The water gods at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area have opened some of the distribution valves and shallow water now covers a mix of pools and side channels. While the watery landscape is especially welcomed by birders after a hot, dry summer, the early avian migrants have not yet responded to the changing habitat.
Indeed, on this cloudy, mild morning in Central Missouri, birds remained relatively inconspicuous at the floodplain refuge. Thirteen great blue herons stalked the shallows but I did not encounter a single shorebird on the flooded fields; neither were egrets present this morning. On the other hand, I did observe a small flock of blue-winged teal, the first I have seen this season and soon to expand to hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals.
We birders are often impatient when it comes to seasonal change but the movements of our quarry are unaffected by our expectations. In this case, the habitat must prove to be inviting; first the water, then the rewards of their presence.
