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Phenology

Killdeer nest 512Phenology is the study of cyclical biological events, such as flowering, breeding, and migration, in relation to climatic conditions.

First of Season Bird Observations

The following table lists the dates for the first sighting of the season for migrants.

 

 Species  Date 
Spring 2012   
White Pelican, Lesser Yellowlegs February 18
Baird's Sandpiper February 22
Northern Shoveler, Cinnamon Teal, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, American Coot February 26
Greater Yellowlegs March 1
Wood Duck March 9
Vesper Sparrow, Blue-winged Teal March 11
Double-crested Cormorant, Long-billed Dowitcher, Eastern Phoebe March 15
Whooping Crane, Lark Bunting March 16
American Golden Plover March 25
Say's Phoebe, Tree Swallow, Belted Kingfisher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Wilson's Snipe March 25
American Avocet March 27
Black-necked Stilt, Franklin's Gull, Eared Grebe, Snowy Plover March 29
Turkey Vulture March 30
Pied-billed Grebe, Pectoral Sandpiper, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Lark Sparrow April 1
Chipping Sparrow April 3
Barn Swallow, Cliff Swallow April 4
Great Egret, American Bittern April 5
Yellow-headed Blackbird, Brown Thrasher April 6
Swainson's Hawk April 7
Blue Jay, Upland Sandpiper, Cattle Egret, Hermit Thrush April 8
Hudsonian Godwit, Marbled Godwit, Forsters Tern April 11
White-faced Ibis, Semipalmated Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Snowy Egret April 13
House Wren, Common Yellowthroat April 14
Western Kingbird, Eastern Kingbird April 18
Willet, Red-headed Woodpecker April 19
Bank Swallow April 20
Whimbrel, Spotted Towhee April 21
Solitary Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper April 22
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher      April 23
Great Crested Flycatcher, Baltimore Oriole April 25
Gray Catbird April 27
N. Rough-winged Swallow, Warbling Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Grasshopper Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak April 28
Orchard Oriole, Chimney Swift, Empid, sp. flycatcher, Bell's Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo April 29
Black Rail May 1
Indigo Bunting, Eastern Wood Pewee May 3
Swainson's Thrush, Dickcissel May 4
Whimbrel, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Northern Waterthrush, Bobolink May 5
Western Sandpiper, Blackpoll Warbler May 6
Mississippi Kite May 10
Black-bellied Plover, Common Nighthawk May 12
American Redstart, Wilson's May 13
Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Black Tern May 15
Red-necked Phalarope May 20
Green Heron May 28
Fall 2012   
Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Western Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Willet, Marbled Godwit June 29
Semipalmated Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher July 2
Least Sandpiper July 3
Spotted Sandpiper, White-faced Ibis July 6
Wilson's Phalarope, Baird's Sandpiper, American Coot July 8
Pectoral Sandpiper July 15
Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, Black-bellied Plover July 16
Pied-billed Grebe, Prairie Falcon, Empid sp. flycatcher August 5
Lark Bunting August 13
Northern Harrier August 17
Canada Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler August 19
Peregrine Falcon, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Wilson's Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Lazuli Bunting August 26
Solitary Sandpiper, Wilson's Snipe August 27
Green-winged Teal, Olive-sided Flycatcher September 1
Red-necked Phalarope September 3
Green Heron September 6
American Coot, Nashville Warbler September 9
Cinnamon Teal, Osprey September 13
Say's Phoebe September 14
Spotted Towhee, Lincoln's Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird September 16
Vesper Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco September 18
Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler September 20
Pine Siskin September 22
American Pipit September 27
Bald Eagle, Red-breasted Nuthatch September 28
American Wigeon, White-throated Sparrow September 30
Greater White-fronted Goose, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Harris' Sparrow October 8
Sandhill Crane, Le Conte's Sparrow October 10
Double-crested Cormorant, Fox Sparrow October 14
Rough-legged Hawk, Brewer's Blackbird October 21
Cackling Goose, Ring-necked Duck, Merlin, Herring Gull, American Tree Sparrow October 26
Mountain Bluebird October 27
Ross' Goose October 28
Whooping Crane November 1
Northern Shrike, Sedge Wren November 4
Lapland Longspur November 9
Bufflehead November 12
Hooded Merganser November 14
Common Merganser December 15
Spring 2013   
American White Pelican January 22
Swan, sp., Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Bufflehead, Greater Yellowlegs February 10
Blue Jay February 11
Northern Shoveler, Killdeer, American Coot, Belted Kingfisher February 17
Mourning Dove February 22
American Wigeon, Redhead February 24
Canvasback, Ruddy Duck March 3
Double-crested Cormorant March 7
Wood Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Lesser Scaup, Lesser Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher, Eastern Phoebe March 8
Baird's Sandpiper March 14
Tree Swallow March 15
Least Sandpiper March 16
Wilson's Snipe March 18
Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Eared Grebe March 22
American Pipit March 24
Turkey Vulture, Say's Phoebe March 27
Snowy Plover, American Avocet, Upland Sandpiper March 28
Black-necked Stilt March 29
Franklin's Gull, Cliff Swallow, Vesper Sparrow March 30
Hudsonian Godwit, Marbled Godwit, Pectoral Sandpiper, Barn Swallow March 31
Chipping Sparrow April 1
Spotted Sandpiper, Swainson's Hawk April 4
Yellow-headed Blackbird April 6
Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret April 9
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Lincoln's Sparrow April 12
Pied-billed Grebe, White-faced Ibis, Peregrine Falcon, Long-billed Curlew, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher April 13
American Bittern, House Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Orange-crowned Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler April 14
Sora, Stilt Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover April 19
Solitary Sandpiper, Forster's Tern, Blue-headed Vireo April 20
Great Egret, Black-bellied Plover, Western Kingbird, Eastern Kingbird, Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroat April 21
Clay-colored Sparrow April 22
Gray Catbird April 27
Black-crowned Night Heron April 28
Great Crested Flycatcher, Grasshopper Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole April 29
Western Grebe, Western Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Bank Swallow, Sprague's Pipit, Yellow Warbler, Dickcissel April 30
Red-headed Woodpecker, Warbling Vireo May 1
Green Heron, Blue Grosbeak May 3
Empid, sp. flycatcher May 4
Olive-sided Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Swainson's Thrush, Orchard Oriole May 5
Bell's Vireo May 6
Least Flycatcher, American Redstart, Black-and-white Warbler May 10
Least Tern May 14
Indigo Bunting May 17


