Early Fall migration has begun.  Over the last week, an influx of migrating shorebirds has come in to Cheyenne Bottoms.  Summer resident birds also remain abundant.  Bird activity on the marsh has been relatively good at about any time of day, even on hot days.  

Water levels remain good area wide.  Most of the bird activity has been noticed in Pools 4a and 4b from the interior dike roads.  Other pools may have good birds, but cattails seem to be thicker in other pools and it is harder to see any birds that may be there.  Storage pools (Pools 1a, 1b, 1c) at Cheyenne Bottoms are full.  This stored water will be much appreciated later on in the year. Water levels have decreased enough in several pools for KDWPT staff to get in and begin mowing and spraying to control vegetation and open up some areas for when the pools are flooded in the coming weeks.

Give us your reports.  We rely heavily on other birders to know what is being seen at Cheyenne Bottoms.  Submit reports to Ebird, or email your observations to wetlandscenter@fhsu.edu.

Here is a list birds that have been reported over the last couple weeks:

• Canada Goose
• Wood Duck-quite abundant over the last week area-wide, but seeing them regularly along inlet canal
• Mallard
• Blue-winged Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Redhead
• Ruddy Ducks-relatively abundant especially in Pool 1a and 1b
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Pied-billed Grebe–several reported last week
• Double-crested Cormorant–area-wide but many can be found basking on 2 islands in Pool 4a
• American White Pelican–relatively large groups can be seen in various locations on the area
• American Bittern
• Great Blue Heron-impressive numbers area-wide, but many hanging around in Pool 4a
• Great Egret
• Snowy Egret
• Little Blue Heron-1 photographed in Pool 4b on 7/27
• Cattle Egret-a large congregation can be seen most days in a pasture along the blacktop road east of the Bottoms (NE 100 Ave)
• Green Heron
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• White-faced Ibis-several large flocks can be seen along with individuals mixed in with other birds
• Turkey Vulture
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Red-tailed Hawk
• American Coot
• Snowy Plover
• Killdeer–Many area-wide
• Black-necked Stilt–quite a few with a mix of adults and young
• American Avocet–quite abundant area wide
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Willet
• Lesser Yellowlegs–quite abundant
• Upland Sandpiper
• Marbled Godwit
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• Baird’s Sandpiper
• Pectoral Sandpiper
• Stilt Sandpiper  
• Short-billed Dowitcher
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson’s Phalarope
• Franklin’s Gull– several large flocks of Franklin’s on and near the Bottoms
• Ring-billed Gull
• Black Tern
• Forster’s Tern
• Mourning Dove
• Great Horned Owl  
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker   
• American Kestrel
• Western Kingbird
• Eastern Kingbird
• Horned Lark
• Tree Swallow
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow
• Bank Swallow-large flocks on or near dike road near Claflin Dike
• Cliff Swallow 
• Barn Swallow
• House Wren 
• Northern Mockingbird
• Brown Thrasher
• Common Yellowthroat
• Lark Sparrow
• Grasshopper Sparrow
• Dickcissel
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Western Meadowlark 
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Baltimore Oriole
• Common Grackle
• Brown-headed Cowbird