John's Favorite Locations
August, 2003
Click images to enlarge
Cheyenne Bottoms has been designated
as a “Wetland of International Importance” and the reason is clear.
Each spring and fall, upwards of 300,000 birds stop over at the marshes of Cheyenne
Bottoms on their way between winter feeding grounds in the south and northern
breeding areas. Almost half of the North American shorebird population stops
at the marshes during spring migration, somewhat fewer in the fall.
There
are white pelicans by the thousands, long lines undulating above the still waters
in graceful arcs; majestic Sandhill Cranes, stately herons, many species of
duck, and countless shorebirds. The Kansas Division Of Wildlife and Parks lists
more than 120 species of birds as abundant or common at the refuge. There is
no other place in the central United States that offers this concentration of
birds. There are mammals as well; coyotes, bobcat, deer, and foxes have all
been seen here. Reptiles, especially turtles and snakes are also found in good
abundance.
Besides
being an eminent birding location, you will find Cheyenne Bottoms a good location
for landscape work, especially sunrises and sunsets. Given the large amount
of standing water, and its location in a natural basin, Cheyenne Bottoms not
infrequently develops ground fog overnight, and for the photography on site
before sunrise, these mists will give the location an ethereal quality not found
in many other Kansas locations.
The 19,857 acres of Cheyenne Bottoms are located a few miles northeast of Great Bend. There are two main entrances, the first off US highway 81 six miles north of Great Bend, the other off K-156. From Great Bend, either access point takes about the same: about 25 minutes.
Spring and fall, during the migration, is unquestionably the best time to visit Cheyenne Bottoms. By late November, most birds have departed for points further south and while there are many birds resident there from June to August, they are not present in the vast numbers characterizing the migration periods.
Many of the birds are readily found near the roads that transect the refuge, but a telephoto lens of at least 300mm in 35mm format is needed to create tight shots of groups of birds. Wide angle lenses are useful for capturing the splendid sunsets over the marshes and don’t forget the graduated neutral density and polarizer filters. Since the best work is done around sunrise and sunset, a sturdy tripod is essential for this low-light work.
Bring plenty of your favorite film! During migration I usually shoot upwards of two rolls an hour during the most productive post-sunrise and pre-sunset periods. My favorite film for birds is Kodak E100SW and I use Velvia 50 or Velvia F100 for landscape work.
There is a small unimproved campground a mile west of the main entrance. The one time I stayed there I was bothered by a group of Great Bend teenagers out looking to create a disturbance. However, this campground, for those who hate rising any earlier than absolutely necessary, will allow fifteen to twenty minutes extra sleep in the morning. There are several reasonably-priced motels in Great Bend. Prairie storms can be a concern and violent weather will dictate the need to find shelter as the flat expanses of the marsh offer none and a human being in a vehicle is a high-profile target for lightning. Late spring and early summer especially call for attention to weather conditions and the rapid formation of severe storms.
About a half hour to the south lies another outstanding marsh complex, the Quivira
National Wildlife Refuge. Quivira will be the subject of a future column and
can easily be paired with Cheyenne Bottoms on a long-weekend shoot basing out
of Great Bend
Cheyenne Bottoms will be the location of my Fall 2003 Field Workshop. Please see my workshops page for more information
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