Following the first major Arctic blast of the season, I observed multiple flocks of snow geese at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area this morning. During my brief visit, at least 850 of those inspiring travelers passed above the refuge, their distinctive calls ringing from the low, gray overcast.
Other sightings of note included 30 greater white-fronted geese, five canvasbacks, fifteen pied-billed grebes, two pair of ruddy ducks and large flocks of American coot, significantly increased over the past few days. But it was the appearance of snow geese that made my morning; a few weeks ahead of schedule, they were clearly driven south by the polar air mass that has spread across most of the Western and Central U.S.
No doubt, many more geese, swans and ducks will follow in their wake and Eagle Bluffs will soon take on its late autumn grandeur. Since I will be returning to Colorado, I will miss that spectacle but feel fortunate to have encountered the snows on this cold, October morning.
