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 temperatures remaining cool, and there may be a couple of days with rain. 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 20% 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, Black-bellied Plover, and Snow Goose.
Bird sightings within the last week at Crex Meadows, Fish Lake, Amsterdam Sloughs, and surrounding area:
American Bittern
American Coot
American Crow
American Golden-Plover
American Goldfinch
American Kestrel
American Pipit
American Robin
American Woodcock
Bald Eagle
Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Black-and-white Warbler
Black-bellied Plover
Black-capped Chickadee
Blue Jay
Blue-headed Vireo
Blue-winged Teal
Brown Creeper
Canada Goose
Cedar Waxwing
Chipping Sparrow
Common Loon
Common Raven
Common Yellowthroat
Cooper’s Hawk
Dark-eyed Junco
Double-crested Cormorant
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Towhee
European Starling
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Gray Catbird
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Greater Yellowlegs
Green Heron
Green-winged Teal
Hairy Woodpecker
Hooded Merganser
House Finch
Killdeer
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Magnolia Warbler
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Nashville Warbler
Northern Flicker
Northern Harrier
Northern Pintail
Orange-crowned Warbler
Pied-billed Grebe
Pileated Woodpecker
Pine Siskin
Pine Warbler
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-eyed Vireo
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-winged Blackbird
Ring-necked Duck
Ring-necked Pheasant
Rock Pigeon
Ruffed Grouse
Sandhill Crane
Savannah Sparrow
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Snow Goose
Solitary Sandpiper
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-rumped Warbler
Mammals seen in the area within the last week:
Grey Squirrel
Muskrat
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 |
| 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 |
| Rifle Deer Hunt for Disabled Hunters | 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 |