Deer |
| Woodchuck |
Bird sightings within the last week on Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
| American Bittern | Eastern Phoebe | Purple Finch |
| American Coot | Eastern Towhee | Purple Martin |
| American Crow | Eastern Whip-poor-will | Red-bellied Woodpecker |
| American Goldfinch | European Starling | Red-breasted Merganser |
| American Kestrel | Field Sparrow | Red-breasted Nuthatch |
| American Robin | Forster’s Tern | Redhead |
| American Tree Sparrow | Fox Sparrow | Red-necked Grebe |
| American White Pelican | Gadwall | Red-tailed Hawk |
| American Wigeon | Golden-crowned Kinglet | Red-winged Blackbird |
| American Woodcock | Great Blue Heron | Ring-billed Gull |
| Bald Eagle | Great Egret | Ring-necked Duck |
| Barn Swallow | Greater Scaup | Ring-necked Pheasant |
| Barred Owl | Greater Yellowlegs | Rock Pigeon |
| Belted Kingfisher | Green-winged Teal | Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
| Black-capped Chickadee | Hairy Woodpecker | Ruddy Duck |
| Blue Jay | Hermit Thrush | Ruffed Grouse |
| Blue-winged Teal | Herring Gull | Rusty Blackbird |
| Bonaparte’s Gull | Hooded Merganser | Sandhill Crane |
| Broad-winged Hawk | Horned Grebe | Savannah Sparrow |
| Brown Creeper | Horned Lark | Sharp-tailed Grouse |
| Brown Thrasher | House Finch | Solitary Sandpiper |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Killdeer | Song Sparrow |
| Bufflehead | Lark Sparrow | Spotted Sandpiper |
| Canada Goose | Lesser Scaup | Swainson’s Thrush |
| Canvasback | Lesser Yellowlegs | Swamp Sparrow |
| Chipping Sparrow | Mallard | Tree Swallow |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | Mourning Dove | Trumpeter Swan |
| Common Goldeneye | Northern Cardinal | Turkey Vulture |
| Common Grackle | Northern Flicker | Vesper Sparrow |
| Common Loon | Northern Harrier | White-breasted Nuthatch |
| Common Merganser | Northern Pintail | White-crowned Sparrow |
| Common Raven | Northern Shoveler | White-throated Sparrow |
| Cooper’s Hawk | Orange-crowned Warbler | Wild Turkey |
| Dark-eyed Junco | Osprey | Wilson’s Snipe |
| Double-crested Cormorant | Palm Warbler | Wood Duck |
| Downy Woodpecker | Pied-billed Grebe | Wood Thrush |
| Eastern Bluebird | Pileated Woodpecker | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
| Eastern Meadowlark | Pine Warbler | Yellow-rumped Warbler |