The Buck and Katy Pools of Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area lie separate from the major portion of the refuge. This annex, of sorts, is just south of McBaine, bordered by the Perche Creek levee, to the west, and the Katy Trail levee, to the east. A mosaic of fields, cropland and shallow pools, it is accessed by a graveled loop road, approximately 1.5 miles in length. The forested bluffs of the Missouri River Valley rise to the east while floodplain woodlands encircle most of the refuge.
Used more by duck hunters than birdwatchers, this area of the Conservation Area is certainly less spectacular than the main portion but, on the other hand, does not receive the dust spewing traffic. Indeed, when not open to the hunters, it is a pleasant destination for "sky watching" as migrant flocks of geese, pelicans, ducks and hawks move above the Valley. If pools and mudflats have expanded across the area, it can also be excellent for waterfowl and shorebird watching.
On this bright, mild, April afternoon, hundreds of blue-winged teal dominated the scene, joined by a few green-winged teal and a lone pied-billed grebe; once again, shorebirds were nearly absent, represented by only a trio of greater yellowlegs. Flocks of turkey vultures soared along the bluffs, a single red-tailed hawk patrolled the floodplain, barn and tree swallows strafed the pools and the first fish crows of the season (at least for me) squawked from the adjacent trees. I was the only human visitor.
