I left Kansas City at 5:30 a.m., aiming to reach Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge near Mound City, Missouri, as the sun came up. The drive north took just over an hour, and by the time I rolled down the gravel road into the refuge, the eastern sky had already started to glow.

My first stop was to check in on a bald eagle pair I’ve followed for several years. Their nest, a familiar silhouette high in the cottonwoods, held three eaglets—good sized and curious, visible through the tangled branches. One adult perched nearby, on alert but calm. Watching the next generation of eagles thrive is always a welcome reassurance.

I moved on along the auto loop and soon came across a Canada goose with goslings paddling quietly through the reeds. Further along, a female wood duck trailed a line of chicks through the shallows, darting beneath the cover of the marsh. Later in the morning, I was lucky enough to catch another female wood duck balancing on a limb nearly 30 feet above the ground. Her webbed feet, made for water, somehow managed to grip the branch.

Nearby, a small group of hooded mergansers worked the water’s edge, dipping and diving. A constant chorus of red-winged blackbirds rang out and great blue herons seemed to be everywhere, in the sky or hunting the marshes. Spring had settled into the refuge.

Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge encompasses over 7,400 acres of marshes, grassland, and woodlands along the Missouri River flyway. Formerly named Squaw Creek, the refuge sits within a rare loess hill formation—windblown silt deposits that support unique ecosystems. It’s a vital stopover for migratory birds and home to breeding species like bald eagles and wood ducks.

“Loess Bluffs provides a critical habitat for both migratory and resident birds,” said Paul McKenzie, a retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist, in a 2021 interview with the *St. Joseph News-Press*. “Without refuges like this, many bird populations would face even steeper declines.”

On a weekday morning in May, the refuge feels still, save for the birds. I drove slowly, windows down, camera ready. Most of the time, that’s all it takes—patience and quiet.

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Loess Bluffs NWR