Midwest waterfowl locations

Hey all,
I am just hoping for some advice on where to head to try to get some waterfowl shots over Christmas break. I was hoping to find a good area/spot to photograph some diving ducks or really any ducks other than mallards. I am in Muscatine, IA and was looking for any advice in the surrounding states. Any help is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Ryan

Monticello, MN - Trumpeter swans on the Mississippi. They're here year round.
http://www.discovermonticello.com/swans.html
http://iwishicouldfly.com/iwishicouldfly/journal/html/011208.html
http://www.trumpeterswansociety.org/

I've also seen snow geese, many other ducks, bald eagles in the area.

Arne

The last of the migrants are usually swans and geese, who stay in the midwest as weather permits. Once the lakes and ponds freeze over, they move south. A few nature centers here and there have bubblers that keep water moving which inhibits freeze up. In Michigan, the Kalamazoo Nature Center has these, and snow geese stick around for the winter unless its a really cold winter. Someone here on the MWNP mentioned Squaw Creek NWR in Missouri as a great place for wintering snow geese. A quick google search will yield a lot of info on this area.

http://squawcreek.org/

Thank you Arne! I've been thinking about going there for a long time but have just never gotten up the motivation. After seeing some of those photos though I want to go just to see all of those birds! Thank you.

Thank you Brian! I understood that most of the birds would be further south but know there are some spots kept open that hold a tremendous number of birds. I'll check the Kalamazoo Nature Center! I also have really enjoyed Squaw Creek but it doesn't really allow you to utilize some of the spots as best it could (I use a 200-400mm and like to be right in the birds). Appreciate the help.

Ryan, check out Swan Lake NWR it is also in MO but closer to you than Squaw Creek. Not sure what they have at the moment but check their web site they have a count. The observation tower there is by a small pond which usually has something on it. This change in the weather may shake some things up.

Ryan-

As Brian said, I think most of the waterfowl will have moved south by then.

If eagles are of interest, check out the dams along the Mississippi as the eagles congregate there since the base of the dams stay ice free.

Also the area around Wabasha, Minnesota stays ice free naturally (plus grumpy old mens was filmed here).

I wrote and article here on NPN about the Upper Mississippi that lists some other places you might find of interest too.

http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0609/dh0609-1.html

Ryan, if you're going to check out the Kalamazoo Nature Center, you might also want to see about the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. They're open 9-5 from November through April.
http://www.kbs.msu.edu/visit/birdsanctuary/

There were a bunch of trumpeter swans in the cornfield next to me the other day:
http://myrabo.com/4images/details.php?image_id=568
http://myrabo.com/4images/details.php?image_id=569

Arne
Central MN USA