Fall Visitor Center Hours
Weekdays from 9:00 am-5:30 pm
Weekends 10:00 am-4:00 pm
The fall migration season is underway in the Grantsburg Area! We are still having most days with highs either in or near the 80’s, with cool mornings and evenings. It looks as though the weather will begin to feel more like fall in the next couple of weeks.
Fall migration season mean that it is “Sandhill Crane Viewing Season” at Crex Meadows! This week we had many migrants arrive in the area, and likely have a few thousands birds around right now. Those numbers will continue to build throughout the entire month of October, and we typically reach our peak numbers late in October or even early into November. Main Dike Road, Phantom Lake Road, and Grettum Dike Road (Fish Lake Wildlife Area) are generally great places to view cranes in the morning and evening!
Trumpeter Swans are plentiful on the properties this time of year, many have been hanging out on Main Dike Road during the day.
We have not seen much for large numbers of ducks in the area quite yet but will expect to see them coming through in the next few weeks.
Highlights from this week include: American Pipit, American Wigeon, Cedar Waxwing, Gadwall, Lincoln’s Sparrow, Northern Pintail, Tennessee Warbler, and of course, the Sandhill Cranes!
PLEASE NOTE: There are now several hunting seasons open or opening soon. Please stay aware while out on the properties in the coming months (especially while hiking). For a full list of hunting season dates, please visit the WI DNR website: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/hunt/dates
Mammals seen in the area within the last week:
| 13-Lined Ground Squirrel | Grey Wolf | Red Squirrel |
| Beaver | Muskrat | River Otter |
| Black Bear | Raccoon | White-tailed Deer |
| Grey Squirrel | Red Fox |
Bird sightings within the last week on Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
| American Coot | Eastern Wood-pewee | Red-bellied Woodpecker |
| American Crow | European Starling | Red-breasted Nuthatch |
| American Goldfinch | Gadwall | Red-headed Woodpecker |
| American Kestrel | Golden-crowned Kinglet | Red-tailed Hawk |
| American Pipit | Gray Catbird | Red-winged Blackbird |
| American Robin | Great Blue Heron | Ring-billed Gull |
| American Wigeon | Great Egret | Ring-necked Duck |
| American Woodcock | Great Horned Owl | Ring-necked Pheasant |
| Bald Eagle | Greater Yellowlegs | Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
| Barred Owl | Green Heron | Ruffed Grouse |
| Belted Kingfisher | Hairy Woodpecker | Sandhill Crane |
| Black-and-White Warbler | Hooded Merganser | Savannah Sparrow |
| Black-capped Chickadee | Killdeer | Sharp-shinned Hawk |
| Blue Jay | Lesser Yellowlegs | Song Sparrow |
| Blue-winged Teal | Lincoln’s Sparrow | Sora |
| Canada Goose | Mallard | Spotted Sandpiper |
| Cedar Waxwing | Merlin | Swamp Sparrow |
| Chipping Sparrow | Mourning Dove | Tennessee Warbler |
| Common Loon | Northern Flicker | Trumpeter Swan |
| Common Raven | Northern Harrier | Turkey Vulture |
| Common Yellowthroat | Northern Pintail | White-breasted Nuthatch |
| Dark-eyed Junco | Osprey | White-throated Sparrow |
| Downy Woodpecker | Palm Warbler | Wild Turkey |
| Eastern Bluebird | Pied-billed Grebe | Wilson’s Snipe |
| Eastern Phoebe | Pileated Woodpecker | Wood Duck |
| Eastern Towhee | Pine Siskin | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
| Pine Warbler | Yellow-rumped Warbler |
Did you see something that is not on our list (on the back of this page)? Feel free to give us a call to report it!
Sandhill crane photo by Carol Knabe.