I've been fascinated by waterfowl for most of my life. 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.
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. All rights reserved.