On this sunny, cool morning at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, the water restoration continues to attract waterfowl, now dominated by green-winged teal and American coot. Other species included mallards, blue-winged teal, northern shovelers, gadwall and pied-billed grebes. A pair of double-crested cormorants were also encountered.
But the highlight of my visit was the number and variety of raptors, represented by two bald eagles (one adult and one immature), two red-shouldered hawks, a female northern harrier, a sharp-shinned hawk, a red-tailed hawk, two American kestrels and a merlin. While the cool air and expanding waterfowl population may have played a role, one suspects that the increasing water cover is flushing prey (mice, voles, cottontails) into the open, attracting the aerial hunters.
Whatever the reason, it was good to see that this floodplain refuge is gradually reclaiming its past glory, augmenting the diversity of its wild residents and visitors.
