Personal Account
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In the cold predawn, dark shapes roar through the still air and crash through skim ice. As the sun nears the horizon the silhouettes in the water begin to show color. The birds are Ring-necked Ducks and, from your blind, you can now see that there are five drakes vying for the attention of a single hen. They purr and bob their heads as they glide past you fifteen feet away. More birds land in the open water: Black Ducks, American Wigeon, a pair of Gadwalls. From behind you comes the cricket like peeping of Green-winged Teal and a small flock splashes in and disappears in the cattails. Dawn in a marsh teeming with waterfowl is what I live for and I try to experience it as often as possible. I've been fascinated by waterfowl for most of my life. I've drawn, painted, carved and photographed them but mostly I've just watched. To me, being in a blind is the most rewarding way to view these birds. I use a small, portable blind for photographing waterfowl in the winter and early spring, and often have birds within a few feet of me. This is a lot of fun but also a lot of work, and birders certainly do not have to work very hard to see ducks, geese, and swans. |
In the cold predawn, dark shapes roar through the still air and crash through skim ice. |
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Waterfowl are among our most observable wildlife. The birds are very conspicuous during migration and on their wintering grounds. Many city parks attract them, and national wildlife refuges offer automobile tour loops, trails, and observation towers for viewing them. Spectacular concentrations of birds sometimes occur at these refuges. [ Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 ] |
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