Spring migration continues.  While the weather has continued to show some swings between Winter and Spring, birds continue to be on the move.  Bird migration activity should increase over the next few weeks and peak around the end of April through the beginning of May.

Waterfowl continue to the be most abundant and diverse group of birds at Cheyenne Bottoms right now.   Most species of ducks should be present at Cheyenne Bottoms right now.  Snow Geese continue to be seen; however, we suspect they will soon be heading north.

Sandhill Cranes have been migrating through the area for several weeks now.  We’ll continue to see some groups coming through, but their numbers will begin to dwindle.  However, this is the prime time to see Whooping Cranes at Cheyenne Bottoms.  A pair of Whooping Cranes was observed at Cheyenne Bottoms on March 16 and persisted through March 21.  Typically, the Whooping Cranes do not stay long in the area during the Spring Migration.

Shorebird numbers have increased over the last week.  Good numbers of Long-billed Dowitchers, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Killdeer can be found.  Other species will soon be showing up in bigger numbers.  There is a lot of shallow water habitat throughout the area, so viewing opportunities for shorebirds could be really good this Spring.

Other common birds being seen right now include Great Blue Herons, Gulls (Ring-billed and Herring), Cormorants, Pelicans, and Coots.

Only one pool is currently dry in Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area (Pool 3b).  All other pools have water in them, but water depths in these pools are lower than most years.  The permanent marshes on the Nature Conservancy property have been holding water and birds as well and is worth a drive through Crooked Rd (NE 100 Rd and NE 90 Rd).

Great birding should be available at Quivira NWR as well.  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
• Ross’s Goose
• Greater White-fronted Goose
• Cackling Goose
• Canada Goose
• Trumpeter Swan
• Blue-winged Teal
• Cinnamon Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Mallard
• Northern Pintail
• Green-winged Teal
• Canvasback
• Redhead
• Ring-necked Duck
• Lesser Scaup
• Bufflehead
• Common Goldeneye
• Hooded Merganser
• Common Merganser
• Ruddy Duck
• Wild Turkey
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Mourning Dove
• American Coot
• Sandhill Crane
• Whooping Crane
• American Avocet
• Killdeer
• Baird’s Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Bonaparte’s Gull
• Laughing Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• Herring Gull
• Iceland Gull
• Lesser Black-backed Gull
• Glaucous Gull
• Double-crested Cormorant
• American White Pelican
• Great Blue Heron
• Turkey Vulture
• Northern Harrier
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Bald Eagle
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Rough-legged Hawk
• Barn Owl
• Great Horned Owl
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• American Kestrel
• Eastern Phoebe
• American Crow
• Horned Lark
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• European Starling
• American Robin
• House Sparrow
• American Goldfinch
• American Tree Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Harris’s Sparrow
• Vesper Sparrow
• Savannah Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Lincoln’s Sparrow
• Western Meadowlark
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Rusty Blackbird
• Common Grackle
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Northern Cardinal