BYOC (bring your own comfort)
A piece of exercise mat to sit on and keep your butt warm and dry
A stuffed back pack to lean against. This is much more comfortable
than trying to sit up or lean against boulders.
An old white sheet, or piece of sheet to cover your legs all the way up
to your waist. If your lower extremities are covered you are less of a threat.
Bring a thermos of hot coffee and lots of food.
Insulated pants and/or long underwear.
Wool socks and boots.
A hoodie and a hooded parka.
Gloves inside mitts than can be quickly removed when something comes by.
A good imagination to keep you entertained until the visitors cruise by.
Once you photograph ducks, merganser and grebe you will learn how to ID
them when you off-load and process. After a while you can recognize them
from afar. Pick calm days because the wind is worse than the cold. Even if
winds are light, choose a station that provides a little protection, as close
to the water as possible. Keep the light behind you and compensate to the
right of center because the bright water will fool your light meter, especially
on overcast days, which offer the best light anyway. If the ducks scatter when
you arrive, just make yourself comfortable, remain motionless under your sheet
with your upper body against the dark boulders behind you and then wait. THEY
WILL BE BACK!
Although we are fortunate to get winter water fowl, there are not so many species
that learning them is overwhelming. The main actors for diving ducks include: Greater
Scaup (gender dimorphism), Common Goldeneye, Red-headed, Bufflehead, and Longtails.
The main merganser are Common and Red-breasted. Of course, finding that Common Eider,
or a King Eider is not a certainty but the rest are very likely to be located. Harlequin close
enough to photograph is also tough but then you are now a long-lenser and light is seldom
a problem in winter ,,, over water.
