Following an internal clock, water fowl have begun spring migration and Cheyenne Bottoms, filled with plenty of water, is a stopping point on the trip north.
The spring migration will continue to grow more and more spectacular through the first part of May, until at its height, hundreds of thousands of birds will rest on the water there.
Currently, northern pintail, northern shoveliers, American widgeons, mallards, shorebirds such as sandhill cranes, and killdeer are at the 41,000 acre basin that is Cheyenne Bottoms along with thousands of snow geese, some great blue herons, snowy owls and American kestrel, as well as many others.
The only natural flock of whooping cranes left in the world makes a stop at Cheyenne Bottoms, and several were spotted Feb. 28.
“We had people flying in from New York,” to see the whooping cranes, said graduate student Clinton Helms, Fort Hays State University, who works at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center.
KWEC offers tours of Cheyenne Bottoms with FHSU graduate students as guides.
Explaining the history of the area and habits of the birds, Helms shared his expertise on a recent tour. Cheyenne Bottoms was the hunting grounds of the Cheyenne Indians. A battle ensued over the rich natural resource between the Cheyenne and Kiowa Indians until the creek, now known as Blood Creek, near Hoisington, ran red.
“We have a lot of people in the area who don’t realize what’s in their backyard,” said Helms. “This is a critical area. Birds come all the way from the southern tip of South America.”
Helms explained that the birds migrate based upon the length of the day on a path that is imprinted at a young age.
The birds also fly at night. “During migration at the night, (the birds) use stars or other planets as a beacon,” said Helms. They can also tune into the earth’s magnetic field to orient themselves to the north.
Van tours are available for up to 11 people. The 30 minute tour costs $3 for an adult and $1.50 for children.
A 90 minute tour is $5 for adults and $3 for children. Tuesday-Friday, tours are by reservation. Saturday, tours are at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. On Sunday, tours are at 2:30 p.m.
Located at 592 NE K-156 Highway, the KWEC phone number is 620-566-1456 or 877-243-9268. Hours of operation April 1 – Oct. 31 are Monday through Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 1–5 p.m.
Upcoming events
April is a busy month at KWEC. Many activities are planned.
Watch the greater prairie chicken strut its stuff. Tours are also available throughout April at 5:30-5:45 a.m. on various days. Call KWEC for more dates. Reservations are required.
The Friends of Cheyenne Bottoms will host a membership drive and ‘10 Snowy Owls presentation’ by Paul Griffin at 3:30 p.m. on April 6. Griffin is a birder and videographer from Wichita. The program is free.
A 5k/3k run will be held on April 26. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. The race takes runners through Cheyenne Bottoms. Early registration is $25 for adults. Cost is $35 after April 15. Online registration is available at www.wetlandscenter. fhsu.edu.
The Great Migration Rally will be held at 2 p.m. on April 13. Follow the birds to food, prizes and music while migrating through Cheyenne Bottoms. Pre-registration is requested.