Canada geese with young may be seen as early as late April, and some duck broods in late May. Pheasants and sharp-tailed grouse begin courtship antics. By June all birds that will nest at Benton Lake have arrived. Broods of ducks become a common sight and the refuge is one of the best places in the country to see them in large numbers. Colonial nesting birds like eared grebes and Franklin's gulls are raising their young and a lot of racket. Songbirds are busy raising their young and if you're lucky, you may see burrowing owls which nest on the refuge in limited numbers.
Shorebird numbers peak once again during the early fall migrations.
Large concentrations of raptors appear, most notably Swainson's hawks. Bald eagles are most commonly seen at this time, especially mid to late October and early November. Several thousand tundra swans mark the beginning of the end of migration. Refuge grasslands take on their subtle, but beautiful, fall colors. Great horned owls often move into shelterbelts in winter.