I had a wonderful photo opportunity a couple months ago. As the ice melted on the Methow River, many species of ducks came into the area. They all seemed to prefer to be at the edge of the ice. The specific location would change each day as the ice receded rapidly. Fortunately, I found a protected cove which was out of the current and out of the wind. The ice in the cove persisted for about a week and a half after all the ice in the main channel had gone. These conditions concentrated the birds, as they all wanted to be right on the edge of the ice, and there was only this one area of ice left.
I made a very makeshift blind. I bought a metal sawhorse from Home Depot, to which I affixed a 2' by 4' piece of white foam insulation. I figured the white would blend into the remaining ice. I then cut a hole in the foam big enough for my lens to poke thru. I set this contraption up on the ice which was closest to (and still somewhat connected to) shore. I found a few chunks of ice which I pulled up out of the water, and I stacked them to the sides of the sawhorse/foam contraption. This helped to conceal me a little better from the side angles. I set a tarp and a piece of trash-picked bubble wrap on the ice - laying on this kept me from losing body heat to the ice below.
I laid behind the blind for days, watching the ducks out in front of me as they swam and dove in and around the ice. I would wait for them to get close, and them follow them with my lens, waiting for the light to hit them just right or for some interesting behavior. The ducks seemed to be very comfortable with the blind - in fact, several times they came in to rest or feed so close that my lens would not even focus on them!
I had the time of my life, despite the cold and the cramped position. I can't wait to do it all over again next spring! Here are a few of the many images I took during this special time:
