Fall bird migration has definitely begun; however, the recent temperatures have not reflected that yet for Cheyenne Bottoms.  Persistent hot and dry weather has not been very kind to the wetlands.  However, water stored from earlier in the summer has created at least some wetland habitat for fall migrants.  Migrant species are showing up in larger numbers.  But Summer resident birds are still the predominant group to be seen at Cheyenne Bottoms right now.  Migration will continue to ramp up over the next couple months.

The summer resident birds that are typically abundant this time of year include: Egrets (Great, Snowy, and Cattle) and herons (Great-blue, Green, night herons), coots, terns (Forster's and Black), Killdeer, Ibis, grebes (Pied-billed, Eared, Western), cormorants, and pelicans, and songbirds.  Early migrant species include ducks, and most species of shorebirds.  However, Cheyenne Bottoms does not have great shorebird habitat, so seeing large groups of shorebirds does not look promising.

The storage pools remain relatively full at Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area.  KDWP will begin flooding public pools with this stored water soon in preparation for migration and hunting seasons.  There is also water available in the permanent marshes on TNC’s Preserve.

Fall also begins hunting seasons in Kansas.  Early Teal season is open Sept. 12-20.  Regular duck season will open Oct. 10-Dec. 6 for Cheyenne Bottoms.

Quivira NWR water levels remain good, but hot, dry weather has reduced the water levels there too.  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:

• Canada Goose
• Wood Duck
• Blue-winged Teal
• Norther Shoveler
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Mallard
• Northern Pintail
• Green-winged Teal
• Redhead
• Ruddy Duck
• Northern Bobwhite
• Wild Turkey
• Greater Prairie-chicken
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Mourning Dove
• Common Nighthawk
• Rufous Hummingbird
• Sora
• American Coot
• Black-necked Stilt
• American Avocet
• Black-bellied Plover
• American Golden-Plover
• Killdeer
• Upland Sandpiper
• Marbled Godwit
• Short-billed Dowitcher
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson’s Snipe
• Wilson’s Phalarope
• Spotted Sandpiper
• Solitary Sandpiper
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Willet
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Ruddy Turnstone
• Stilt Sandpiper
• Baird’s 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
• Eared Grebe
• Western Grebe
• Double-crested Cormorant
• Neotropic Cormorant
• White-faced Ibis
• American Bittern
• Yellow-crowned Night Heron
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• Little Blue Heron
• Snowy Egret
• Green Heron
• Western Cattle Egret
• Great Egret
• Great Blue Heron
• American White Pelican
• Turkey Vulture
• Osprey
• Cooper’s Hawk
• Northern Harrier
• Mississippi Kite
• Swainson’s Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• American Barn Owl
• Great Horned Owl
• Belted Kingfisher
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• American Kestrel
• Peregrine Falcon
• Say’s Phoebe
• Eastern Kingbird
• Blue Jay
• Horned Lark
• Bank Swallow
• Tree Swallow
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Cliff Swallow
• Marsh Wren
• European Starling
• American Robin
• House Sparrow
• House Finch
• American Goldfinch
• 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
• Northern Yellow Warbler
• Northern Cardinal
• Dickcissel