By JC AMBERLYN River City Newspapers When I was about 13 or 14, my stepdad brought out his old Sears SLR camera and taught me how to use it. It was the first time I ever shot a camera that wasn’t a simple point-and-shoot. It was my first exposure to thinking about f-stops and aperture and all the other factors that go into more professional photography.
Where did we go so I could practice shooting a camera? I was wildlife and animal-obsessed even then, but wild creatures rarely pose for pictures reliably. We went to our local duck pond, naturally. You could always count on something interesting there.
I had a fun day out there with my stepdad, photographing mallards, pintails, gadwalls and other ducks, making memories that stick with me to this day. And to this day, I sure love visiting and photographing “duck ponds.” It takes me right back to my childhood haunts.
Plus, the beauty and variety of waterfowl is always impressive. Of course, here in the desert, I don’t often have access to anything like a duck pond. However, life finds a way, as they say, and waterfowl can often be found here in Mohave County if you know where to look.
Anyplace near the Colorado River will have its share of birds, but even Kingman hosts them from time to time. Places like the Cerbat Cliffs Golf Course, with its lush, grassy lawns and waterholes, attracts ducks and geese even in the heat of summer, something I was reminded of recently. I visited the golf course for an assignment and twice .