anas (duck) strepera (noisy)
Wednesday, March 19, 1980 — 5:30 pm
Barrington, Illinois — Crabtree Nature Center
This Gadwall was swimming in Crabtree Lake. I was on a duck craze this spring. I felt like I had to see them all during this one migration, as though I would never get another opportunity. And I almost succeeded. Day by day I went forth seeking new ducks. And Crabtree was where I was usually went because I still wasn’t aware of any other good birding sites. One by one, I added ducks to the list. The more ducks I saw, the more driven I became to see the rest. It was a month-long adrenaline rush.