Spring Migration is on the downswing.  However, a bigger factor in birdwatching at Cheyenne Bottoms right now is all the water.  Heavy rains over the last few weeks have created high water throughout the region.  Cheyenne Bottoms pools are all very full, and several roads have been closed down occasionally over the last few weeks due to high water.

Due to the high water, conditions are not favorable for shorebirds.  However, we are seeing many of the summer resident wading birds, such as herons, egrets, ibis, etc.

All pools are full (some overfull) at Cheyenne Bottoms from the wet conditions of late.  KDWPT staff continue to move water around and release water from the basin.  At this time, all entrances to Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area are closed, except the West Entrance from US-281 Hwy, due to high water in all the low water crossings.  The interior dike roads of Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area have been in good shape even with the rain and are passable. Several roads around and through TNC’s Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve are currently closed.  Various other county roads around Cheyenne Bottoms are closed and impassable.

Common birds this time of year include: Ducks, Blackbirds (Red-winged and Yellow-headed), Cormorants, Pelicans, Ibis, Great Blue Herons, Bitterns, Egrets, Coots, Killdeer, Gulls, Terns, Meadowlarks, and several Shorebird species.

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:

• Snow Goose (still a couple being seen regularly near the north part of Pool 1C)
• Canada Goose
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Mallard
• Blue-winged Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Northern Pintail
• Redhead
• Hooded Merganser
• Ruddy Duck
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Wild Turkey
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Western Grebe (several observed in Pool 2)
• Double-crested Cormorant
• American White Pelican
• American Bittern
• Least Bittern
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Snowy Egret
• Little Blue Heron
• Cattle Egret
• Green Heron
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• White-faced Ibis
• Turkey Vulture
• Northern Harrier
• Red-tailed Hawk
• American Kestrel
• Virginia Rail
• Sora
• American Coot
• Black-bellied Plover
• Snowy Plover
• Semipalmated Plover
• Killdeer
• Black-necked Stilt
• American Avocet
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson’s Phalarope
• Franklin’s Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• Black Tern
• Forster’s Tern
• Mourning Dove
• Great Horned Owl
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• Western Kingbird
• Eastern Kingbird
• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
• Warbling Vireo
• Bell’s Vireo
• Horned Lark
• Tree Swallow
• Bank Swallow
• Cliff Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• House Wren
• Eastern Bluebird
• American Robin
• Northern Mockingbird
• Brown Thrasher
• European Starling
• Common Yellowthroat
• Yellow Warbler
• Lark Sparrow
• Grasshopper Sparrow
• Northern Cardinal
• Blue Grosbeak
• Dickcissel
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Western Meadowlark
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Common Grackle
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Orchard Oriole
• Baltimore Oriole
• House Sparrow