The wetlands of Cheyenne Bottoms remain totally dry.  Unfortunately, the wide-spread drought over the last year has not been good for the water resources in the central Great Plains.  There is no water in any of the Cheyenne Bottoms basins.  It is going to take a significant rain event/events to produce any surface water in the wetlands. 

Due to the lack of water, bird activity has been extremely low, despite being within the typical fall bird migration timeframe.  Without water in the wetlands, southbound migrating birds will bypass this area.  The fall migration bird watching and hunting seasons may be a total loss.

Most wetland bird species are not present at Cheyenne Bottoms.  However, a few individuals may be seen flying over or using isolated wet areas in the area (community lakes, sandpits, rivers, lagoon ponds, etc.).  These birds include some geese, some ducks, Great Blue Herons, American Coots, gulls, and some Sandhill cranes flying over the area. Other fall and winter birds commonly being seen right now in the area include: blackbirds, Red-tailed hawks, Northern Harriers, falcons, woodpeckers, and a diversity of sparrows.

Quivira NWR’s water situation is much the same, with very dry conditions there as well.  Check out http://fws.gov/refuge/Quivira or call the Quivira NWR Headquarters at 620-410-4011.

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
• Canada Goose
• Mallard
• Green-winged Teal
• Greater Scaup
• Ruddy Duck
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Pied-billed Grebe
• American Coot
• Sandhill Crane
• Killdeer
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Franklin’s Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• American White Pelican
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Northern Harrier
• Swainson’s Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• Great Horned Owl
• American Kestrel
• Merlin
• Prairie Falcon
• European Starling
• American Robin
• House Sparrow
• American Pipit
• American Goldfinch
• Chipping Sparrow
• American Tree Sparrow
• Fox Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Harris’s Sparrow
• White-throated Sparrow
• Vesper Sparrow
• Savannah Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Lincoln’s Sparrow
• Meadowlark Sp.
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Brewer’s Blackbird
• Common Grackle
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Northern Cardinal