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Summer Birding at Great Bend, Kansas
By Robert A. Behrstock

Historically, Cheyenne Bottoms and the Quivira NWR receive the bulk of their birding visitation during spring migration. Indeed, from March to May when half of the shorebirds migrating through the eastern U.S. pause here these refuges really shine, often producing a "spectacle" quality viewing experience. Nonetheless, not everyone can enjoy Kansas during spring. Our schedule dictated a visit in mid-July. At this time, many of the special nesting birds are still singing, some are feeding young or have fledglings, and, as a bonus, the earliest shorebirds returning from the arctic are still adorned in their breeding finery. Also at this time, deer flies, mosquitoes and 80-100 degree days may be encountered. Would the birding warrant the discomfort?

The trip began with a dawn visit to Cheyenne Bottoms, a short drive northeast from Great Bend. The wooded stretch of road just west of the refuge entrance produced Brown Thrasher, Common Nighthawk, and, overhead, both Eastern and Western kingbirds. Just a short distance past the information board, I became aware of a mixed species commotion in an isolated roadside cottonwood. Here, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Eastern Kingbirds, Common Grackles, and a Dickcissel were scolding a huge opossum that was scurrying down the trunk, probably finishing a raid for eggs or nestlings. Another 200 feet down the tour road a pair of Great Horned Owls called: one from atop a fence post, the other from a clump of low shrubs. Both sat in the open, continuing their dawn serenade for at least another hour. Within minutes, Ring-necked Pheasant, Grasshopper Sparrow, Barn and Cliff swallows and several marsh birds such as Great Blue Heron, Common Yellowthroat, and both Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds made the first of many appearances. At 7:20, I noticed a tiny, downy, all black rail chick feeding alone at the water’s edge. Although I watched it for nearly 20 frustrating minutes, noting its brownish legs and chalky white bill with a dark central ring, an adult never joined it. (Upon returning home, I consulted the illustrations in Colin Harrison’s field guide to North American nests, eggs and nestlings and, from the bill pattern, identified the chick as a newly hatched Virginia Rail). Reaching the first of several large, shallow pools that are maintained for migratory waterfowl, I saw little besides feeding Forster’s and Least Terns and several Double-crested Cormorants. The Least Terns, however, represented the threatened inland nesting subspecies, so were of particular interest from that standpoint. Continuing to another pool with more exposed bottom and some fringing vegetation, I was pleased to see several Snowy Plovers, another threatened species but easily seen here, and a family of Mallards, the parents distrustful of me and keeping a tight rein on their brood. Next, a striking black, white and rust American Avocet started to buzz my car. Not surprisingly, I saw its chick, small, but already long-legged and possessing its distinctive black and white wing pattern, about 50 feet away on the pool’s muddy apron. Continuing around the pond, I encountered singing Marsh Wrens, dozens of Bank Swallows, Black-crowned Night-Herons, at least 150 American White Pelicans, Snowy and Great Egrets, about 25 Black Terns (most in their stunning glossy black breeding plumage), and a pair of charming Western Grebes, sparse nesters in the area and the only ones I’d see this trip.

Beginning around the Fourth of July, shorebirds that have already finished nesting in the arctic start to show up in the Lower 48. From then until at least October, various species of adults followed by the young they abandoned far to the north, appear at inland wetlands or on coastal mudflats. Some remain for the winter, others continue southward to Panama, Surinam, or Argentina. On an earlier trip to this area, I enjoyed viewing large numbers of northbound migrants including dozens of Hudsonian Godwits. On this visit to Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira, I saw a variety of species returning southward and, because of the dynamic nature of shorebird migration, had I remained for a few days more, I would probably have seen several more kinds. The first of these birds that I encountered were Semipalmated Sandpipers, small puffs of buff and brown which are capable of flying thousands of miles on the thimble full of tiny worms they extract from the mud with their short, thick bills. These were probably in Alaska just a couple days earlier. Other fresh arrivals I saw during my visits included Stilt, Baird’s, Solitary, and Least sandpipers, Greater and Lesser yellowlegs, dowitchers, and, from nesting grounds not much further to the north, Spotted Sandpipers, and Wilson’s Phalaropes, and a Franklin’s Gull. As I completed my tour of the refuge, I saw other waterbirds including Pied-billed Grebes with downy chicks, Canada Geese, Blue-winged and Green-winged teal, White-faced Ibis and Ring-billed Gulls. Just before leaving, I saw two other people who were casually observing birds. Aside from this couple, I had nearly 20,000 acres of world-class wetland habitat to myself.

