Though we associate autumn with sunny skies and dry air, low clouds and rain greeted us at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area this morning. Facing poor conditions for birding, we toured the floodplain anyway, knowing that most songbirds would be undercover and out of sight.
We did encounter a fair number of blue-winged teal and a small flock of northern shovelers. Nineteen pied-billed grebes were scattered along the central channel and a pair of American coot mingled with the ducks. Six great blue herons, always stoic, stood along the soggy shorelines while two loners, an osprey and a belted kingfisher, did their part to reward our visit.
Due to the weather, our total species count was less than half of what we would generally expect in late September. Nevertheless, a morning at this fabulous refuge is always a delight; if nothing else, the rain made it look like a vast wetland, an image that has been lost to cultivation in recent years.
