Tours and Workshops

 

 

Waterfowl Ducks in Natural Habitat Northwest Ohio

Dates:  February through early April, call or email for availability.  419-261-1206  blzwiebel@aol.com

Fee: $250.00 per person includes one morning or afternoon session in the field.  A full day can be reserved for $450.00 with a break at mid day.

Deposit: $100

Target Group Size: 1-2 participants per session

From: Oregon, Ohio

Leader: Brian Zwiebel

Testimonials

 

Canada Goose Flight Wings Down Habitat Lucas Co OH March 2009 Northern Pintail Drake Bill Up Ohio March Gadwall Drake CattailsOhio April 2008 Gadwall Flock Breeding Display Flight Ohio March 2010 Common Merganser Drake Ohio March 2010 Common Merganser Display SplashLucas Co. Ohio February 2011 Common Merganser Elegant Landing Pose Ohio February 2011 Bufflehead Drake Gold BG Ohio April 2008 Bufflehead Hen Bow Wake Ohio April 2008 Blue-winged Teal OH April Blue-winged Teal Drake Flight Wings DownOhio March 2010 Blue-winged Teal Hen Lucas Co OH March 2007 American Wigeon DrakeOH March 2009 American Wigeon Drake Ohio April 2010 Canvasback Drake Ice Ohio March 2007 Canvasback Flock Landing Ohio March 2008 Green-winged Teal Flock Lucas Co OH March 2009 Ring-necked Duck Landing Ohio Ring-necked Duck Drake Head On Showing Ring OH Hooded Merganser Drake Ohio March 2010 Redhead Drake Landing Vertical OH Redhead Drake Flight OH April Blue-winged Teal Drake Lucas Co OH March 2007 Canada Goose Flight Wings Up Lucas Co OH March 2009 Tundra Swan Flight Ohio Canvasback Drakes Top Side Ohio March 2008 Canvasback Portrait Ohio March 2010 Commen Merganser Hen Ohio March 2010 Common Merganser Drakes Ohio March 2010 Common Merganser Female Wind Blown HairOhio March Common Merganser Male Flight Lucas Co. Ohio February 2011 Common Merganser Male Skidding Ohio February 2011 Common Merganser Male Smaller Ohio February 2011 Common Merganser MaleOhio February 2011 Common-Goldeneye-Drake-Leaning Common-Goldeneye-Drake-Ohio-March Gadwall Drake Landing Head On Ohio March 2010 Gadwall Drake Landing Ohio March 2008 Gadwall Drake Landing Wings BackOhio March 2008 Gadwalls Flight Calling Greater-Scaup-Drake-Bill-Tucked Greater-Scaup-Looking-Back Green-winged Teal Drake Flight OH March 2009 Green-winged Teal Side Lit OH March 2009 Lesser Scaup Drake Neck Ring Lesser Scaup Drake Ohio Lesser Scaup Hen Gold Ohio Lesser Scaup Hen Ohio March 2010 Mallard Pair Braking OH March 2007 Northern Pintail Drake Flight Ohio March Northern Pintail Drake Stretched Neck Ohio March Northern Pintail Drakes Chasing Hen Ohio March Northern Pintail Flock Gliding In Ohio March Northern Pintail Hen_Ohio March Northern Pintail Pair Flight Male Displaying Ohio March Northern Shoveler Drake Flight Ohio March 2010 Northern Shoveler Drake Orange Leg March Northern Shoveler Hen OH March Pintails In Flight OH March Redhead Courtship Ohio March 2010 Redhead Pair Flight Wings Down Ohio Ring-necked Duck Drake Flight Ohio RIng-necked Duck Drake Irridescence OH Ring-necked Duck Hen Flight Wing Down Ohio Trumpeter Swan Front View Vertical Ohio Trumpeter Swan Landing and Calling Ohio Trumpeter Swan Neck Vertical Ohio Pied-billed Grebe Calling Pied-billed Grebe American Coot Horizontal American Coot Neck Back Horizon
  • Canada Goose Flight Wings Down Habitat Lucas Co OH March 2009
  • Northern Pintail Drake Bill Up Ohio March
  • Gadwall Drake CattailsOhio April 2008
  • Gadwall Flock Breeding Display Flight Ohio March 2010
  • Common Merganser Drake Ohio March 2010
