Yesterday I noticed the skies were full of migrating snow geese. Today, I grabbed my camera and went to find them, as well as a few beautifully colored ducks passing through. See all the pictures and help identify everything!
I drove Missouri Highway 79 from Clarksville to Elsberry and found a few thousand snow geese in a field off 79 & Old Dameron Rd (gravel). I pulled in just before the noise of a nearby train flushed 1000 birds into the air. From the first frames I could tell it was going to be a good day for pictures.
I continued on Old Dameron and looped back around toward Elsberry where I got great close-ups of Mallard and Pintail. Then I headed north on Hwy 79 to Annada, Missouri and the Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge. I stopped at the visitor center to get the latest migratory info from the local rangers. Just by driving through the refuge, I was able to capture the great pictures of 100’s of ducks bursting from the managed fields. There were many different types of duck in the sky, and I even captured an eagle in their midst.
It was a great experience to see so many birds in the area. You can experience the same thing by making a day trip to your local wildlife refuge.
- Clarence Cannon NWR – Bird Counts (+2500 birds counted)
- Clarence Cannon Facebook
- Missouri Dept of Conservation
Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge
The 3,750-acre Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge is located in the floodplain of the Mississippi River, adjacent to Pool No. 25. The refuge’s diversity of habitats supports waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds, and songbirds. Although it is protected by a levee, the refuge provides flood storage in periods of high water.
Clarence Cannon Refuge is managed by Great River National Wildlife Refuge.
Getting There . . .
From St. Louis, take I-70 west to the Highway 79 exit. Take Highway 79 north approximately 35 miles to the town of Annada. In Annada, take County Road 206 east one mile to the refuge office.
Visit Clarksville, MO 