Featured Image by Terry Moffatt
Weather has been uncharacteristically hot in the Grantsburg area over the past week, with temperatures in the high 70’s and 80’s most days. We haven’t had much for rain and storms the past week, but it looks like some may be coming within the next 10 days. We are seeing predictions of higher-than-average temperatures in October, so be sure to check the weather before making a trip so you can come prepared!
Now is the time of the year where we are within our fall migration. Keep a lookout for a variety of ducks, some remaining songbirds and shorebirds, geese, Sandhill Cranes and more. We will expect to see numbers of geese and ducks increase in the coming weeks, as well as numbers of Sandhill Cranes.
The Sandhill Crane migration is in its early stages. We are certainly seeing numbers begin to build, with opportunities to see a few hundred at a time in some locations. These numbers will build rapidly the further we get into October, and we typically expect our peak numbers to be present sometime within the last week of October and continuing into early November.
This is also the time of year where there are hunting seasons open. Here are the seasons that are open in October for our area:
| Large Game | |
| Black Bear | September 3- October 7 |
| Deer (Archery & Crossbow) | September 13- January 4 |
| Deer (Disabled Hunt- rifles allowed) | October 4-12 |
| Deer (Youth Hunt- rifles allowed) | October 11-12 |
| Migratory Birds | |
| Goose | September 1- December 16 |
| Rails, Snipe | September 1- November 9 |
| Mourning Dove | September 1- November 29 |
| Woodcock | September 20- November 3 |
| Waterfowl/Coot | September 27- November 25 |
| Other Game Birds | |
| Turkey | September 13- January 4 |
| Ruffed Grouse | September 13- January 4 |
| Pheasant | October 18- November 9 |
| Sharp-tailed Grouse | October 18- November 9 |
| Small Game | |
| Cottontail Rabbit/ Squirrels | September 13- February 28 |
Mammals seen in the area within the last week:
| Beaver | Muskrat | Striped Skunk |
| Black Bear | Raccoon | White-tailed Deer |
| Grey Squirrel | Red Squirrel |
Bird sightings within the last week on Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
| American Coot | Eastern Bluebird | Red-tailed Hawk |
| American Crow | Eastern Phoebe | Red-winged Blackbird |
| American Goldfinch | Eastern Towhee | Ring-billed Gull |
| American Kestrel | Eastern Whip-poor-will | Ring-necked Duck |
| American Pipit | Great Blue Heron | Ring-necked Pheasant |
| American Robin | Great Egret | Ruffed Grouse |
| American White Pelican | Green Heron | Sandhill Crane |
| American Woodcock | Hairy Woodpecker | Savannah Sparrow |
| Bald Eagle | Hermit Thrush | Sharp-tailed Grouse |
| Barred Owl | Horned Lark | Song Sparrow |
| Belted Kingfisher | House Finch | Swainson’s Thrush |
| Black-capped Chickadee | Indigo Bunting | Swamp Sparrow |
| Blue Jay | Lincoln’s Sparrow | Trumpeter Swan |
| Blue-winged Teal | Mallard | Turkey Vulture |
| Brown Creeper | Mourning Dove | Vesper Sparrow |
| Canada Goose | Northern Flicker | White-breasted Nuthatch |
| Cedar Waxwing | Northern Harrier | White-crowned Sparrow |
| Chipping Sparrow | Northern Shoveler | White-throated Sparrow |
| Common Loon | Ovenbird | Wild Turkey |
| Common Nighthawk | Palm Warbler | Wilson’s Snipe |
| Common Raven | Pied-billed Grebe | Wood Duck |
| Common Yellowthroat | Pileated Woodpecker | Yellow-bellied Sapsucker |
| Dark-eyed Junco | Red-bellied Woodpecker | Yellow-rumped Warbler |
| Double-crested Cormorant | Red-breasted Nuthatch | |
| Downy Woodpecker | Red-necked Grebe |