  • Common Merganser Display SplashLucas Co. Ohio February 2011
  • Common Merganser Elegant Landing Pose Ohio February 2011
  • Bufflehead Drake Gold BG Ohio April 2008
  • Bufflehead Hen Bow Wake Ohio April 2008
  • Blue-winged Teal OH April
  • Blue-winged Teal Drake Flight Wings DownOhio March 2010
  • Blue-winged Teal Hen Lucas Co OH March 2007
  • American Wigeon DrakeOH March 2009
  • American Wigeon Drake Ohio April 2010
  • Canvasback Drake Ice Ohio March 2007
  • Canvasback Flock Landing Ohio March 2008
  • Green-winged Teal Flock Lucas Co OH March 2009
  • Ring-necked Duck Landing Ohio
  • Ring-necked Duck Drake Head On Showing Ring OH
  • Hooded Merganser Drake Ohio March 2010
  • Redhead Drake Landing Vertical OH
  • Redhead Drake Flight OH April
  • Blue-winged Teal Drake Lucas Co OH March 2007
  • Canada Goose Flight Wings Up Lucas Co OH March 2009
  • Tundra Swan Flight Ohio
  • Canvasback Drakes Top Side Ohio March 2008
  • Canvasback Portrait Ohio March 2010
  • Commen Merganser Hen Ohio March 2010
  • Common Merganser Drakes Ohio March 2010
  • Common Merganser Female Wind Blown HairOhio March
  • Common Merganser Male Flight Lucas Co. Ohio February 2011
  • Common Merganser Male Skidding Ohio February 2011
  • Common Merganser Male Smaller Ohio February 2011
  • Common Merganser MaleOhio February 2011
  • Common-Goldeneye-Drake-Leaning
  • Common-Goldeneye-Drake-Ohio-March
  • Gadwall Drake Landing Head On Ohio March 2010
  • Gadwall Drake Landing Ohio March 2008
  • Gadwall Drake Landing Wings BackOhio March 2008
  • Gadwalls Flight Calling
  • Greater-Scaup-Drake-Bill-Tucked
  • Greater-Scaup-Looking-Back
  • Green-winged Teal Drake Flight OH March 2009
  • Green-winged Teal Side Lit OH March 2009
  • Lesser Scaup Drake Neck Ring
  • Lesser Scaup Drake Ohio
  • Lesser Scaup Hen Gold Ohio
  • Lesser Scaup Hen Ohio March 2010
  • Mallard Pair Braking OH March 2007
  • Northern Pintail Drake Flight Ohio March
  • Northern Pintail Drake Stretched Neck Ohio March
  • Northern Pintail Drakes Chasing Hen Ohio March
  • Northern Pintail Flock Gliding In Ohio March
  • Northern Pintail Hen_Ohio March
  • Northern Pintail Pair Flight Male Displaying Ohio March
  • Northern Shoveler Drake Flight Ohio March 2010
  • Northern Shoveler Drake Orange Leg March
  • Northern Shoveler Hen OH March
  • Pintails In Flight OH March
  • Redhead Courtship Ohio March 2010
  • Redhead Pair Flight Wings Down Ohio
  • Ring-necked Duck Drake Flight Ohio
  • RIng-necked Duck Drake Irridescence OH
  • Ring-necked Duck Hen Flight Wing Down Ohio
  • Trumpeter Swan Front View Vertical Ohio
  • Trumpeter Swan Landing and Calling Ohio
  • Trumpeter Swan Neck Vertical Ohio
  • Pied-billed Grebe Calling
  • Pied-billed Grebe
  • American Coot Horizontal
  • American Coot Neck Back Horizon
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Why join the Waterfowl in Natural Habitat Workshop?   Northwest Ohio is home to numerous waterfowl species during spring migration.  Participants will be led to the best locations on any given day to photograph waterfowl in the marshes and lakes of NW Ohio.  Make no mistake; this workshop is not about photographing birds in the sterile environments of your average duck pond or zoo.  It is about entering the birds’ natural environment and working hard to blend in with that environment to get close to normally wary species on their terms.  The inclusion of cattails and other marsh plants can add much to your compositions of wild waterfowl.

