Fall migration is progressing.  The limited water available in the wetlands has had a large impact on the migrating birds that are stopping this fall.  Water is still very limited at Cheyenne Bottoms.  Pool 1a and Pool 3a are the only pools holding water.  All other pools are dry.

Many of the summer resident birds have now moved on, but until we experience colder temperatures, some species will continue to stick around, e.g. herons, egrets, avocets, etc.  Waterfowl numbers and diversity have been increasing over the last couple of weeks.  We have started seeing Sandhill Cranes show up and they will continue to increase through November.  Whooping cranes are possible about anytime now through November.  We have seen very few shorebirds using Cheyenne Bottoms this fall due to the lack of mudflats and shallow, open water habitats. Franklin’s Gulls have been very numerous, and most days a few large groups of Pelicans can be seen in the wetlands.

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:

• Snow Goose
• Greater White-fronted Goose
• Canada Goose
• Wood Duck
• Blue-winged Teal
• Northern Shoveler
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Mallard
• Northern Pintail
• Green-winged Teal
• Canvasback
• Redhead
• Ruddy Duck
• Northern Bobwhite
• Wild Turkey
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Mourning Dove
• Common Nighthawk
• King Rail
• American Coot
• Sandhill Crane
• American Avocet
• Killdeer
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson’s Snipe
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Franklin’s Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• Great Black-backed Gull
• Lesser Black-backed Gull
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Eared Grebe
• Double-crested Cormorant
• White-faced Ibis
• American Bittern
• Yellow-crowned Night Heron
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• Snowy Egret
• Western Cattle Egret
• Great Egret
• Great Blue Heron
• American White Pelican
• Turkey Vulture
• Northern Harrier
• Bald Eagle
• Red-tailed Hawk
• American Barn Owl
• Great Horned Owl
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• American Kestrel
• Barn Swallow
• Marsh Wren
• European Starling
• American Robin
• House Sparrow
• House Finch
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Vesper Sparrow
• Savannah Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Swamp Sparrow
• Yellow-headed Blackbird
• Western Meadowlark
• Eastern Meadowlark
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Common Grackle
• Great-tailed Grackle
• Northern Cardinal