Featured Image by Mark Naumann
Weather has still been hot in the Grantsburg area with high’s in the 80’s, but with some cooler mornings in the 40’s and 50’s. The 10-day forecast looks like temperatures will be starting to cool off to high’s in the 60’s and 70’s- finally some fall weather! Water levels continue to be extremely low in the area due to the on-going drought. We are hoping for rain this fall. Fortunately, low water levels also mean mudflats, which provide exceptional shorebird viewing! Head to North Fork Flowage, Refuge Extension Flowage, many other locations to look for groups of migrating shorebirds.
Signs of fall are popping up by the day, with leaves changing, some birds gathering into groups, and more migrants coming through by the day. Currently we are seeing mostly shorebirds and songbirds migrating through the area. Additionally, our first hunting seasons have now opened, with several more to open in the coming weeks (see full list of current and upcoming seasons below).
Bird highlights this week include Bay-breasted Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Nashville Warbler, and Northern Parula.
Bird sightings within the last week at Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
American Bittern
American Crow
American Goldfinch
American Kestrel
American Redstart
American Robin
American White Pelican
Bald Eagle
Barn Swallow
Barred Owl
Bay-breasted Warbler
Belted Kingfisher
Black-and-white Warbler
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-throated Green Warbler
Blue Jay
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-winged Teal
Bobolink
Canada Goose
Cedar Waxwing
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Cliff Swallow
Common Loon
Common Nighthawk
Common Raven
Common Yellowthroat
Cooper’s Hawk
Double-crested Cormorant
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Towhee
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Eastern Wood-pewee
Golden-winged Warbler
Gray Catbird
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Greater Yellowlegs
Green Heron
Hairy Woodpecker
House Sparrow
Killdeer
Lesser Yellowlegs
Magnolia Warbler
Mallard
Marsh Wren
Merlin
Mourning Dove
Nashville Warbler
Northern Flicker
Northern Harrier
Northern Parula
Northern Waterthrush
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Osprey
Ovenbird
Pied-billed Grebe
Pileated Woodpecker
Pine Warbler
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-eyed Vireo
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-winged Blackbird
Ring-billed Gull
Ring-necked Pheasant
Rock Pigeon
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Ruby-throated hummingbird
Ruffed Grouse
Sandhill Crane
Savannah Sparrow
Sedge Wren
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Solitary Sandpiper
Song Sparrow
Sora
Swamp Sparrow
Tree Swallow
Trumpeter Swan
Turkey Vulture
Veery
White-breasted Nuthatch
Wild Turkey
Wilson’s Snipe
Wood Duck
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Vireo
Mammals seen in the area within the last week:
Beaver
Black Bear
Coyote
Grey Squirrel
Muskrat
Red Squirrel
Striped Skunk
White-tailed Deer
13-lined Ground Squirrel
Current and Upcoming Hunting Seasons (for a full list of WI hunting seasons, please visit the WI DNR website):
| Early Goose | September 1-15 |
| Black Bear | September 9-15 (with the aid of bait) |
| Archery Deer Hunting | September 12-January 3 |
| Fall Turkey | September 12-January 3 |
| Ruffed Grouse | September 12-January 3 |
| Youth Waterfowl | September 19-20 |
| Black Bear | September 16-October 6 (with the aid of bait and dogs) |
| Regular Goose | September 16-December 16 |
| Regular Waterfowl | September 26-November 24 |
| Black Bear | October 7-13 (with the aid of dogs) |