After easing my way through a jamboree of dove hunters that lined the entry road, I entered Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area and found that the floodplain refuge had finally reached its nadir. The long, hot, dry summer had taken its toll and, like many humans, the renowned preserve appeared to be exhausted.
Bird activity had reached its lowest point and even common species were not well represented; during my visit, I encountered only two vultures, six great egrets and fourteen great blue herons, among an unimpressive mix of summer and permanent residents. Indigo buntings were the only songbirds that seemed unfazed by the brutal summer.
On the positive side, I did observe a sharp-shinned hawk and three bald eagles (an adult and two immature). Refuge personnel are finally reflooding some of the pools (just in time for the teal hunters) and a few large flocks of Canada geese, honking their way across the refuge, offered a welcome omen of the autumn spectacles soon to unfold.
