Conditions remain dry at Cheyenne Bottoms. There is no water in any of the pools of Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area or Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve.

Historically, we should be entering the peak of Spring shorebird migration through Cheyenne Bottoms in the next couple of weeks.  With the dry conditions at the wetlands, we are seeing very little bird activity, especially in terms of waterbirds.

There have been a few shorebirds in two of the water distribution “hubs” at Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area (1 near observation tower at the east entrance and 1 near the vault toilet at the intersection of the interior dike roads with the Claflin Dike).  These hubs have been dug out in the last few years and are deep enough to be into ground water.  A few shorebirds are using these small hubs.

Quivira NWR has some water present in both the Big Salt Marsh and the Little Salt Marsh and some water in the flats north of NE 170^th St.  Most other water units remain dry.  Good numbers of shorebirds, waterfowl, and other wetland birds have been reported over the last couple weeks.  Birds reported include Marbled and Hudsonian Godwits, Wilson’s Phalaropes, most Sandpiper species, American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts, and White-faced Ibis.  Check out http://fws.gov/refuge/Quivira or call the Quivira NWR Headquarters at 620-410-4011 for updated conditions.

Also, birdwatchers in the area may be interested in visiting Wolf Pond in Ellinwood, KS, which is between Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira NWR.  For the last several years, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks have been present during the summers and had successful nesting.  A report of 28 Whistling Ducks was observed last week.  We suspect some will be present through the summer.

Other spring song bird migrants are beginning to return and should continue to arrive over the next few weeks in the area as well.

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:

• Canada Goose
• Blue-winged Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Mallard
• Northern Bobwhite
• Wild Turkey
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Mourning Dove
• Black-necked Stilt
• American Avocet
• Black-bellied Plover
• Snowy Plover
• Semipalmated Plover
• Killdeer
• Dunlin
• Baird’s Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• Pectoral Sandpiper
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson’s Phalarope
• Spotted Sandpiper
• Willet
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Double-crested Cormorant
• American White Pelican
• Great Blue Heron
• White-faced Ibis
• Turkey Vulture
• Northern Harrier
• Swainson’s Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Great Horned Owl
• Northern Flicker
• American Kestrel
• Say’s Phoebe
• Horned Lark
• Tree Swallow
• Bank Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Cliff Swallow
• European Starling
• Brown Thrasher
• American Robin
• House Sparrow
• American Goldfinch
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Harris’s Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Vesper Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Western Meadowlark
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Northern Cardinal