Returning after lunch, I visited The Nature Conservancy’s Cheyenne Bottoms Preserve, 7,000 acres immediately northeast of the state refuge. By now, the temperature had climbed into the mid-90s and the breeze had picked up, but it seemed to have little effect on the bird or insect life. An aerial photograph at the entrance board of the TNC property illustrates this area with its various shallow basins in a flooded state. As my visit coincided with drought-like conditions, much of the refuge appeared to in use as grazing land or planted in crops such as alfalfa. In this habitat, I saw Eastern and Western Meadowlarks, Black-tailed Jackrabbits, and dozens of Grasshopper Sparrows and Dickcissels. Both of the latter species have been seriously depleted or even eliminated in other parts of the country. Not far into the refuge, the road is straddled by a colony of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs. I was pleased to spend a few minutes observing these engaging animals, the pups up to their usual antics, chasing, wrestling, and pestering their parents. In much of their range, farmers and ranchers unfairly persecute prairie dogs, poisoning them, using them for target practice, flooding their burrows, or simply plowing under the colonies. One of the dirt roads that allow access to the refuge passes by Clear Lake, where, despite low water levels, I got close looks at Solitary Sandpipers and tiny newly hatched Killdeer chicks. For me, the special birds here were several dozen male Yellow-headed Blackbirds pecking around at the lake’s edge. Over the years, I have seen literally tens of thousands of these boldly patterned black, white, and yellow marsh breeders, but they remain, despite their less than melodic song, one of my very favorite North American birds. At two dry creek crossings and along the margins of the alfalfa fields I kicked around in the foliage, searching for butterflies. Thickets of Pokeberry and Buttonbush produced Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, while the alfalfa fields, edged in Showy Milkweed, vervain, prairie coneflower, and Partridge Pea were full of Orange Sulphurs, Variegated Fritillaries, and Common Checkered-Skippers. A closer examination of the flowering alfalfa showed it to be alive with glittering, thumbnail-sized butterflies and I was able to practice my identification skills on intricately patterned Marine, Reakirt’s, and Melissa blues.

The next day, I left a bit earlier for the approximately 35-mile drive to Quivira NWR. En route, male Ring-necked Pheasants patrolled the roadside and Swainson’s and Red-tailed hawks, Turkey Vultures, and several pair of Mississippi Kites sat on utility poles or wires, patiently awaiting the morning’s thermals to develop.

Pausing at the refuge’s wooded entrance, I took in the dawn chorus of Northern Bobwhites, Purple Martins, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Black-capped Chickadees, House Wrens, American Robins, Dickcissels, Indigo Buntings, Blue Grosbeaks, Field and

Grasshopper Sparrows, and Northern Cardinals. As I searched for the various singers in the wild plum thickets and a row of Osage Orange trees, a huge tom turkey strutted into the adjacent field, joining a party of White-tailed Deer that included several spotted fawns. As the visitors’ center was not yet open, I headed northward on the tour route, immediately encountering a singing Bell’s Vireo that popped up for a look when I "spished" softly toward the thicket from which it vocalized.