 

Phenology Events 

 

 Regal Fritillary 448 

 Regal Fritillary, a prairie species found at Quivira in early summer.
 

Check this table to get a glimpse of the always-changing environment that is Quivira.

 

Date         Event 
October 7, 2012 First temperature below freezing this fall (25)
October 10 First flocks of Sandhill Cranes moving through the refuge area
October 14 Rattlesnake Creek began flowing east towards Little Salt Marsh; about half of the area Cottonwood trees have turned a brilliant yellow fall color
October 18 Severe winds all day (35-40+ mph sustained); visibility less than a mile due to dust
October 19 Water began reaching Little Salt Marsh via Rattlesnake Creek
October 26-27 Hard freeze/frost, low reaching 20 degrees
November 7-10 Large push of Sandhill Cranes through the area, with upwards of 40,000 or more at Quivira during this period
November 10 Severe thunderstorm moved through evening hours, with hail in some areas of the Refuge; at least 50 Sandhill Cranes killed or injured in the Big Salt Marsh area
November 16 about 35% of Little Salt Marsh with water on surface; sheet surface water flow in the northwest corner of Big Salt Marsh starting to be very noticeable
December 1 Henbit seen in bloom along roadside in the Big Salt Marsh area
December 2 Nearly two weeks of mostly above-normal high temperatures (in the 50s and 60s) and still continuing
December 3 Sheet surface water flow in northwest Big Salt Marsh has increased to cover the surface of most of the northwest corner of BSM; flow is mostly to the south, quickly starting to fill the north and center of the main pool
December 10 First single-digit temperature (5)
December 21 Most water areas frozen
December 31 - January 1, 2013 Snow storm in area; Refuge received 2-3 inches of snow
January 11 Previous snow pack, 3/4 inch of rain, and increased surface sheet flow in the Big Salt Marsh area resulted in shallow water over a large percentage of the flats north of NE 170th, including North Lake
January 15 Cardinal heard singing several times for the first time this season
February 12 Eastern Bluebird heard singing near Headquarters
February 16 first butterfly seen (Checkered White); Eastern Bluebird observed checking nest hole in tree
February 17 first 70-degree day of year (70); first Mourning Cloak butterfly seen
February 20-21 snowstorm with approximately 12 inches of snow
February 24-25 another snowstorm, approximately 7-8 inches of additional snow
March 7 Silver Maple flowers blooming
March 9 Tiger Salamander observed on east boundary by visitors
March 10 morning dusting of snow
March 11 honeybees feeding on Silver Maple blossoms
March 15 first 80 degree temperature of year (86); red-eared slider turtles observed at Kids' Fishing Pond; Eastern Redcedar trees at peak of pollination
March 23-4 Approx. 5 inches of snow fell, much of it melted on the 24th
March 29 Activity at Bald Eagle nest suggests hatched young; Henbit in bloom
March 30 Chorus Frogs heard calling northwest of Big Salt Marsh
March 31 Flower buds on Sand Plum swelled and almost ready to open
April 8 Sand Plum blooming, about 20% flowers open; some Cottonwood flower buds opening
April 9 Storm struck Quivira in the evening, with hail, sleet, hard rain, and freezing rain; hail (mostly pea-sized) covered ground like snow
April 14 Musk Turtles seen on refuge roads; male Cottonwoods about 30-40% blooming
April 19 Hard freeze, low of 27
April 22-3 Overnight storm brought snow, freezing, rain, and hail; accumulation of about an inch; hard freeze overnight, low of 24 degrees
May 1-2 Overnight storm brought 1.5 inches (or more) of rain, and even some snow the next morning (which did not stick)
May 2 Wild Turkey nest found with 12 eggs
May 3 Light frost in the morning (low of 30)
May 9 Goose hatchlings seen for the first time (Unit 28)
May 10 Goose hatchlings seen at the Kids' Fishing Pond
May 11 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher observed building nest in Catalpa Grove
May 14 First day with a 90-degree temperature (92)
May 18 Northern Cardinal nest with eggs found in Turkey Grove
May 19 Mourning Dove nest with eggs found in Unit 28


 

 

Last Updated: May 20, 2013
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