I lost two dear friends this past week. Lily Akings, wife of Dean, and mother of Randy and Missy- left this earth too soon.  Jimmy New, one of the first biologists at the Cheyenne Bottoms and an icon in the environmental and natural world spent his life protecting and promoting this planet and managing wastewater for big corporations. His impact will be known for eternity.  Judy—I am so sorry to lose Jimmy. Randy, Missy, and Dean— as Barton County health officer your mother and wife made Barton County and Great Bend a better place for all of us. She set a high mark on the health of our children and citizens. She will be missed by all of us. I honor the legacy of both these heroes as I grieve their passing.

One of the constants in our lives in Barton County is the Cheyenne Bottoms. This marsh has provided a resting and feeding place for millions of birds. Sherri Brantley is sponsoring a bill in the Kansas Legislature that will make it a historical site. I am so proud of her for doing that—I urge everyone to support and promote her efforts. I can’t imagine a world with the Bottoms, flyways, birds, and Quivira being exposed to any level of risk. 

Now for the fun stuff—some terrific common birds demand our attention and respect as they go about their daily business right under our noses! Curran and Henry have a grape jelly feeder on their back fence that attracts house finches and Baltimore Orioles. We had dinner and laughs in their backyard—and the birds entertained us throughout the burgers, beans, cole slaw, jalapenos, pasta salad, and ice cream! Here are a couple of those pictures. I got great pictures of orioles at Rick and Kim Tutaks’ home a few years ago. These birds are terrific! The Orchard Oriole is a cousin that seldom appears at feeders or in the city. They are definitely country birds!

You see barn swallows or one of their relatives every time you go under or over a bridge or underpass in Kansas. They swarm around their nests which they build under the bridges and overpasses. At the Bottoms, they prefer mud with sand embedded in it from the roadways as opposed to the bank of the marsh. I guess the sand or grit gives strength to the nests. I have spent a lot of time trying to get flying photographs of these little dive bombers. I’m still working on it.

One of the strange visitors we are seeing frequently is the Black-bellied whistling duck. I saw them in Texas down by Corpus. They sit on power lines, fences, and rooftops. They are beautiful and tolerate people much better than most waterfowl. One of the more elegant ducks becoming fairly common in our area is their trend.

A common chirping expert is the Dickcissel. They are about the size of a sparrow and look like a miniature Meadowlark. If you drive a mile of country road, and have your window down, you will hear about 10 of them along the way. They are so common that we become oblivious to their calls. They sing their hearts out and make Kansas a better place. One of the underrated singers!

I noticed that Lester Holt retired from the news business this week. His constant challenge at the end of his broadcasts rings true to me—’Take care of yourselves and each other” was his ending every time. I think that is a good idea!

Doc

Doctor Dan Witt is a retired physician and nature enthusiast. He can be reached at danwitt01@gmail.com.