As well as being somewhat larger, Quivira is a more aesthetically pleasing place to bird than Cheyenne Bottoms. Possessing not only a broad array of aquatic habitats (including wet meadows and saline lakes), its nearly 17,000 acres of uplands offer rolling hills, hay fields, shady woodland trails, and miles of pastures and fencerows that host a number of birds, especially land birds, that are unlikely to be seen at Cheyenne Bottoms. Nonetheless, both refuges are excellent and either is capable of producing the birder’s dream of "too many birds to look at."

My first breath-taking sight of the day was not a bird or a mammal, but a plant, or rather thousands of them. Covering the first large pasture I came to was a dense blanket of Fourpoint Evening Primrose--waist high, lemon yellow-- a truly spectacular display. There were smaller clumps of this plant on many of the low hills and scattered along the road and it was rarely out of sight during the course of the day. Other roadside color was provided by blue Spiderwort, pink Showy Milkweed, Butterfly Milkweed (here a rich yellow, not orange like the Texas form), white Prickly Poppy, low clumps of yellow Buffalo Bur, purple blossoms of Carolina Horsenettle, and just a few spindly stalks of Velvety Gaura, their tops bowed over by a spike of pale pink blossoms. I paused the car to photograph the latter alongside the refuge’s Little Salt Marsh, its southernmost basin. As I stopped, I heard the soft "kokokoko" of a Least Bittern and saw a fat raccoon staring at me from the cattails. Besides the bittern, Little Salt Marsh held a large assortment of ducks, shorebirds, herons and egrets that was similar to what I’d seen the day before at Cheyenne Bottoms. Cruising the roadside pools and channels, I encountered Solitary Sandpipers, Black-necked Stilts, Canada Geese, flocks of Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and dragonflies such as the little orange Eastern Amberwing, a patrolling Blue-eyed Darner, and dozens of the ubiquitous Blue Dasher.

Proceeding northward, I realized with some relief that, owing to the 100% cloud cover, the temperature was about twenty degrees cooler than the previous day. Soon after passing the Little Salt Marsh, I came to an open road that produced the day’s only Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, an Eastern Phoebe, and a flock of Great-tailed Grackles (as opposed to the more abundant Commons). A parking lot and a large pond on my right signaled the beginning of the Migrant’s Mile Nature Trail. This attractive walk passed through mixed woodlands of cedar and several hardwoods with an understory of Poison Ivy, and wild hemp. Trail amenities included a photo blind overlooking a pond, and a boardwalk crossing a marsh-edged pond (alive with odonates such as Common Green Darner, Citrine Forktail, and both Slender and Common spreadwings). Common Wood-Nymphs, large butterflies of the satyr family, whose underwings are decorated with blue and black eyespots, were basking along the trail, as were black and tan young of Blue-faced Meadowhawks, a dragonfly with which I had only scant familiarity. Trip birds along the trail included Hairy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Northern Flicker. Leaving the pond, I drove through several miles of open country (adding Loggerhead Shrike, Red-headed Woodpecker, Yellow Warbler, American Goldfinch, and three Ornate Box Turtles) before reaching the wildlife drive that skirts the Northern Salt Marsh, the refuge’s northern basin. Large dragonflies including Twelve-spotted and Widow skimmers, Spot-winged Gliders and Black Saddlebags were prominent here. Birds of interest included additional Snowy Plovers (standing in the road!), Wilson’s Phalaropes, Stilt Sandpipers, and more Least Terns, these feeding very close to the car. Of special interest were two rarities, a breeding plumaged Tricolored Heron, a wader typical of Gulf Coast saltmarshes, and, among a flock of White-faced Ibis, a Glossy Ibis, well out of range and at home on the Eastern seaboard. Later, I learned that other birders visiting the refuge at approximately the same time had found a Curlew Sandpiper, an Old World shorebird and quite a rarity in Central Kansas. Three very good birds, indeed for both mid-July and mid-continent.

