Watchable Wildlife

BALD EAGLES begin to arrive at Milford Lake around November and usually stay until April. Severe winter weather up north pushes the birds south as they look for open water to fish from. These wintertime visitors to Kansas can be seen all around the lake. Watch for them soaring above the lake and dam area, or sitting in the tall cottonwood trees along the lakeshore. As the lake begins to freeze over, the eagles will concentrate around the moving waters at the outlet channel, and the small patches of water kept open by the ducks and geese. Don’t be surprised to see eagles sitting on the ice, watching the ducks and geese or feeding on frozen fish in the ice. Every year in mid January the Corps of Engineers and the Milford Nature Center offer an Eagle Days program. For more information about this program, please contact us.

ELK, once a native Kansas species, have been reintroduced on the Fort Riley Reservation. Beginning in 1986 and with five supplemental stockings, Fort Riley now has the largest free ranging herd in Kansas. In the spring during the early evening hours watch for them feeding on wheat fields around the Timber Creek area and along Highways 82 and 77.

PELICANS migrate through the lake area twice a year. Although a few become summertime residents, the large migrations occur in the early spring and fall. Watch for them flying in formation or soaring in-groups. As they turn away from the sun they almost disappear. Then watch for the brilliant white flash as they turn back into the sun.

GREAT BLUE HERONS are a common sight, stalking their next meal from the shallow waters. On occasion a lone American egret can be spotted, mixed in with the blues. Look for the great blue heron rookery along Rush Creek just off of U.S. Highway 77. The large birds usually return to this nesting area during the final weeks of winter. The smaller green heron may be spotted in the wetland areas located at the northern end of the lake.

WETLANDS are located at the upper end of the lake and encompass about 2300 acres. the Steve Lloyd Refuge offers a viewing area where many shorebirds and waterfowl can be seen. For a list of rare bird sightings at Milford Lake and elsewhere in Kansas, see the Kansas Ornithological Society.

For a map and more information, you can click here, Milford Lake Fish and Wildlife Resources.