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! Road conditions are improving every day on the wildlife areas. The township staff have been grading roads, and we have had a few dry days to help out. Visitors should continue to use caution after rainy days, as roads can get pretty muddy this tome of the year.
Many waterfowl species are still in the area, though numbers are beginning to decrease as they move north to their nesting grounds. Species still being sighted include 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 had been Grettum Flowage down on Fish Lake Wildlife Area and also Phantom Lake on Crex Meadows.
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, Lincoln’s 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, Solitary Sandpiper, Yellow-headed Blackbird, and Yellow Rail. 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 also 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 Squirrel |
| Beaver | Muskrat | River Otter |
| Black Bear | Raccoon | Striped Skunk |
| Grey Squirrel | Red Fox | White-tailed Deer |
| Woodchuck |
Bird sightings within the last week on Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
| American Bittern | European Starling | Purple Martin |
| American Coot | Field Sparrow | Red-bellied Woodpecker |
| American Crow | Forster’s Tern | Red-breasted Merganser |
| American Goldfinch | Fox Sparrow | Red-breasted Nuthatch |
| American Kestrel | Gadwall | Redhead |
| American Robin | Golden-crowned Kinglet | Red-necked Grebe |
| American Tree Sparrow | Great Blue Heron | Red-tailed Hawk |
| American White Pelican | Great Horned Owl | Red-winged Blackbird |
| American Wigeon | Greater Scaup | Ring-billed Gull |
| American Woodcock | Greater Yellowlegs | Ring-necked Duck |
| Bald Eagle | Green-winged Teal | Ring-necked Pheasant |
| Baltimore Oriole | Hairy Woodpecker | Rock Pigeon |
| Barn Swallow | Hermit Thrush | Rough-legged Hawk |
| Barred Owl | Herring Gull | Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
| Belted Kingfisher | Hooded Merganser | Ruddy Duck |
| Black-capped Chickadee | Horned Grebe | Ruffed Grouse |
| Blue Jay | Horned Lark | Rusty Blackbird |
| Blue-winged Teal | House Finch | Sandhill Crane |
| Bonaparte’s Gull | House Sparrow | Savannah Sparrow |
| Broad-winged Hawk | Killdeer | Swamp Sparrow |
| Brown Creeper | Lark Sparrow | Sedge Wren |
| Brown Thrasher | Lesser Scaup | Sharp-shinned Hawk |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Lesser Yellowlegs | Sharp-tailed Grouse |
| Bufflehead | Lincoln’s Sparrow | Solitary Sandpiper |
| Canada Goose | Loggerhead Shrike | Song Sparrow |
| Canvasback | Mallard | Spotted Sandpiper |
| Chipping Sparrow | Merlin | Swainson’s Thrush |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | Mourning Dove | Tree Swallow |
| Common Goldeneye | Northern Cardinal | Trumpeter Swan |
| Common Grackle | Northern Flicker | Turkey Vulture |
| Common Loon | Northern Harrier | Upland Sandpiper |
| Common Merganser | Northern Pintail | Vesper Sparrow |
| Common Raven | Northern Rough-winged Swallow | White-breasted Nuthatch |
| Cooper’s Hawk | Northern Shoveler | White-crowned Sparrow |
| Dark-eyed Junco | Orange-crowned Warbler | White-throated Sparrow |
| Double-crested Cormorant | Osprey | Wild Turkey |
| Downy Woodpecker | Palm Warbler | Wilson’s Snipe |
| Eastern Bluebird | Peregrine Falcon | Wood Duck |
| Eastern Meadowlark | Pied-billed Grebe | Wood Thrush |
| Eastern Phoebe | Pileated Woodpecker | Yellow Rail |
| Eastern Towhee | Pine Warbler | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
| Eastern Whip-poor-will | Purple Finch | Yellow-headed Blackbird |
| Yellow-rumped Warbler |
Did you see something that’s not on our list? Give us a call to report it at 715-463-2739.