Spring bird migration is wrapping up, but there is still plenty to see right now at Cheyenne Bottoms.  June is typically one of the lowest bird activity times of the year for Cheyenne Bottoms, as the migrants are all basically through the area and what summer residents are here are often on nests.  But, until we hit that point, there seems to be plenty of activity to see.

Shorebird diversity is still decent, but abundance is way down.  Summer resident birds, like Black terns, herons, and egrets are in good supply.  Some ducks are still hanging around, which many of these may be nesting here.  Summer resident songbirds are abundant.

Most of the area received over 3” of rain during the last week of May.  This has helped put some additional sheet water back in most pools, but without additional rains, we do not expect much of that sheet water to last, especially as we will approach hot dry summer weather.  Water levels in Cheyenne Bottoms did come up some with the rain, and KDWP is diverting water into the wetlands from the Arkansas River and Wet Walnut Creek diversions.

Quivira NWR water levels have also increased, and there is available water in most areas.   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 of birds that have been reported over the last couple weeks:

• Black-bellied Whistling Duck
• Snow Goose
• Canada Goose
• Wood Duck
• Blue-winged Teal
• Norther Shoveler
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Mallard
• Northern Pintail
• Green-winged Teal
• Redhead
• Hooded Merganser
• Ruddy Duck
• Northern Bobwhite
• Wild Turkey
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Mourning Dove
• Yellow-billed Cuckoo
• Common Nighthawk
• Virginia Rail
• American Coot
• Black-necked Stilt
• American Avocet
• American Golden-plover
• Killdeer
• Semipalmated Plover
• Snowy Plover
• Upland Sandpiper
• Hudsonian Godwit
• Marbled Godwit
• Short-billed Dowitcher
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson’s Phalarope
• Red-necked Phalarope
• Spotted Sandpiper
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Willet
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Stilt Sandpiper
• Sanderling
• Dunlin
• Baird’s Sandpiper
• White-rumped Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• Pectoral Sandpiper
• Western Sandpiper
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Franklin’s Gull
• Ring-billed Gull
• Least Tern
• Black Tern
• Forster’s Tern
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Neotropical Cormorant
• White-faced Ibis
• American Bittern
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• Snowy Egret
• Western Cattle Egret
• Great Egret
• Great Blue Heron
• American White Pelican
• Turkey Vulture
• Bald Eagle
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Great Horned Owl
• Burrowing Owl
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• American Kestrel
• Eastern Phoebe
• Say’s Phoebe
• Great-crested Flycatcher
• Western Kingbird
• Eastern Kingbird
• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
• Bell’s Vireo
• Warbling Vireo
• Loggerhead Shrike
• Blue Jay
• Horned Lark
• Bank Swallow
• Tree Swallow
• Purple Martin
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Cliff Swallow
• Northern House Wren
• European Starling
• Gray Catbird
• Brown Thrasher
• Swainson’s Thrush
• American Robin
• House Sparrow
• American Goldfinch
• Grasshopper Sparro
• Chipping Sparrow
• Lark Sparrow
• Savannah 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