Motoring Monday - Bird watching across Kansas

The Wetlands & Wildlife National Scenic Byway in Barton, Stafford and Reno counties
in central Kansas has lots of areas to watch birds.

Bird watching is a big pastime in Kansas. The state has two important stopover sites for migrating birds and has recorded more than 460 bird species, making it the 16^th most popular bird state in the country, according to the Audubon website.

The top two places to see birds includes the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The spring and fall migration times are especially good for seeing a variety of birds pass through the state.

The Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area is
the largest wetland in the interior U.S.

The Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area is a central flyaway for millions of birds. This Kansas wetland area is the largest in the interior U.S. with 41,000 acres. Some 320 species of birds frequent Cheyenne Bottoms, including the Bald Eagle, Whooping Crane, Peregrine Falcon, Least Tern and Piping Plover.

The Quivira National Wildlife Refuge includes more than 22,000 acres and is managed primarily to provide migratory birds with food, water and shelter. More than 300 species of birds have been seen on the refuge at different times of the year.

According to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, there are lots of great spots to watch birds. The top 10 locations are:

1 - Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area

2 - Quivira National Wildlife Refuge

3 - Cimarron National Grassland

4 - Baker Wetlands Research and Natural Area

5 - Gypsum Hills Scenic Byway

6 - Historic Lake Scott State Park and Wildlife Area

7 - Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area

8 - Konza Prairie Biological Station

9 - Toronto Reservoir, Cross Timbers State Park and Toronto Wildlife Area

10 - Wilson Reservoir, State Park and Wildlife Area

State parks are also great places to see birds. According to KDWPT, in the late winter, Lovewell Reservoir, State Park and Wildlife Area can host up to one million snow geese in flocks large enough to be seen on weather radar.

 

Grand opening celebrates completion of scenic overlook

Attendees of the grand opening of the Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway Overlook put the structure to good use as they look out over Cheyenne Bottoms. 

Earlier this week, Barton County celebrated the grand opening of the Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway Overlook along K-4, which sits atop 100-foot bluffs encircling the Cheyenne Bottoms basin on all three sides.

A view of Cheyenne Bottoms

The Cheyenne Bottoms is a wetland area located in Barton County and the largest inland marsh in the United States. It is a critical stopover place for migratory birds and waterfowl. 

Construction of this project began earlier this spring. Federal funds were provided through the Kansas Department of Transportation for the construction, engineering and inspection costs of this project. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism shared the design costs with Barton County. 

Barry McManaman, Barton County Engineer, said that the event went well despite the wet weather. Approximately 40 people, including representatives from KDOT, KDWPT, and Barton County, along with members of the public, braved the rain to attend the ribbon cutting.

Attendees of the grand opening of the Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway Overlook put the structure to good use as they look out over Cheyenne Bottoms.

McManaman said that this scenic overlook would be a big attraction for not only for local residents, but also those traveling the wetlands.

“We anticipate there will be quite a few people who will stop in to see the Cheyenne bottoms,” McManaman said. “It’s been a project a long time in the making, and the Barton County Commissioners are thrilled to see it done. It’s a pretty neat facility and we are pleased with the way it turned out.”

Attendees of the grand opening of the Wetlands and Wildlife Scenic Byway Overlook put the structure to good use as they look out over Cheyenne Bottoms.

The Kansas Wetlands Education Center oversees interactive exhibits, education programs and outreach with both the Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife refuge.

Curtis Wolf, the site manager for the KWEC, said that the addition of the overlook would benefit visitors.

“It’s a good thing to have here because it is another attraction that we are able to utilize and provide for our visitors,” Wolf said. “We can tell them about the overlook and provide them with directions so they can visit it on their own.”

Cheyenne Bottoms Kiosk. 

Wolf said that the overlook will also be used with the van tours now that improvements have been made and additional projects are planned to compliment the location.

“We are going to be doing some exhibit renovations in the next year. And all of these improvements go to better the visitor experience,” Wolf said.

Wolf said that the partnership between the state, KWEC, and local entities made this project possible.

“From the KWEC’s standpoint we appreciate the various entities that came together to cooperate and continue to add features to the wetlands and help the visitors experience them the best they can,” Wolf said.