Over the past few days, we have received a copious amount of rain in Columbia, thanks to a slow moving storm system that has pulled up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Since most of Missouri has been in a long term drought, the rain has been more than welcome.
During a break in the precipitation this morning, a friend and I visited Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area where the rain had significantly increased water levels; indeed, based on my past experience, they were above normal for early April. Once again, blue-winged teal dominated the floodplain but we were fortunate to encounter a female bufflehead, 75 pied-billed grebes (well above usual counts for that species), two bald eagles and the first scissor-tailed flycatcher of the season; 23 avian species were observed during our two hour visit.
Thunderstorms and heavy rain are forecast to return tonight as the next Pacific storm drops in from the Northern Plains and intermittent periods of rain are expected over the coming week. Perhaps our prolonged drought in central Missouri will finally be broken.
