Fall migration has been increasing each week.  As most birders know, Fall migration at Cheyenne Bottoms is a drawn out process, with the first migrants being seen in mid-July and then birds trickling in throughout the next 4-5 months.  As we get into the Fall months, migration is very dependent on weather fronts that push waves of birds down from the north.

Right now, there are some great viewing of some great birds at Cheyenne Bottoms.  There is a nice mix of herons and egrets, shorebirds, wading birds, ducks, pelicans, and a few others.

Water levels at Cheyenne Bottoms have remained good, with a good amount of water in the storage pools.  Three of the pools (Pool 3b, 4a, and 5) have been dewatered in order for staff to complete some vegetation control.  Pool 3b and 4b will be flooded very soon for the upcoming migration and hunting season.  Pool depths and water fowl reports can be followed on the KDWPT website at:   http://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Wildlife-Areas/Southwest/Cheyenne-Bottoms . As of Aug. 25, pool depths were as follows:  Pool 1a = 69″, Pools 1b and 1c = 37″, Pool 2 = 20″, Pool 3a = 13″, Pool 4a = 10″, and Pools 3b, 4b, and 5 = dry.

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–many seen area wide
• Gadwall
• Mallard
• Blue-winged Teal–many new migrants showing up on a day to day basis (estimated 5-10,000 on the area)
• Northern Shoveler
• Northern Pintail
• Green-winged Teal
• Redhead
• Ruddy Duck
• Northern Bobwhite Quail
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Wild Turkey
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Western Grebe–quite a few have been reported
• Mourning Dove
• American Coot
• Common Gallinule–quite a few being seen; both adults and juveniles
• Black-necked Stilt
• American Avocet
• Semipalmated Plover–1 reported on Aug 27
• Killdeer
• Solitary Sandpiper
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Stilt Sandpiper
• Baird’s Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• Pectoral Sandpiper
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson’s Snipe
• Wilson’s Phalarope
• Red-necked Phalarope–several seen in Pool 4b on Aug 27
• Franklin’s Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• Black Tern
• Forster’s Tern
• Double-crested Cormorant
• American White Pelican
• American Bittern
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Snowy Egret
• Green Heron
• Cattle Egret
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• Yellow-crowned Night Heron
• White-faced Ibis
• Turkey Vulture
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Great Horned Owl
• Northern Flicker
• Horned Lark
• Tree Swallow
• Bank Swallow
• Cliff Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• House Wren
• Sedge Wren–1 reported Aug 27
• American Robin
• Brown Thrasher
• European Starling
• House Sparrow
• Common Yellowthroat
• Dickcissel
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Western Meadowlark
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Baltimore Oriole