Hiding in plain sight
I HAVE BEEN an avid bird photographer for 45 years, and my favorite way to photograph birds is from a floating blind. It is a special feeling to be in the quiet waters of a bay at dawn with hundreds of birds that pay little to no attention to you.
My floating blind photography season begins in late April, when the ice melts near my Idaho home. On calm mornings, I drive to the lake and park close to the shoreline in a public parking area. I carry the 12-pound blind and photo gear 30 yards to the shore, mount my camera and lens to the Wimberley gimbal head that is attached to the blind, and slowly walk into the water. When the water is 2.5 feet deep, I slip under the camo cover, rest my elbows on the float tube, and off I go.
The camouflaged floating blind resembles a round muskrat home. The one I use is built by Mr JanGear (, about $812). It has a plastic frame, two float. It conceals me and floats my photo gear, but I wear chest waders (recently upgraded to a dry suit) and walk slowly along inside the blind through shallow wetlands. A water depth of 2-3 feet is ideal. I do not go in water too deep to touch the bottom.