The northern end of the refuge produced two more local specialties. In the prairies at the northeast corner of the property, I visited a large prairie dog town, again enjoying the behavior of these communal rodents, especially the escape tactics of several mothers who were trying desperately to wean the large youngsters that incessantly pursued them. As I crossed the creek near the dog town, a pair of Belted Kingfishers, the trip’s first, flashed by the car. From there, I drove westward along the northernmost portion of the refuge, stopping for a nicely patterned Plains Garter Snake, as the birders say, a "lifer" for me. At the suggestion of refuge personnel, I located a hay field just a bit west of the Northern Salt Marsh. Here, black, white, and tan male Bobolinks fluttered overhead singing their rich, throaty songs. Although resembling a large sparrow, the Bobolink is a member of the blackbird family. Along with Lark Bunting, it is one of our only birds that is light above and black below. Because agricultural practices and development have reduced their numbers across the U.S. hearing and seeing these birds was one of the highlights of my trip.

Later, a short stop at the Arkansas River within Great Bend netted me a Green Heron while several Mississippi Kites soared buoyantly overhead. The river, although narrow and shallow from the drought conditions, was crystal clear and teeming with dragonflies and small fishes. From there, I continued about three miles east of town to the Fort Zarah historic site. Here, a large picnic area was ringed with walnuts, mulberries, and even a stately cypress. Birds included Brown Thrashers that fed along the short trails penetrating the adjacent woodland, Chimney Swifts twittering overhead, and Gray Catbirds feeding on the abundant crop of mulberries. Orange and black Viceroys, butterflies that mimic the pattern of poisonous Monarchs, fluttered along the river and Tawny Emperors sunned on several tree trunks.

Did my visit to Great Bend live up to my expectations? The first day was hot, followed by two that were cloudy and comfortable. Nuisance insects were present but only at certain times and locations. There was never a moment when there was nothing to look at. There was rarely a stop that didn’t add a new bird, butterfly, dragonfly, or wildflower to my list of sightings. Birds on both refuges were close, numerous, diverse, and often large, criteria that are important to beginning birders. During my last day at Great Bend, I revisited Quivira and Cheyenne Bottoms, continuing to add new sightings. Even as I departed town at the end of my stay, House Finches and American Kestrels made eleventh hour appearances, bolstering my trip list even further. Clearly, the array of birds, other animals, and plants was rich enough to hold the attention of any naturalist or photographer.

Birds seen at Cheyenne Bottoms 10 and 12 July (CB), Quivira NWR 11 and 12 July (Q), and the Great Bend vicinity 11 July

Western Grebe (CB)

Pied-billed Grebe (CB) (Q, with young)

Double-crested Cormorant (CB)

Great Blue Heron (CB) (Q)

Green Heron (Arkansas River)

Little Blue Heron (Q) (just east of CB)

Cattle Egret (Q)

Great Egret (CB) (Q)

Snowy Egret (CB) (Q)

Tricolored Heron (Q) Rare

Black-crowned Night-Heron (CB)

Least Bittern (Q)

American White Pelican (CB)

White-faced Ibis (CB) (Q)

Glossy Ibis (Q) Rare

Canada Goose (CB) (Q)

Mallard (CB) (Q)

Green-winged Teal (Q)

Blue-winged Teal (CB) (Q)

Northern Shoveler (Q)

Turkey Vulture (CB) (Q)

Mississippi Kite (Arkansas River and Great Bend)

Red-tailed Hawk (Q)

Swainson’s Hawk (near Q)

American Kestrel (just south of Great Bend)

Northern Bobwhite (CB) (Q)

Ring-necked Pheasant (CB) (Q)

Wild Turkey (Q)

Virginia Rail (CB, downy chick)

Common Moorhen (CB)

American Coot (CB) (Q)

Snowy Plover (CB) (Q)

Killdeer (CB) (Q)

Solitary Sandpiper (CB) (Q)

Spotted Sandpiper (CB)

Greater Yellowlegs (CB) (Q)

Lesser Yellowlegs (CB) (Q)

Baird’s Sandpiper (CB)

Least Sandpiper (CB)

