A friend and I took advantage of the "birding window" at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area this afternoon. During our limited tour, we were pleased to find that most of the refuge has been re-flooded but were dismayed by the small number and variety of waterfowl.
Indeed, during our one-hour visit, we saw only 30 mallards, a couple of dozen American coot, a handful of ruddy ducks, five pied-billed grebes and a few green-winged teal. Other sightings included an immature bald eagle, a Cooper's hawk and a lone great blue heron.
I suspect the weather has been too warm up north to encourage waterfowl to migrate southward; even American white pelicans and double-crested cormorants seem to be resisting the urge to travel. We plan to check the refuge weekly and I will report on our observations.
