CAMPFIRE CHAT
It is not very often that I have the difficulties getting photographs that I have had in the last two weeks. I have been attempting over the last two years to photograph mallards in the D'Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge. I generally set up in feeding grounds and wait during certain periods of the day until they show up. This year I have had limited success calling them in. However, this has truly been the hardest challenge that I have faced. Changing weather conditions, light, and water levels change the ducks habits as well as my ability to get up close. Over a 4 day period I set up makeshift blinds in 3 different locations. One morning I went in before daylight and got into one of the blinds only to find out that the water level had been dropped during the night. The refuge staff flooded an adjacent area and left me set up on a mud hole. I discovered this when the sun came up. Then rains up north plus local rains sent the levels back up and flooded all of my blinds. Now what? I waded in the water and sat on a makeshift chair in some tangled brush in an area I knew had ducks coming in. This failed also because the new water level opened up another feeding area further down the refuge and the main body moved leaving me high and dry with a handful of ducks. Now the weather had changed and it was too cloudy to even photograph them. When I photographed this pumped up mallard drake it reminded me that he had won a battle and was just flexing his muscles. When I finally get these ducks at the time and place I want you will see the photos on the front page and I will let you know that I finally won the war.
