Featured Image by Steve Simmer
We have been having beautiful fall weather in the Grantsburg area! Most days this week have had high’s in the 60’s and low 70’s, and with cooler mornings in the 40’s and 50’s. The 10-day forecast shows we may have a spike of warm weather the next few days, before returning to cooler temperatures early next week. Water levels continue to be extremely low in the area due to the on-going drought, so we are hoping the forecasted precipitation falls!
Fall migration is still in full swing, with a wide variety of species coming through within the past few days. Sandhill cranes are beginning to stage in the area, and we will expect to see more migrants coming down in the coming weeks. We typically see peak numbers of cranes sometime around the last week in October!
Now is also a wonderful time to view fall colors. Travel Wisconsin estimates that Burnett County is around 45% color.
Additionally, most fall hunting seasons have now opened, with a couple more to open in the coming weeks (see full list of current and upcoming seasons below).
Bird highlights this week include American Golden-plover, American Pipit, American Wigeon, Black-bellied Plover, Canvasback, Lapland Longspur, Merlin, Northern Shoveler, Red Crossbill, Ruddy Duck, and of course, the Sandhill Cranes!
Bird sightings within the last week at Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
American Coot
American Crow
American Golden-plover
American Goldfinch
American Kestrel
American Pipit
American Robin
American Tree Sparrow
American White Pelican
American Wigeon
Bald Eagle
Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Black-bellied Plover
Black-capped Chickadee
Blue Jay
Blue-winged Teal
Brown Creeper
Canada Goose
Canvasback
Chipping Sparrow
Common Raven
Common Yellowthroat
Cooper’s Hawk
Dark-eyed Junco
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Towhee
Field Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Great Horned Owl
Greater Yellowlegs
Green Heron
Green-winged Teal
Hairy Woodpecker
Harris’s Sparrow
Hermit Thrush
Hooded Merganser
Horned Lark
Killdeer
Lapland Longspur
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Mallard
Merlin
Mourning Dove
Nashville Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Northern Flicker
Northern Harrier
Northern Shoveler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Osprey
Palm Warbler
Pectoral Sandpiper
Pied-billed Grebe
Pileated Woodpecker
Pine Siskin
Red Crossbill
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-eyed Vireo
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-winged Blackbird
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-necked Duck
Ring-necked Pheasant
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Ruddy Duck
Ruffed Grouse
Rusty Blackbird
Sandhill Crane
Savannah Sparrow
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Trumpeter Swan
Turkey Vulture
Vesper Sparrow
White-breasted Nuthatch
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Wild Turkey
Wilson’s Snipe
Wood Duck
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Mammals seen in the area within the last week:
Beaver
Black Bear
Grey Squirrel
Muskrat
Porcupine
Raccoon
Red Fox
Red Squirrel
Striped Skunk
White-tailed Deer
Current and Upcoming Hunting Seasons (for a full list of WI hunting seasons, please visit the WI DNR website):
| Archery Deer Hunting | September 12-January 3 |
| Fall Turkey | September 12-January 3 |
| Ruffed Grouse | September 12-January 3 |
| Regular Goose | September 16-December 16 |
| Regular Waterfowl | September 26-November 24 |
| Rifle Deer for Hunters with Disabilities | October 3-11 |
| Black Bear | October 7-13 (with the aid of dogs) |
| Rifle Deer Hunt for Youth | October 10-11 |
| Rifle Deer Hunting | November 21-29 |