Dowitcher sp. (CB)

Stilt Sandpiper (Q)

Semipalmated Sandpiper (CB)

Wilson’s Phalarope (Q)

American Avocet (CB, with chicks) (Q)

Black-necked Stilt (CB) (Q)

Ring-billed Gull (CB) (Q)

Franklin’s Gull (CB)

Forster’s Tern (CB) (Q)

Least Tern (CB) (Q)

Black Tern (CB)

Rock Dove (Great Bend vicinity)

Mourning Dove (CB) (Q)

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (CB) (Q)

Great Horned Owl (CB)

Common Nighthawk (just west of CB)

Chimney Swift (east side of Great Bend)

Belted Kingfisher (Q)

Northern Flicker (Q)

Red-bellied Woodpecker (Q)

Red-headed Woodpecker (Q)

Hairy Woodpecker (Q)

Downy Woodpecker (entrance road to CB)

Eastern Kingbird (CB) (Q)

Western Kingbird (CB) (Q)

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Q)

Eastern Phoebe (Q)

Bank Swallow (CB)

Barn Swallow (CB) (Q)

Cliff Swallow (CB) (Q)

Purple Martin (Q) (Great Bend)

Blue Jay (CB) (Q)

American Crow (Q)

Black-capped Chickadee (Q)

House Wren (CB) (Q)

Marsh Wren (CB)

Northern Mockingbird (near Great Bend)

Gray Catbird (Q) (Fort Zarah)

Brown Thrasher (CB) (Q)

American Robin (CB) (Q)

Loggerhead Shrike (Q)

Starling (CB) (Q)

Bell’s Vireo (Q)

Yellow Warbler (Q)

Common Yellowthroat (CB) (Q)

Bobolink (Q)

Eastern Meadowlark (CB) (Q)

Western Meadowlark (CB) (Q)

Yellow-headed Blackbird (CB) (Q)

Red-winged Blackbird (CB) (Q)

Orchard Oriole (CB)

Baltimore Oriole (CB) (Q)

Great-tailed Grackle (Q)

Common Grackle (CB) (Q)

Brown-headed Cowbird (Q)

Northern Cardinal (CB) (Q)

Blue Grosbeak (Q)

Indigo Bunting (Q) (Fort Zarah)

Dickcissel (CB) (Q)

Grasshopper Sparrow (CB) (Q)

Lark Sparrow (Q)

Field Sparrow (Q)

House Sparrow (various sites)

House Finch (a few in Great Bend)

American Goldfinch (Q)

Mammals seen at Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira NWR 10-12 July 2002

Virginia Opossum

Raccoon

Black-tailed Jackrabbit

Cottontail

Eastern Fox Squirrel

Black-tailed Prairie Dog

White-tailed Deer

Butterflies seen at Cheyenne Bottoms, Quivira NWR, and Great Bend vicinity 10-12 July 2002

Black Swallowtail

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Cabbage White

Orange Sulphur

Gray Hairstreak

Marine Blue

Reakirt’s Blue

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Melissa Blue

American Snout

Variegated Fritillary

Pearl Crescent

Painted Crescent

Common Buckeye

Viceroy

Tawny Emperor

Common Wood-Nymph

Monarch

Common Checkered Skipper

Dragonflies and damselflies seen at Cheyenne Bottoms, along the Arkansas River in Great Bend, and at Quivira NWR 10-12 July 2002

American Rubyspot

Common Spreadwing

Slender Spreadwing

Powdered Dancer

Familiar Bluet

Citrine Forktail

Eastern/Western Forktail

Blue-eyed Darner

Common Green Darner

Eastern Ringtail

Common Sanddragon

Eastern Pondhawk

Widow Skimmer

Common Whitetail

Twelve-spotted Skimmer

Blue Dasher

Wandering Glider

Spot-winged Glider

Eastern Amberwing

Blue-faced Meadowhawk

Variegated Meadowhawk

Black Saddlebags

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