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Mound City, Mo. – The 42nd annual Eagle Days on Dec. 4 at the Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge drew 1,200 visitors to see wetlands in autumn, waterfowl, and eagles. The event was hosted by the refuge and MDC with help from volunteers and conservation partners.
This year’s Eagle Days included a driving tour of the refuge with education stations along the route. Visitors were able to view waterfowl identification displays and look through spotting scopes trained on eagles in the wetlands. Virtual live eagle shows were hosted earlier by the Dickerson Park Zoo.
“Overall, the event went very well,” said Nicole Horne, visitor services specialist at the refuge. Horne added that volunteers contributed 350 hours in preparation for the event. Groups providing volunteers included the Missouri Master Naturalists, Audubon Society, Friends of Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, Missouri Western State University Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society, Remington Nature Center, and other refuge volunteers.
The refuge was teeming with wildlife during the event. A count by refuge staff on Dec. 6 showed about 88,000 snow geese, 2,566 trumpeter swans, 89,000 ducks, and 190 bald eagles.
For more information on Loess Bluffs, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zt2. MDC conservation areas also offer opportunities to view wildlife, visit mdc.mo.gov.
