We are still in Winter birding mode; however, it seems as though we may be seeing some signs of Spring and bird movements.

Much of the bird activity this time of year is dependent on the availability of open water, which can change from day to day.

Rains this past Fall and Winter have filled all the pools at Cheyenne Bottoms, and water levels are considered high for the entire area.  KDWPT staff have been releasing water out the outlet canal for over 3 months.  However, at this time all roads are open and passable.

Water levels and waterfowl counts are updated weekly on the KDWPT Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area website:  https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Wildlife-Areas/Southwest/Cheyenne-Bottoms  As of 2/18/2019 water levels were Pool 1a-51″, Pools 1b and 1c-47″, Pool 2-30″, Pool 3a-27″, Pool 3b-25″, Pool 4a-20″, Pool 4b-22″, Pool 5-13″.

Common birds this time of year include: Light Geese (Snow’s, Blues, and Ross’s), Dark Geese (Canada’s, Cackling, and White-fronts), Ducks, Gulls, Great Blue Herons, Coots, Hawks, and Blackbirds.

As of 2/18/2019 KDWPT staff are reporting up to 250,000 Geese (mostly snows but also up to 20,000 Canadas and Whitefronts),  and 7,500 ducks (mostly Mallards and Pintails).

There have been as many as 8,000 Sandhill Cranes reported at Quivira in the past week.  We expect to see increased crane migration by the end of February.

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
• Snow Goose (large groups have been hanging out in Pool 1 most afternoons)
• Ross’s Goose
• Cackling Goose
• Canada Goose (large groups observed in Pool 2 on 2-17)
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Mallard
• Northern Shoveler
• Northern Pintail
• Redhead
• Lesser Scaup
• Common Goldeneye
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Merganser
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Wild Turkey
• Great Blue Heron
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• American Coot
• Sandhill Crane
• Ring-billed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Great-horned Owl
• Northern Flicker
• Downy Woodpecker
• American Kestrel
• Loggerhead Shrike
• Horned Lark
• Eastern Bluebird
• American Robin
• European Starling
• American Tree Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Harris’s Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Northern Cardinal
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Meadowlark species
• Common Grackle
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• House Sparrow