One of my favorite places in all of Missouri, Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area stretches along the Missouri River floodplain, southwest of Columbia. A mosaic of ponds, wetlands, crop fields and bottomland forest, the refuge is accessed by a network of gravel roads and foot trails. March, the peak month of the spring waterfowl migration, is an excellent time to visit this preserve.
After weeks of cold weather, many of the ponds remained frozen this morning but there was enough open water to attract an excellent variety of waterfowl. Canada geese and mallards dominated the scene but there were also good numbers of pintail, shovelers, gadwall, green-winged teal, lesser scaup and American coot. Huge flocks of red-winged blackbirds roamed the crop fields where red-tailed hawks and northern harriers hunted for mice. As the refuge name would indicate, I also saw a half-dozen bald eagles during my visit.
But migrant flocks of snow geese were the highlight of my day. Though few stopped at Eagle Bluffs, waves of these vocal travelers passed overhead throughout the morning, moving northward along the Missouri River Valley. While I see them every year, they never fail to stir my soul.
