Almost immediately after an extremely cold 2 weeks where Cheyenne Bottoms froze up, birds are returning, and signs of Spring migration are in the air.  All pools are now ice free, and forecasted warm weather in the coming weeks look to get Spring migration ramped up.  Varying numbers of Snow Geese using Cheyenne Bottoms daily suggest that birds are arriving and heading north.  Dark geese numbers have also increased.  Duck numbers and diversity are increasing daily.  March is one of the best months for viewing waterfowl at Cheyenne Bottoms.  Bald Eales can be seen most days at and around Cheyenne Bottoms.  Gulls (mostly Ring-billed) are plentiful.  The first group of American White Pelicans arrived last week.  Sandhill Cranes have been observed in the air heading north, and there have been reports of Cranes showing up in Nebraska this past week as well.

All roads are currently open through Cheyenne Bottoms.  Several roads on the state Wildlife Area are a little rough, but passable.  Travel with some caution.

Good water levels persist in all pools of Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and the permanent marshes of the Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve.  On the State Wildlife Area, water is being removed from a couple pools and placed in storage pools to prepare for habitat work and Spring conditions.

Waterfowl seasons are now closed at Cheyenne Bottoms (except for the Snow Goose Conservation Season).

Birding at Quivira NWR has remained excellent as well.  Sandhill cranes should be able to be seen in good numbers at Quivira.  The area around the Wildlife Driving Loop (Big Salt Marsh) has 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 of birds that have been reported over the last couple weeks:

• Snow Goose
• Ross’s Goose
• Greater White-fronted Goose
• Cackling Goose
• Canada Goose
• Swan sp.
• Blue-winged Teal
• Cinnamon Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Mallard
• Northern Pintail
• Green-winged Teal
• Redhead
• Lesser Scaup
• Bufflehead
• Common Goldeneye
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Merganser
• Red-breasted Merganser
• Ruddy Duck
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Wild Turkey
• Eurasian Collared Dove
• Mourning Dove
• American Coot
• Sandhill Crane
• Ring-billed Gull
• Herring Gull
• American White Pelican
• Great Blue Heron
• Northern Harrier
• Bald Eagle
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Great Horned Owl
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• American Kestrel
• Prairie Falcon
• Horned Lark
• European Starling
• American Robin
• House Sparrow
• Pine Siskin
• American Goldfinch
• American Tree Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Harris’s Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Meadowlark Sp.
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Northern Cardinal