As the Fall migration continues, bird numbers and diversity can vary quite a bit from day to day.  Some days there are thousands of gulls to be seen on the area, and other days there are few.  With some cold weather to the north of us the last week, we have seen some movement of birds into the area, such as cranes and ducks.  There are still some shorebirds in the area, but numbers have been variable and dependent on accessible mudflat habitats.  Duck numbers and diversity has been increasing.  Reports are that wetland conditions in the Nebraska and the Dakotas are wonderful, so many birds have been stacked in those locations.  It may take some brutal weather to drive them south.  Bird composition in the area will continue to transition as weather fronts move through over the next couple months.

Cheyenne Bottoms pools remain quite full; however, KDWPT staff have been moving some water in preparation for the fall waterfowl hunting seasons.  Pool 3a will remain very low/dry throughout the winter.  All roads are currently open and in good shape.  Water levels and waterfowl counts are updated at least weekly here:  https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Wildlife-Areas/Southwest/Cheyenne-Bottoms

Some summer resident birds including wading birds, such as herons, egrets, ibis, and avocets; grebes, coots, killdeer, pelicans, and cormorants are quite numerous in the area still.  Ducks are also relatively plentiful.  Geese are starting to show up. Migrant birds being seen right now include several sandpiper species, sandhill cranes, and Franklin’s gulls.

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
• Canada Goose
• Wood Duck
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Mallard
• Blue-winged Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Northern Pintail
• Green-winged Teal
• Redhead
• Ruddy Duck
• Northern Bobwhite
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Pied-billed Grebe–many grebes birds area-wide
• Western Grebe–as many as 20 reported the weekend of 10/12
• Double-crested Cormorant
• American White Pelican
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Snowy Egret
• Little Blue Heron
• Cattle Egret
• Green Heron
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• White-faced/Glossy Ibis
• Turkey Vulture
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Cooper’s Hawk
• American Kestrel
• King Rail–one reported on 10/13
• Sora
• American Coot
• Sandhill Crane–several groups beginning to fly over the area
• Killdeer
• American Avocet
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Least Sandpiper
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson’s Snipe
• Sabine’s Gull–as many as 4 observed on 10/13
• Franklin’s Gull–10’s of thousands some days on the area
• Ring-billed Gull
• Forster’s Tern
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Mourning Dove
• Belted Kingfisher
• Northern Flicker
• Blue Jay
• Horned Lark
• Barn Swallow
• American Robin
• European Starling
• Chipping Sparrow
• Field Sparrow
• Vesper Sparrow
• Lincoln’s Sparrow
• Savannah Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Harris’s Sparrow
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Northern Cardinal
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Meadowlark Spp.
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Common Grackle
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• House Sparrow