Very similar to last year at this time, we have received some much-needed rains in the Cheyenne Bottoms area in the last couple of weeks.  KWEC has received more than 5” of rain from Aug. 1-15.  While the rains were very nice, it has not improved conditions much in the wetlands.  There was some standing water in several places for a few days after the rains, but it has quickly soaked in.

Pool 1a is still basically the only pool with significant water.  Any water that was diverted in from the Arkansas River or Walnut Creek this summer has been put into this pool.  This pool totals about 1,300 acres, and the water is at around 26” of depth.  This stored water will probably be used to fill Pool 3a in the next couple of weeks for the beginning of Teal Hunting Season in September.  Pools 1b and 2 also have a few isolated pools that are still holding some water after the rains.  Additionally, wetlands in the upland areas of The Nature Conservancy’s Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve are holding some water, and there is some water in the permanent basins of the Preserve as well. 

Wetland birds have been using all areas that contain water, and will continue to use them as food supplies (aquatic invertebrates) colonize quickly.  Fall migrant shorebirds have begun to increase.  Summer resident wetland birds (e.g. herons, egrets, avocets, ibis, stilts, pelicans, gulls, and terns) are also in good supply.  Duck numbers and diversity should increase in the coming weeks.  We will expect to see good bird activity as we hit more of the peak of fall migration.

Quivira NWR continues to have more surface water available in their marsh and bird numbers and diversity has remained very good.  Check out http://fws.gov/refuge/Quivira or call the Quivira NWR Headquarters at 620-410-4011 for updated conditions.

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
• Mallard
• Redhead
• Ruddy Duck
• Northern Bobwhite
• Wild Turkey
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Western Grebe
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Mourning Dove
• Common Nighthawk
• American Coot
• Black-necked Stilt
• American Avocet
• Black-bellied Plover
• Killdeer
• Snowy Plover
• Upland Sandpiper
• Marbled Godwit
• Short-billed Dowitcher
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson’s Phalarope
• Spotted Sandpiper
• Solitary Sandpiper
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Willet
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Stilt Sandpiper
• Baird’s Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• Pectoral Sandpiper
• Western Sandpiper
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Franklin’s Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• Black Tern
• Forster’s Tern
• Double-crested Cormorant
• American White Pelican
• American Bittern
• Snowy Egret
• Cattle Egret
• Great Egret
• Great Blue Heron
• White-faced Ibis
• Turkey Vulture
• Mississippi Kite
• Bald Eagle
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• American Kestrel
• Merlin
• Eastern Phoebe
• Say’s Phoebe
• Great Crested Flycatcher
• Western Kingbird
• Eastern Kingbird
• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
• Bell’s Vireo
• Blue Jay
• Horned Lark
• Bank Swallow
• Tree Swallow
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Cliff Swallow
• House Wren
• Marsh Wren
• European Starling
• Gray Catbird
• Brown Thrasher
• Eastern Bluebird
• American Robin
• House Sparrow
• House Finch
• American Goldfinch
• Grasshopper Sparrow
• Chipping Sparrow
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Western Meadowlark
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Orchard Oriole
• Baltimore Oriole
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Common Grackle
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Common Yellowthroat
• Yellow Warbler
• Northern Cardinal
• Dickcissel