Just in time for the coming influx of migrant waterfowl (and those who hunt them), it appears that the water coverage at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area is gradually increasing. Nevertheless, a friend and I did not encounter a single goose or duck on our visit to the floodplain refuge this morning.
In fact, over an hour and a half, we saw only 10 avian species, dominated by red-winged blackbirds. Highlights included a sharp-shinned hawk and a great horned owl (photo). Waders were limited to a few great egrets and great blue herons; no shorebirds were observed.
Photo by Ken Ogawa
But a recovery is apparently underway and the expanding pools were a welcome sight, especially since a prolonged drought continues to grip Central Missouri. Following a return to Colorado, I'll report on the validity of my assumptions in a couple of weeks.
