When submitting eBird observations at Cheyenne Bottoms WA, it is most helpful to start a new checklist for each hotspot within the Cheyenne Bottoms WA. Use this general hotspot when you have a checklist that includes multiple locations or if no other hotspot or personal location is appropriate for your sightings.

First-time visitors to Cheyenne Bottoms may want to begin with a stop at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center. Here you may get a general orientation to the Bottoms by visiting with staff naturalists, taking a scheduled van tour, or browsing the impressive educational exhibits. Recent sightings and population conditions are posted near the reception area. Floor to ceiling windows allow visitors to look out over a marsh and pond.

After leaving KWEC, cross K-156 and head directly into the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area (DeLorme F5, G4 and G5). One of Kansas’ Ramsar-designated Wetlands of International Importance, almost 20,000 acres are state-owned and managed primarily for shorebirds and waterfowl. A complicated system of dikes, canals, pumps and pipes are used to manage and move water throughout  the Wildlife Area. Dikes surround the Pool 1 complex and allow visitors to drive along the marshes in a counterclockwise direction. As you move along the dike, be sure to look over both sides as birds will be in the marshes on the left and in the canal and marshes on the right. Concrete structures in the marshes are hunting blinds. Raptors, such as Bald Eagles and visiting Snowy Owls, often perch on them. 

Continue along the dike system and scan all the pools and marshes. Some areas are open to foot traffic and are marked as such. A vault toilet near Pool 3A is the only bathroom facility available until reaching headquarters. If you continue directly west of the Bottoms, you will see a stand of cottonwoods and cedars about a half-mile away on the left. This is a primitive camping area. Look here for passerines and listen for screech owls after dusk. If you turn right, you’ll notice a small bridge. Cliff Swallows nest under bridges throughout the Bottoms, but are possibly most noticeable here in large numbers. Whenever present, scan all swallow flocks carefully for Cave Swallows. Drive a little farther north past the large maintenance shed. From the road, look back and locate the square opening near the roof. Look closely for the pale, heart-shaped face of a Barn Owl. They frequently nest here.

Pool 1A lies in front of you until the dike veers to the right. Climbing up the observation tower at this juncture will allow a broader view of the marsh. The Pool 1 complex, and in particular Pool 1A, frequently holds water the longest. This 3,300-acre area is also the refuge portion of the Bottoms and is closed to all activities. As the water levels naturally drop or are drawn down, sandbars and mudflats appear, concentrating large numbers of shorebirds, gulls, terns, ducks, geese, herons, egrets and other birds dependent upon wetlands habitat. Staying on the dike will complete the drive along the pools. As you turn west and head toward the exit, you will see the inlet canal and Pool 5 on the left. At the end of this stretch of the dike, you will find headquarters and a vault toilet on the right. Immediately east of headquarters is a small pond surrounded by trees. Be sure to watch for passerines.

The importance of the ecology and natural history of this area of Barton County cannot be overstated. As with the Wildlife Area, the preserve is also a Wetland of International Importance. Both properties are recognized as Globally Important Bird Areas by the National Audubon Society.

The preserve may be accessed upon leaving the west entrance of the Wildlife Area and heading north. After approximately 2.5 miles, a woodland area at the intermittent Blood Creek may hold passerines. Property on the west side of the road is privately-owned; however, land to the east belongs to TNC. Turning south at headquarters will allow you to drive on dirt roads through agricultural areas and into Great Bend. Check feedlots along the way for Brewer’s Blackbirds. Upon reaching the intersection you have four options: retrace your drive through the Wildlife Area, turn right (north), go straight ahead (west), or turn left (south). You may also access the preserve from K-4 four miles west of Redwing. Turn south. One mile after entering the preserve, you may turn on a road to the east that wends through the main contiguous portion of the property. Please be sensitive to road conditions. Some routes are unimproved dirt roads maintained by the township and may be impassable following wet weather. At no time is it advisable to attempt crossing a portion  of road that is under water.

Because Cheyenne Bottoms is such a diverse, large and unique marsh, birdwatching is one of the more popular activities on the area. The spring and fall migration periods offer the best opportunity to view large numbers of different species in this one location. In spring, waterfowl and sandhill cranes can begin arriving as early as February. Wading birds, such as herons and egrets, begin arriving in March and April. Most shorebirds arrive in late April and early May. By late May, the birds that are still present on the area will tend to remain and nest.

The southward migration in fall can be a rewarding and challenging time for the birdwatcher. Most of the birds moving through the area during this time of year have replaced their breeding plumage with a set of feathers that lack much of the color they had just a few months earlier. This can make identification difficult, especially when looking at shorebirds. The fall shorebird migration can begin as early as July and extend well into September and October. Because of this, the bird numbers are not as impressive as the spring movement since the birds do not achieve as great a number at any one time. The peak period for duck viewing in the fall occurs early to mid-October. Most wading birds remain on the area until the marsh freezes. This is especially true for the great blue heron. Whooping cranes are most apt to stop at Cheyenne Bottoms in late October into early November. Bald eagles winter on the area and are present from as early as November to as late as March. A checklist of birds found on the area and the seasons they are present is available at the area office and the information signs at the main entrances.