During March and April, over 200,000 ducks and geese will stop by. Also, you can see many shorebirds, American white pelican, gulls and other migrants. In the late spring and summer, you can see the snowy plovers, American avocets, black necked stilts and white faced ibis.

On the north end of Quivira is a nesting habitat for the endangered interior least tern. You will also see Northern harriers, American kestrels and red tailed hawks. If you look closely, you may catch a glimpse of a ring necked pheasant or a bob white quail in the grasslands. wild turkeys can be seen at the edge or tree groves.

I had heard that there were two major migrations...one in the spring and one in the fall. They say that the spring is the best time to visit. In April and May is when the endangered whooping crane flies through. You have to be pretty lucky to catch them in the spring, since they only will stay a day or two. They will migrate through again in the fall, and will stay for a couple weeks. This is the best time to see the cranes.

In the fall, up to 800,000 Canada geese and ducks will pass through on their way to their wintering grounds in the south. You can also see the sandhill cranes and other migratory birds and shorebirds. In the winter, you can see the bald and golden eagles. Many will winter here from November through March.

In all, spring and fall are the best seasons to visit, since you can see so many birds during the migrations. The best time of day is early or late in the day...but I found there was no lack of wildlife at any time, on my all day trip. We also drove around more than just the marshes...and counted over 100 deer, raccoons, crawdads, snapping turtles and other wildlife.

If you stop by the welcome center, they offer a bunch of literature on the refuge. My favorite is their bird list. It is one of the best put together, and informational lists I have seen. It will tell you about the refuge, the migrations and will tell you what birds to expect to see, at what times of the year. I used this list, along with my Sibley bird book to identify all the birds I saw.

We started out on the south end by the welcome center and did a loop of the little salt marsh. we did see quite a few varieties of birds...but nothing like we saw on the north side...or big salt marsh.  At first, we just drove around and I clicked photos as we were driving (don't worry....I was the passenger). Several times I got out of the vehicle to get a better angle for a photo. Most of the time, the birds, the birds "cooperated" and didn't fly away.

One of my favorite birds at the refuge were the snowy plovers. They would fly in front of the vehicle. When we would stop, they would land in front and walk. As soon as we started off...they would also. Always staying just in front of us.

We saw 2 raccoon's crossing the road behind us. I jumped out of the vehicle and started clicking photos. It wasn't until I was able to see the photos enlarged, that I realized that one the the raccoons had a bobbed tail.

There were several turtles and terrapins in the marshes. Most were sunning themselves on logs or the shore. As I was walking alongside the waterways, I notices several frogs, crawdads and even a giant snapping turtle. I also encountered a common garter snake sunning himself in the middle of the road. I feared the worst (that he got run over), and got out of the vehicle to check. He didn't move as I walked closer. It wasn't until I was about a foot away that he finally flicked his tongue out.

If you decide to go, I would suggest that you pack mosquito spray and sunscreen. Quivera is known for their ability to grow large mosquito's. Also, pack your camera, binoculars and a bird book. Make time to stop by the welcome center to chat, look at their displays and pick up a bird list. I would plan for a half day trip at the very minimum. That would be driving the entire route at a slow speed, and not making any stops. I would suggest a whole day, or two mornings of evenings. You will just be amazed at the quantity and variety of the wildlife you will see here.

If you need a place to stay, I would recommend the Henderson House in Stafford, KS. Maria in a wonderful host, and will make you feel right at home. Her and Corky make the most scrumptious breakfasts. For places to eat, there is Joan's on the highway and the BBQ place on main street.