Hoping to encourage my middle grandson's interest in nature, I took him down to Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area this morning. Despite the mild, sunny weather, that decision was not well timed.
During our one-hour visit, we saw dozens of turkey vultures and great egrets but not much else. He did spot a few "small bluebirds" (indigo buntings) along the road, we discovered a lone cormorant in the central channel and found a snowy egret among its numerous, larger cousins. But widespread dryness limited activity at the floodplain refuge and he fell asleep before we completed the tour; I might have done the same if I wasn't driving!
Nevertheless, the attempt was worthwhile and will definitely be repeated once the autumn migration intensifies. Then, when flocks of waterfowl, pelicans, cormorants and shorebirds pass through the Missouri River Valley, attracting a diverse assembly of raptors, he will surely be impressed (and hopefully enthused).
