While conditions still remain basically dry at Cheyenne Bottoms, we’ve had some glimmer of hope over the last couple of weeks.  The area has received some rains (even though the rains have been spotty), and KDWP was able to divert some water into Cheyenne Bottoms from Walnut Creek.  The water that was brought in was placed in one of the storage pools (Pool 1a).  This pool totals about 1,300 acres.  The water brought in was enough to create sheet water over approximately half of the pool.  Shorebirds were using this sheet water almost immediately.  Currently, some sheet water remains in Pool 1a.  There is water in the inlet canal. There is water in Shop Creek, which runs from Hoisington through the Nature Conservancy property.  And there are a few small puddles of standing water in places of Pool 2. Other areas remain dry.

We will anxiously await continued rains to help fill more areas.  Until then, we do not expect to see many of the typical summer waterbirds (herons, egrets, ducks, gulls, terns, etc.) that we would typically have a Cheyenne Bottoms.  While bird watchers have reported a surprising diversity of species over the last couple weeks, the abundance is much lower than what we would expect this time of year.

The Spring waterfowl and shorebird migration has basically come and gone with very few shorebirds utilizing Cheyenne Bottoms this year.  Quivira NWR saw some good numbers of shorebirds at times in May, and Quivira NWR continues to have more surface water available in their marsh.  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.  Numerous Black-bellied Whistling Ducks can typically be seen at Wolf Pond or around Ellinwood most days.

The towns in Barton County are also a good place to see Mississippi Kites throughout the summer.

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
• Wood Duck
• Blue-winged Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Gadwall
• Mallard
• Green-winged Teal
• Redhead
• Lesser Scaup
• Northern Bobwhite
• Wild Turkey
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Mourning Dove
• Common Nighthawk
• American Coot
• Black-necked Stilt
• American Avocet
• Black-bellied Plover
• American Golden Plover
• Snowy Plover
• Semipalmated Plover
• Killdeer
• Upland Sandpiper
• Whimbrel
• Stilt Sandpiper
• Baird’s Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• Pectoral Sandpiper
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson’s Phalarope
• Spotted Sandpiper
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Franklin’s Gull
• Black Tern
• Double-crested Cormorant
• American White Pelican
• Great Blue Heron
• White-faced Ibis
• Turkey Vulture
• Mississippi Kite
• Northern Harrier
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Bald Eagle
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Burrowing Owl
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• Eastern Phoebe
• Say’s Phoebe
• Western Kingbird
• Eastern Kingbird
• Bell’s Vireo
• Blue Jay
• Horned Lark
• Tree Swallow
• Bank Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Cliff Swallow
• House Wren
• European Starling
• Gray Catbird
• Brown Thrasher
• Northern Mockingbird
• American Robin
• House Sparrow
• Grasshopper Sparrow
• Lark Sparrow
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Western Meadowlark
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Orchard Oriole
• Baltimore Oriole
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Common Yellowthroat
• Yellow Warbler
• Northern Cardinal
• Dickcissel