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Sandhill Wildlife Area (May 30, 2004)

This wildlife area is located in Wood County off of Co. Highway X east of Babcock. The area has a drivable tour that winds through a variety of wetlands. The wildlife area is less than 20 miles north of the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge.

There is a motor vehicle trail throughout the Sandhill Wildlife Area called the Trumpeter Trail that travels throughout the area on the dikes. There are additional access roads and trails throughout the area, such that I can rarely get to all the areas that I would like to see in one day.

I first visited the area in July of 2003 and have become very interested in learning more about what is here. I was part of an NABA butterfly count that was conducted there and we saw 39 Two-spotted Skippers at this site. These skippers are an uncommon butterfly through out their range and this was the highest total count of Two-spotted Skippers in any NABA Count in North America. It is also a Wisconsin species of special concern.

On May 15, 2004 I found a Ringed Boghaunter, also a species of special concern in Wisconsin, which represented a new county record for this dragonfly. This dragonfly was not known from outside New England until 1998 and is probably the earliest flying resident dragonfly in Wisconsin. I took this photo with my spotting scope with my digital camera attached from a distance of about 10 yards.

There are a wide variety of birds present, including some Trumpeter Swans. While hiking I had the luck of running into a nest of Barred Owls in this snag. Click through to see the baby owls.