Note: Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Kansas Wetlands Education Center will be closed to the public beginning March 17 indefinitely.  Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and Preserve are still open to the

Note: Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Kansas Wetlands Education Center will be closed to the public beginning March 17 indefinitely.  Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and Preserve are still open to the public as normal.

Spring migration is ongoing.  Several “First of Season” (FOS) birds have been observed in the past 2 weeks.  Waterfowl numbers and diversity are still dominating the bird communities; however, other wetland birds are showing up in good numbers and will continue to increase in the coming weeks.

We are also within the typical migration time for Whooping Cranes to pass through the area.

Cheyenne Bottoms pools remain quite full.  All storage pools (Pool 1 complex) are full.  Pool 3a will remain very low/dry into the Spring for continued vegetation/silt management.  Pools 4a and 4b have been greatly lowered for additional work later this Spring and Summer.    All roads are currently open and driveable, but may be a little rough.  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:

• Snow Goose–less than a few hundred in the area now
• Canada Goose–a few breeding pairs will remain through the summer
• Wood Duck
• Gadwall–very prevalent
• American Wigeon
• Mallard
• Blue-winged Teal
• Cinnamon Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Northern Pintail
• Green-winged Teal
• Canvasback
• Redhead
• Ring-necked Duck
• Lesser Scaup
• Bufflehead
• Common Goldeneye
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Merganser
• Red-breasted Merganser
• Ruddy Duck
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Eared Grebe
• Horned Grebe
• Western Grebe
• Neotropic Cormorant
• Double-crested Cormorant
• American White Pelican
• Great Blue Heron
• American Bittern
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• Turkey Vulture
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Swainson’s Hawk
• American Kestrel
• Virginia Rail
• American Coot
• Sandhill Crane–numbers seen flying over are greatly reduced
• American Avocet
• Killdeer
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Baird’s Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• Pectoral Sandpiper
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson’s Snipe
• Franklin’s Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Iceland Gull
• Lesser Black-backed Gull
• Eurasian Collared Dove
• Mourning Dove
• Great Horned Owl-a couple nests reported in the area
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• Horned Lark
• Purple Martin
• Tree Swallow
• Marsh Wren
• American Robin
• European Starling
• American Pipit
• Chipping Sparrow
• Vesper Sparrow
• American Tree Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Harris’s Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Common Yellowthroat
• Northern Cardinal
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Western Meadowlark
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• House Sparrow