If you take a drive through the Bottoms on any given day it will be mostly peaceful. Lots of birds feeding, sleeping, taking a walk, or perhaps several species will be congregated in an area going about their business. Just like in normal life, differences of opinions do occur and are settled in different ways. Personal space, breeding, and feeding are the main points of contention. These situations and the resolutions have provided me with some of the fun images of the marsh. Here are a few examples that I have been lucky enough to witness.
Most of the farming community has seen pheasants discuss breeding rights. These fights are serious and occasionally end with the death of one of the combatants. Their spurs and beaks are legitimate weapons of war and they fight hard. I have seen the fight stopped for a time so that each bird can catch a breath and then start over. This fight lasted about 10 minutes and ended when one decided to leave the area. I never saw the hen or hens that obviously were the point of discussion.
Turkeys are fierce competitors during the breeding season. They are big birds and have massive spurs that can inflict serious damage. A lot of turkey hunters have scars from retrieving wounded turkeys. I have seen turkeys attack a dead bird or a decoy during hunting season. A weak bird in the turkey world doesn’t last long. Jakes (young toms with short beards) are notorious for fighting. I think they are frustrated at being removed from the breeding process (Jakes get beaten up by big toms if they try to join the fun). There is a turkey call (the “fighting purr”) that simulates a fight, and these guys can’t resist –which puts a lot of jakes on the Thanksgiving table. I miss the turkey hunts – we have had a significant loss of population and the cause is still being debated. My friend Rod Haydel (Haydel calls) is a genius with these calls. His family is one of the outstanding members of the outdoor sporting life in America. His dad started that company and he came to Hoisington one time to judge a contest. We were so lucky!
Prairie chickens put on one of the best shows. There are greater and lesser chickens. Both species gather at leks just an area they decide to use for breeding displays). My friend Michael Pearce invited me to a lesser chicken lek up by Healy. It was a wonderful experience. These birds leap about and specialize in aerial attacks that don’t last very long. They spend a lot of time blowing out their air sacks and chirping at each other. If you haven’t seen these chickens – you should do it!
Egrets are cranky when feeding is intense in a small area. The Snowy Egrets are just spectacular in their ability to fluff out their feathers. They leap about and threaten each other over a particular rock or perch with the best view. They are noisy brawlers – lots of squawking going on. An angry egret backlit in the sun with feathers all separated is as artistic and beautiful as anything in our marsh. They are here now and easy to find at the Bottoms.
Most duck species are very territorial over family groups and their mate during the breeding season. Blue-winged teal show a lot of aggression to anyone trying to visit their private party. The duck that impresses me the most is the Bufflehead. These are small, somewhat shy ducks and stay pretty much to themselves. I think they are the fastest flying duck. They are also extremely aggressive toward unwanted visitors. They are more sensitive to on-lookers, and I have to be somewhat sneaky to get pictures of them in their element. They chase each other with a vengeance.
Gulls will fuss over almost anything. Especially food if it is limited. They chase each other off a carcass or shad just as a routine part of life. I don’t think they ever hurt each other, and there is always more food around. These are ring-billed gulls and our most common gull at the Bottoms. Right now there is very little competition due to the low water and the multitude of dead carp. Every bird seems to have its own private dining table.
There are many more examples, but the cycle of these birds in our Cheyenne Bottoms is always entertaining and just magic. You never know what will happen or who will be upset or hungry.
I want to end this column with a tribute to Les Landau. He died unexpectedly this past week way too young. He and his boys have hunted the Bottoms with Dr. Durrett and me for many years. He was a terrific surgeon and a benefactor to many. He came to many of our Ducks Unlimited banquets and his infectious booming laugh will be missed. A part of him will always be in the Cheyenne Bottoms as is true for several of us. Rest in peace, Les.
Doc
Doctor Dan Witt is a retired physician and nature enthusiast. He can be reached via email at danwitt01@gmail.com.
