The Spring migration has been excellent this year.  Rains supplying some much needed water in the Cheyenne Bottoms pools along with excellent management of that water by KDWPT staff, have provided a great diversity of habitats and birding opportunities throughout the Spring migration season.  As is the case every year, bird diversity is ever changing, and what is being seen one day could very well be gone the next.  

Most migrating ducks have already moved north, but some of the common nesting species, such as Blue-winged teal, Northern shovelers, and Ruddy ducks remain plentiful.  Shorebird numbers have decreased substantially over the past 2 weeks, but a good number of peeps, plovers, and other shorebirds can still be found.  Pool 1c is about the only pool with accessible mudflat habitats, so this the best place to view shorebirds.  Wading birds have continually increased, including American avocets, Black-necked stilts, Egrets, Herons, etc.  Tern numbers have increased over the last week, and it is relatively common to see at least 3 species of terns (Forster’s, Black, and Least) quite consistently.  Around the periphery of the wetlands, song birds, such as both species of Orioles and Mockingbirds have been plentiful as well.

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:

• Greater White-fronted Goose–1 remaining bird has been spotted several times over the last couple weeks
• Snow Goose–a couple individual birds remain in the area.
• Canada Goose–quite a few pairs area-wide.  Young hatchlings have been spotted for several weeks now.
• Wood Duck
• Gadwall
• Mallard
• Blue-winged Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Northern Pintail–Just a few pairs still hanging around  
• Ruddy Ducks-relatively abundant especially in Pool 1a and 1b
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Wild Turkey–Quite a few still seen along the surrounding treed areas
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Eared Grebe
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Neotropic Cormorant–1 pair seen on the same island in Pool 4a as seen the last 2 years 
• American White Pelican
• American Bittern
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Snowy Egret
• Cattle Egret
• Green Heron
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• White-faced Ibis–numbers have decreased in comparison to 3 weeks ago, but still a few groups
• Glossy Ibis
• Turkey Vulture
• Northern Harrier
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Virginia Rail
• Sora
• American Coot
• Snowy Plover
• Killdeer–Many area-wide
• Black-necked Stilt
• American Avocet–Large numbers of these over most of the area
• Spotted Sandpiper
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Upland Sandpiper
• Hudsonian Godwit–typically at least one group of these being spotted in Pool 1c
• Marbled Godwit
• Ruddy Turnstone–not many but a couple reported within the last 2 weeks
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• White-rumped Sandpiper
• Stilt Sandpiper
• Long-billed Dowitcher–numbers have decreased 
• Wilson’s Snipe
• Wilson’s Phalarope
• Franklin’s Gull–large flocks of Franklin’s on and near the Bottoms
• Ring-billed Gull
• Least Tern–1 spotted over Pool 2 on 5/23/16
• Black Tern–Many black terns present last week, not as many now
• Forster’s Tern–very abundant
• Mourning Dove
• Great Horned Owl
• Common Nighthawk
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker   
• American Kestrel
• Western Kingbird
• Eastern Kingbird
• Horned Lark
• Tree Swallow
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow
• Bank Swallow
• Cliff Swallow 
• Barn Swallow
• Marsh Wren
• Brown Thrasher
• Lark Sparrow
• Dickcissel
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Western Meadowlark 
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Common Grackle