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On Water
- Checklists of bird species have been prepared for many of the major white-water rivers. Ask the managing agency, your outfitter, or a local bookstore for the list before you get on the river.
- When you’re on long stretches of quiet water, always have your
binoculars, notebook, and bird guide handy. Be sure to return them to a
waterproof bag or ammo can in plenty of time for the next rapid.
- Leaf through the illustrations in your field guide to familiarize
yourself with the characteristics of bird families so you’ll know where to look in the guide when you see an unfamiliar species.
- It can be difficult to hold your binoculars steady when the guide is
rowing. If you spot a bird, ask the guide to maneuver the raft into the
best position and then let it float for a moment while you look.
- Keep loud noises to a minimum. Sound travels far over the water, and sudden loud noises can frighten birds away long before they come into view.
- Listen. Moving silently, you’ll often be able to hear birds singing or calling long before you see them.
- With unknown birds, jot down quick notes about colors, size, shape, leg length, bill contour, behavior, and other field signs to make
identification easier later at camp.
- Waterfowl often hide in the eddies or backwaters close to shore. Look back upstream as you pass a quiet bay to check for waterfowl.
- Look for great blue herons and other wading birds in marshes and
shallow riverside bars or banks. Bitterns and rails hide in the reeds
along the river’s edge.
- In small rapids or fast-moving water, you can sometimes spot American
dippers bobbing up and down among the rocks at the water’s edge.
- Some birds, such as ospreys, can be very protective of their nests and
will swoop over rafts that come near them. If birds display any agitated
behavior that suggests young are nearby, move off as quickly as
possible. They are trying to lead you away.
- Scan the sky above the river. You’ll often see eagles, hawks, and
vultures circling or soaring overhead, particularly on sunny days as
they ride the rising thermals.
- Look for peregrine falcons and prairie falcons on riverside cliffs.
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