Suprise phone call leads to Spring photo shoot

by Lowell Washburn

The winter snows had melted. North Iowa ponds were thawing and the spring duck migration was gathering a full head of steam. I was contemplating where to go; how to “get out among ‘em” when my cell phone buzzed. It was fellow waterfowl enthusiast, Al Hancock.

 Al often calls with surprise photo tips, and today was no exception. While driving a country backroad, Hancock had discovered a rapidly thawing basin where the sheet water had absolutely come alive with northbound northern shovelers. Whether viewed at rest or on the wing, the northern shoveler is one of our most handsome spring migrants. Although they’re not noted for being particularly wary, the species often keeps to itself during spring migration. Al’s newly found hotspot sounded like an ideal location to observe and photograph a type of waterfowl that I haven’t spent much time with.
Later that night, I packed a small popup ground blind and rigged a set of six brand new shoveler decoys. Arriving at the pond well before sunrise, I quickly set the blind, threw out the decoys and settled in. But when dawn finally arrived; no ducks came with it. The night had been clear and starry; perhaps the birds had already decided to move on. I was becoming increasingly disappointed when, while looking in the opposite direction, I heard a distinctive splash on the water. The first drake shoveler had arrived. Swimming to the nearest - Read More Via e-Edition