Fall migration continues on! Gulls, Pelicans, Coots, and Grebes seem to be the birds we are getting the most comments about in the last weeks.  Birds are congregating in large flocks either staging to head south (e.g. swallows) or grouping up for the winter months (e.g. blackbirds). Herons, egrets, and other waders have decreased, but some individuals will stick around until we get prolonged cold weather.  Duck and Goose numbers and diversity have increased and will continue to increase in the coming months.  Several flocks of Sandhill Cranes have been seen flying over the area in the past weeks.  Their numbers will increase in the coming weeks.  Possibilities for Whooping crane sightings will become more likely as we get closer to November.

Good water levels are in all pools of Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and the permanent marshes of the Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve.  Mudflats are difficult to find, so viewing shorebirds is difficult, even though they may be present. 

Duck hunting season began at Cheyenne Bottoms and the Low Plains Early Zone on October 10.  The first split of the season will remain open until December 6.

KDWPT has been working on many of the roads throughout the state Wildlife Area and are much improved.  The main road through the Nature Conservancy’s Preserve (“Crooked Road” or NE 90 Rd) was recently improved and opened to the public on October 13.

Water levels and waterfowl count reports are updated weekly and can be viewed at: https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Wildlife-Areas/Southwest/Cheyenne-Bottoms

Birding at Quivira NWR has remained excellent as well.  The area around the Wildlife Driving Loop have been very good.  Check out http://fws.gov/refuge/Quivira.

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
• Greater White-fronted Goose
• Canada Goose
• Wood Duck
• Blue-winged Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Mallard
• Northern Pintail
• Green-winged Teal
• Redhead
• Ruddy Duck
• Northern Bobwhite
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Eared Grebe
• Mourning Dove
• Common Gallinule
• American Coot
• Sandhill Crane
• Black-necked Stilt
• American Avocet
• Black-bellied Plover
• American Golden Plover
• Snowy Plover
• Semipalmated Plover
• Killdeer
• Stilt Sandpiper
• Sanderling
• Least Sandpiper
• Pectoral Sandpiper
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Wilson’s Snipe
• Spotted Sandpiper
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Franklin’s Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Forster’s Tern
• Double-crested Cormorant
• American White Pelican
• American Bittern
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Snowy Egret
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• Yellow-crowned Night Heron
• White-faced Ibis
• Turkey Vulture
• Northern Harrier
• Swainson’s Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Great Horned Owl
• Northern Flicker
• Prairie Falcon
• Bluejay
• American Crow
• Horned Lark
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow
• Tree Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Cliff Swallow
• European Starling
• Mountain Bluebird
• American Robin
• House Sparrow
• American Pipit
• American Goldfinch
• Chipping Sparrow
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Savannah Sparrow
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Western Meadowlark
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Common Grackle
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Northern Cardinal