Overall bird activity has increased at Cheyenne Bottoms over the last week.  Waterfowl numbers and diversity has increased dramatically.  Other winter residents, such as raptors and some songbirds remain prevalent.

Bird activity may depend on open water.  Cold snaps that freeze over some pools will limit bird numbers.  Cheyenne Bottoms pools remain quite full.  Pool 3a will remain very low/dry throughout the winter for vegetation/silt management.  The “Claflin dike” between Pools 3b and 4a is currently closed due to potholes and being soft from recent precipitation.  All other roads are currently open and may be a little rough but driveable.  Water levels and waterfowl counts are updated at least weekly here:  https://ksoutdoors.com/KDWPT-Info/Locations/Wildlife-Areas/Southwest/Cheyenne-Bottoms

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-good numbers mixed in with snow geese
• Snow Goose–estimated 200,000 snow geese; best time to see them is mid day in Pool 1a.
• Ross’s Goose
• Cackling Goose
• Canada Goose
• Wood Duck–7 reported on TNC
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Mallard
• Northern Shoveler
• Northern Pintail
• Redhead
• Bufflehead
• Common Goldeneye
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Merganser
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• American White Pelican
• Great Blue Heron
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Cooper’s Hawk
• American Kestrel
• American Coot
• Sandhill Crane–several groups seen flying over
• Ring-billed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Iceland Gull
• Glaucous Gull
• Eurasian Collared Dove
• Mourning Dove
• Great Horned Owl
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• Horned Lark
• Marsh Wren
• American Robin
• European Starling
• American Tree Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Harris’s Sparrow
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Northern Cardinal
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Western Meadowlark
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• American Goldfinch
• House Sparrow