Returning to Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area this morning, a friend and I found that the autumn waterfowl migration is still on hold. Canada geese and blue-winged teal, both in modest numbers, were the only representatives.
On the other hand, raptor viewing was fairly good; three bald eagles, an osprey, a northern harrier, an American kestrel and a peregrine falcon were observed on the floodplain though the more common red-tailed hawks did not make an appearance. Once again, turkey vultures and red-winged blackbirds dominated the scene and shorebirds were limited to killdeer and a distant flock of unidentified sandpipers.
Peregrine falcons often migrate southward with the waterfowl and shorebird flocks and, we can hope, this morning's visitor might be a sign that the autumn migration may soon accelerate. For now, we'll enjoy watching the aerial hunters.
