By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
A lot of bird watchers from around the state and the region are pulling into the Kansas Wetlands Education Center and Cheyenne Bottoms, just northeast of Great Bend. The peak of the spring migration will occur over the next month as thousands of birds make a stop at the wetlands as they travel north.
KWEC Director Curtis Wolf said if people want to see a lot of birds, this is the time to visit Cheyenne Bottoms.
"Ducks and water fowl are the real big thing right now," said Wolf. "About every species of duck that could be there is there in great numbers. The colors are phenomenal."
Over 20 species of duck have been spotted recently at the wetlands. Wolf said there are also pelicans, Great Blue Herons, cormorants and coots. While several Whooping Cranes have made their way through the area, most of them don’t stay long.
"It's very typical behavior of the Whooping Cranes to come in, they might be seen in the evening as they come in to roost and by mid-morning the next day they're gone," said Wolf. "They don't tend to stick around very long. It's such a chance event where you have to be there at the right time and place."
The KWEC is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.