Great Bend Post

GREAT BEND – The first day of winter is not officially until December 21, but Curtis Wolf the Director of the Kansas Wetland Education Center says they are definitely into their winter season at Cheyenne Bottoms.

Many of the birds have already passed through the area and migrated south, but for a lot of birds, the Bottoms are as far south as they go and bald eagles are back in the area.

“We are definitely seeing bald eagles around,” said Wolf.

“I was just south of the education center last week and saw six bald eagles perched in a tree. Between now and January 5 we expect to see a lot more eagles.”

The bald eagles are not simply in Central Kansas for viewing pleasure, they are here on business.

“They watch the ducks and geese in the area and follow them,” explained Wolfe. “With all those bird around some will be sick and die and the eagle know they can get an easy meal. If the bodies of water at Cheyenne Bottoms freeze over and the geese decide to head south, the eagles will follow”, said Wolf.