Freezing temperatures and snow finally pushed thousands of snow geese south last week into wildlife refuges along the Missouri River in Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri.

 More than 30,000 snow geese arrived at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge near Missouri Valley, Iowa,   over the last several days, said deputy refuge manager Mindy Sheets.

“Yes, we finally got some in. They started coming in Wednesday and Thursday … We hope we get more,” she said.

Squaw Creek National  Wildlife Refuge near Mound City, Mo., reported about 50,000 snow geese last week.

“We’d like to see 200,000 to 300,000,” said refuge employee Jim  Broker.

Bald eagles were reported at both refuges. Squaw Creek had 60 to 70  and DeSoto about 15. Bald eagles follow the  snow geese as they fly  south and feed on old, weak or injured birds.

Thousands of snow geese also have been spotted in the Rainwater Basin, which covers a 17-county area in southeast and south-central Nebraska.

This year’s annual snow geese migration is later than usual because of warm weather conditions up north, Sheets said. A snowstorm that swept across the Dakotas and other northern states last week drove the snow geese farther south.

   Sheets said snow geese can tolerate cold temperatures well but need snow-free ground to find food and open water to rest. She said more snow could shorten their stay here. The refuge already has about 5 inches of snow on the ground.

“It totally depends on our weather. If  our lake freezes up and there is a lot of snow on the ground and they can’t find food — they will push south,” Sheets said.

In a good year, DeSoto attracts about 500,000 snow geese and other migratory fowl. Sheets doesn’t expect the numbers to get that high this  year due to the late migration. But you never know. She said birds have stayed as late as January if conditions are good.

“This  is Mother Nature. No one can predict her,” she said.

Reach Algis J. Laukaitis at 473-7243 or alaukaitis@journalstar.com.