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 still become muddy this time of the year.
Many waterfowl species are still in the area, though numbers are much smaller than they were two weeks ago, as birds continue to move north to their nesting grounds. Most of the species left are our common local nesters including Mallard, Wood Duck, Ring-necked Duck, and Blue-winged Teal. Other species still being sighted include Canvasback, Common Goldeneye, Greater and Lesser Scaup, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, and Redhead. A great place for viewing most of these species had been Grettum Flowage down in Fish Lake Wildlife Area and some sightings on Phantom Lake in Crex Meadows.
Many of our warblers are starting to show up in the area. These include Black-and-white Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula, Nashville Warbler, and more.
A few other bird highlights include Sharp-tailed Grouse (currently participating in their spring mating dances), American White Pelican, Bonaparte’s Gull, Red-necked Grebe, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Peregrine Falcon, and Yellow Rail.
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 | Muskrat | River Otter |
| Beaver | Raccoon | Striped Skunk |
| Black Bear | Red Fox | White-tailed Deer |
| Grey Squirrel | Red Squirrel | Woodchuck |
| Grey Wolf (tracks) |
Bird sightings within the last week on Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
| American Bittern | Eastern Phoebe | Pileated Woodpecker |
| American Coot | Eastern Towhee | Pine Warbler |
| American Crow | Eastern Whip-poor-will | Purple Martin |
| American Goldfinch | European Starling | Red-bellied Woodpecker |
| American Kestrel | Field Sparrow | Red-breasted Merganser |
| American Robin | Gadwall | Red-breasted Nuthatch |
| American Tree Sparrow | Gray Catbird | Redhead |
| American White Pelican | Great Blue Heron | Red-headed Woodpecker |
| American Wigeon | Greater Scaup | Red-necked Grebe |
| American Woodcock | Greater Yellowlegs | Red-tailed Hawk |
| Bald Eagle | Green Heron | Red-winged Blackbird |
| Baltimore Oriole | Green-winged Teal | Ring-necked Duck |
| Barn Swallow | Hairy Woodpecker | Ring-necked Pheasant |
| Barred Owl | Hermit Thrush | Rock Pigeon |
| Belted Kingfisher | Hooded Merganser | Rose-breasted Grosbeak |
| Black-and-white Warbler | Horned Grebe | Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
| Black-capped Chickadee | Horned Lark | Ruffed Grouse |
| Blue Jay | House Finch | Sandhill Crane |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | House Sparrow | Savannah Sparrow |
| Blue-winged Teal | House Wren | Sedge Wren |
| Bonaparte’s Gull | Killdeer | Sharp-shinned Hawk |
| Broad-winged Hawk | Lark Sparrow | Sharp-tailed Grouse |
| Brown Creeper | Least Flycatcher | Solitary Sandpiper |
| Brown Thrasher | Lesser Scaup | Song Sparrow |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Lesser Yellowlegs | Sora |
| Bufflehead | Lincoln’s Sparrow | Spotted Sandpiper |
| Canada Goose | Mallard | Swamp Sparrow |
| Canvasback | Marsh Wren | Tree Swallow |
| Cedar Waxwing | Merlin | Trumpeter Swan |
| Chipping Sparrow | Mourning Dove | Turkey Vulture |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | Northern Parula | Upland Sandpiper |
| Cliff Swallow | Nashville Warbler | Veery |
| Common Goldeneye | Northern Cardinal | Vesper Sparrow |
| Common Grackle | Northern Flicker | White-breasted Nuthatch |
| Common Loon | Northern Harrier | White-crowned Sparrow |
| Common Merganser | Northern Pintail | White-throated Sparrow |
| Common Raven | Northern Rough-winged Swallow | Wild Turkey |
| Common Yellowthroat | Northern Shoveler | Wilson’s Snipe |
| Cooper’s Hawk | Northern Waterthrush | Wood Duck |
| Dark-eyed Junco | Osprey | Wood Thrush |
| Downy Woodpecker | Ovenbird | Yellow Rail |
| Eastern Bluebird | Palm Warbler | Yellow Warbler |
| Eastern Kingbird | Peregrine Falcon | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
| Eastern Meadowlark | Pied-billed Grebe | 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.