The sights and sounds of the marsh at pre-dawn are a spectacle to behold.   Geese, swans and ducks calling to announce their presence.  Wings whistle as divers glide in to settle on the water.  Slowly the scene begins to brighten and the visual over takes the other senses.  A variety of waterfowl will be seen swimming, flying, diving, feeding and displaying.

The leader will work extremely hard to get you into the right position to make the best images possible.  But this workshop is about more than getting close to your subject.   You will learn how to use the light and wind angles to your advantage.  You will learn how to transport your expensive camera gear in relative safety and gain the knowledge, experience and confidence to attempt this type of photography on your own.  Participants will learn techniques to successfully capture action images as well as see first-hand the benefits of water level shooting for capturing intimate portraits of the ducks in their natural habitat.

Travel considerations: From Oregon, Ohio

Equipment:  Bring your longest telephoto lens and matching teleconverters for this workshop.  A 400mm lens will be enough length for some opportunities but a 500mm or greater will offer more frame filling opportunities.  Bring your tripod, hand holding is really not a viable option as there may be no place to set your lens down for a rest.  Chest waders are mandatory for this workshop as we enter the water to join the ducks in their domain.   A shorter lens may come in handy for silhouetted flock in flight shots in the pre-dawn or for shooting marsh scenes to fully document your outing.  

Insurance:  As a matter of course everyone should consider insuring their valuable photographic equipment.   This goes doubly so for anyone who works in and around water with their gear.  I have never had a major incident while working in the water but I have dropped a cell phone and had a close call or two with a teleconverter.  Rand Insurance has a reasonable plan for NANPA members, check the benefits page.

Physical Activity Requirements: Strenuous activity will be mostly unavoidable.  Wading in thigh to waist deep water with thick mud under foot is very tiring, aerobic fitness is desired for this type of activity.    Some situations may require departing a small boat onto a rocky shoreline but will require little additional walking.  Being nimble on your feet is a big plus for this type of outing.    If you have knee or back problems, or otherwise have difficulty with off-trail walking while carrying your camera equipment, then this workshop may not be for you.   Do inquire about the availability of lower exertion options.  Getting up early enough to be in the marsh well before sunrise, can be tiring in and of itself.   With the added strains of cold water and heavy exertion this workshop can take a toll.

Likely Species on the NW Ohio Waterfowl Workshop – Special effort will be made to seek out the species you most desire.

Detailed Itinerary will be provided upon further request or upon confirming a reservation.  Do communicate any specific wishes or goals you may have.  The timing of your workshop will determine what species and locations are most readily accessible.

Click here to download the Registration and Terms and Conditions Forms.

The deposit amount along with the completed registration and terms and conditions forms are required to reserve your spot on the tour.  You may pay via personal check or money order to the below address or via PayPal to blzwiebel@aol.com.  Make checks payable to:

Brian Zwiebel
8810 Cedar Point Rd.
Oregon, Ohio 43616

Click here to download the Waiver Form.

 The signed Waiver Form along with the remainder of the balance is due at least 30 days prior to the first day of the tour unless other arrangements are worked out in advance.

 

© Copyright Information - All images and text on this site are the copyrighted works of Brian L. Zwiebel and as such are protected by both United States and international copyright laws.  None of the content or images of this site may be used in any manner without the expressed written consent of Brian L. Zwiebel.