Help!

[Seanbirds]

Dad said that for my birthday he would take me some place special to do some birding. I’m in a conundrum because I don’t want to go to just any nearby spot like Slate Creek Wetlands that I have access to at any time, but at the same time I’m having trouble trying to find really good spots that aren’t in my immediate area or too far away (I’m guessing 2&1/2 hours max). 
 

Anybody have any good (or bad) Ideas? @kansabirdguy

[kansabirdguy]

QNWR is only about an hour and a half away for you. would Cheney Reservoir be a good spot? 

[kansabirdguy]

https://stepoutside.org/wichita-ks/bird-watching/

[Seanbirds]

12 hours ago, kansabirdguy said:

QNWR is only about an hour and a half away for you. would Cheney Reservoir be a good spot? 

I know, but I go to Quivira regularly (usually twice a year), and I’m not really sure that I want to go to Cheney. It seems like another one of those places I can arrange a day trip for anytime.

[kansabirdguy]

11 hours ago, Seanbirds said:

I know, but I go to Quivira regularly (usually twice a year), and I’m not really sure that I want to go to Cheney. It seems like another one of those places I can arrange a day trip for anytime.

how about the tallgrass prairie preserve?

 

[Seanbirds]

53 minutes ago, kansabirdguy said:

how about the tallgrass prairie preserve?

 

Yes, I’ll check that out and/or Fall River SP. Thanks!

[Clip]

On 10/3/2021 at 8:15 PM, Seanbirds said:

Dad said that for my birthday he would take me some place special to do some birding. I’m in a conundrum because I don’t want to go to just any nearby spot like Slate Creek Wetlands that I have access to at any time, but at the same time I’m having trouble trying to find really good spots that aren’t in my immediate area or too far away (I’m guessing 2&1/2 hours max). 
 

Anybody have any good (or bad) Ideas? @kansabirdguy

Where are you? What County? Isn't there at least one other hotspot near Quivira? I want to sat Cheyenne Bottoms but it has been along time so I could be wrong. What birds do you most want to find? Quivira during migration should be awesome.

[Seanbirds]

3 hours ago, Clip said:

Where are you? What County? Isn't there at least one other hotspot near Quivira? I want to sat Cheyenne Bottoms but it has been along time so I could be wrong. What birds do you most want to find? Quivira during migration should be awesome.

I live in Sumner County, so I’m not very close to Quivira at all and Cheyenne Bottoms is even further. I guess I was thinking more east and/or south. I REALLY want to go to Marais des Cygnes NWR sometime, but for this trip it’s a tad too far. 
 

You bet Quivira during migration is awesome! The fact is though, we’re kinda between migration phases in October. It’s usually this way here:

Very late August - mid September: Warblers, Vireos, Flycatchers, Swallows,  Thrushes, Cardinalids, summer Raptors, most Shorebirds, Terns and most Herons.

Late October - mid November: Waterfowl, Snipes, Cranes, Sparrows, winter Raptors, Grebes, Loons, Gulls, Larks, grassland Wrens, Kinglets, Pipits, Longspurs and Finches.