Fall migration continues.   Visitors to Cheyenne Bottoms in recent weeks have noticed the huge congregations of pelicans, herons, egrets, and gulls.  Shorebird numbers have been variable and dependent on accessible mudflat habitats.  Duck numbers and diversity has been increasing.  Exciting birding news came on September 8, with the reports of 2 rare birds:  Long-tailed Jaeger and Little Gull.  Numerous birders from across Kansas came in and most were successful in finding these 2 rare birds, which stuck around for 2 days.  Neither have been reported since Sept. 9.  A Tri-colored Heron has been spotted off and on throughout the last couple months, and was reported a couple times in the last week.

Cheyenne Bottoms pools remain quite full; however, KDWPT staff have drained down 2 pools (Pools 3a and 4b).  These 2 pools have the best shorebird habitat and seem to be holding a lot of birds.  Pool 3a will remain very low/dry throughout the winter.  Staff has begun flooding Pool 4b this past weekend in preparation for upcoming waterfowl seasons.  All roads are currently open and in good shape.

Typical summer resident birds include wading birds, such as herons, egrets, ibis, avocets, and stilts; gulls, terns, grebes, coots, killdeer, pelicans, and cormorants.  Ducks are also relatively plentiful.  There are also a lot of songbirds in the area, especially in the wooded areas on the periphery of Cheyenne Bottoms.  Migrant birds being seen right now include several sandpiper 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:

• Canada Goose
• Wood Duck–good numbers being reported seen in Pool 2
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Mallard
• Blue-winged Teal
• Cinnamon Teal-several reports of a bird over the last couple weeks
• Northern Shoveler
• Northern Pintail
• Green-winged Teal
• Redhead
• Lesser Scaup-a couple reports in the last couple weeks
• Ruddy duck
• Northern Bobwhite
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Wild Turkey
• Pied-billed Grebe–many juvenile birds area-wide
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Neotropic Cormorant
• American White Pelican
• American Bittern
• Least Bittern
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Snowy Egret
• Little Blue Heron
• Tricolored Heron
• Cattle Egret
• Green Heron
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• Yellow-crowned Night Heron
• White-faced/Glossy Ibis
• Turkey Vulture
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Cooper’s Hawk-one report
• American Kestrel
• Virginia Rail
• Sora
• Common Gallinule
• American Coot
• Killdeer
• Black-necked Stilt
• American Avocet
• Spotted Sandpiper
• Solitary Sandpiper
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Upland Sandpiper
• Marbled Godwit
• Sanderling
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Western Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• Baird’s Sandpiper
• Stilt Sandpiper
• Short-billed Dowitcher
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson’s Snipe
• Wilson’s Phalarope
• Sabine’s Gull–one observation
• Little Gull
• Franklin’s Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• Black Tern
• Forster’s Tern
• Long-tailed Jaeger
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Mourning Dove
• Great Horned Owl
• Common Nighthawk
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Belted Kingfisher
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• Eastern Kingbird
• Loggerhead Shrike
• Warbling Vireo
• Blue Jay
• Horned Lark
• Bank Swallow
• Cliff Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• American Robin
• Northern Mockingbird
• European Starling
• Lark Sparrow
• Savannah Sparrow
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Western Meadowlark
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Common Grackle
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Baltimore Oriole
• House Sparrow