GREAT BEND TRIBUNE More
By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism. Cheyenne Bottoms, Quivira complete Christmas Bird Counts A pine siskin is pictured on a tree in central Kansas. Pam Martin with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks noted the species isn’t common in this area but she’s seen as many as 100 at her home feeders periodically since October. A total of 125 pine siskins were sighted during the Christmas Bird Count at Cheyenne Bottoms.
A mild start to winter would normally bring a flock of bird watchers to Cheyenne Bottoms and the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge for the annual Christmas Bird Count – but this was no normal year. Although humans have had to forego social gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, the birds have not. A record 97 species were documented at the Bottoms – a number matched at Quivira.