Loons Return!
At least one loon has been seen this week on the south end of Devil's Lake. It wasn’t too many years ago that it would have been a shock to see a loon on the lake, but over the last…
Welcome Home Heron!
The Great Blue Heron began returning to the South Shore rookeries on Wednesday. Interestingly, there are just a few pairs right now, all visible from the CCC parking lot. Normally the males would arrive a week or two earlier. This…
DNR Conducts Comprehensive Fishery Survey at Devil’s Lake
Nets installed at Devil's Lake State Park yesterday are part of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Fisheries program's comprehensive fishery survey, which takes place every 10 years. These nets primarily target northern pike but will also capture panfish and…
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Star of the East Bluff
The big story at Devil's Lake State Park recently has been the sightings of a Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch on Devil's Lake State Park's East Bluff. The reason it's capturing the attention of Wisconsin's birders is because the little finch is native…
Hunting Begins This Weekend!
The 2023 deer gun season starts this weekend. Here in Sauk County, hunting of one sort or another really goes on through the end of the year. And to many visitor's surprise, hunting is allowed in Wisconsin State Parks. Much…
Mink or Fisher?
It's Critter Cam time again. Although we checked this camera just last weekend, the captures go back to last winter as you can see. It's pretty clear that this critter is either a mink or a fisher, but it's not…
A Little Good News for the Bats
Back when I worked at Devil’s Lake State Park in the early ‘90s, naturalist Ken Lange (the park’s first naturalist) would tell us that the north shore bat colony was over 1,000 strong. By 2010, that often-quoted number had dropped…
Groundhogs: The Overlooked Stars of Devil’s Lake State Park
Did you know that Devil's Lake State Park is home to groundhogs? These furry creatures are closely related to marmots, a popular sight in national parks out west. In fact, in some national parks such as Olympic NP, the public…
Pileated Woodpeckers: Nature’s Tree Carvers
If you've ever hiked through Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo, Wisconsin, you may have heard the distinctive drumming sound of a Pileated Woodpecker. The Pileated Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker found in North America. At about 16-19 inches in length,…
Loons Return To Devil’s Lake
As spring arrives in Devil's Lake State Park, one of the most exciting events is the return of the common loon. Known for their haunting calls, these waterbirds are a sight to see as they glide through the crystal-clear waters…