Wisconsin State Natural Areas (SNAs) offer a fantastic opportunity to escape summer crowds and enjoy…
The first signs of spring here in the Devil’s Lake region of Wisconsin arrive with the birds. Around the park, we watch and listen for the redwing blackbirds who’ll first arrive out on the park’s Steinke Basin wetland and at the south-west corner of the lake on Messenger Creek.
In addition to the redwings, now is the time we watch the skies for the return of the turkey vultures who always seem to arrive right around March 4th. (Although I haven’t seen any yet!) We also start checking out the Great Blue Heron rookery on the south shore for the first arrival of the males who have to start building nests to impress the ladies who’ll follow a couple of weeks later.
Near The Park
It’s important to note that due to its depth and location Devil’s Lake itself tends to thaw out later than other local waterways. This means many spring waterfowl arrive outside of the park before they come to the lake itself. In fact, just this morning I discovered wood ducks had returned to Dell Creek within Mirror Lake State Park. The wood ducks were mixed in with loads of Canada geese and mallards, so it took some time to spot them!
Of course here at the home of the International Crane Foundation, we get excited when the cranes return to the Baraboo area! In fact, folks have been reporting hearing them nearby but it was only this morning when I found a group of 3 hanging out not far from my home. Now that IS a sure sign of spring!
What signs of spring have you been seeing out there? If you want to learn more about good birdwatching locations in our are, we’ve got that info right here for you. We also host the Birds of Sauk County Facebook Group.
For nearly 2 decades the Skillet Creek blog has focused on 3 main goals; To inspire you to visit and explore the Devil’s Lake region, to help you get the most your visit by sharing tips, events, and other helpful information. Lastly to advocate for our environment & wildlife and talk about how we can keep our natural areas amazing now and into the future! That last goal can sometimes cause controversy, but it’s the only way we can accomplish the first two. – Derrick Mayoleth, Owner.
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