Photos: A Time Line of Mike Bard’s North American Waterfowl Slam
The birds, dates, and places—and a few memories—of 20 years chasing waterfowl
Read the full story behind Bard’s slam here.
1. Wood Duck
Oct. 1993, Jordan, N.Y.
2. Mallard
Oct. 1993, Jordan, N.Y.
3. Common Merganser
Nov. 1993, Jordan, N.Y.
4. Canvasback
Nov. 2001, Otisco Lake, N.Y.
5. Bufflehead
Dec. 2001, Cazenovia Lake, N.Y.
6. Hooded Merganser
Dec. 2001, Cazenovia Lake, N.Y.
7. American Black Duck
Dec. 2001, Cazenovia Lake, N.Y.
8. Canada Goose
Dec. 2001, Memphis, N.Y.
9. Ruddy Duck
Oct. 2002, Cazenovia Lake, N.Y.
10. Northern Shoveler
Nov. 2002, Cazenovia Lake, N.Y.
11. Ring-Necked Duck
Nov. 2002, Cazenovia Lake, N.Y.
12. Long-Tailed Duck
Jan. 2003, Lake Ontario, N.Y.
13. White-Winged Scoter
Jan. 2003, Lake Ontario, N.Y.
14. American Wigeon
Jan. 2003, Great South Bay, N.Y.
15. Atlantic Brant
Jan. 2003, Great South Bay, N.Y.
16. Greenwing Teal
Oct. 2003, Lakeview Marsh, N.Y.
17. Gadwall
Jan. 2004, Great South Bay, N.Y.
18. Northern Pintail
Oct. 2004, Perch River, N.Y.
19. Snow Goose (Greater)
Nov. 2004, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
20. Common Eider
Nov. 2004, Revere, Mass.
21. Greater Scaup
Nov. 2004, Lake Ontario, N.Y.
22. Redhead
Nov. 2005, Montezuma NWR, N.Y.
23. Lesser Scaup
Nov. 2005, Lake Ontario, N.Y.
24. Common Goldeneye
Dec. 2005, Lake Ontario, N.Y.
25. American Coot
Oct. 2006, Bottineau, N.D.
26. Cackling Goose
Oct. 2006, Bottineau, N.D.
27. Snow Goose (Blue)
Dec. 2006, Jonesboro, Ark.
28. White-Fronted Goose
Dec. 2006, Jonesboro, Ark.
29. Sandhill Crane
Oct. 2007, Bottineau, N.D.
30. Tundra Swan
Oct. 2007, Turtle Mountain, N.D.
31. Red-Breasted Merganser
Jan. 2009, Great South Bay, N.Y.
“Headed down to Long Island for my annual late-season hunt with friends from Pennsylvania. Not sure what it is about guys I’ve met from PA, but they love mergansers.”
32. Lesser Snow Goose
Feb. 2009, Triplett, Mo.
33. Ross’s Goose
Feb. 2009, Triplett, Mo.
34. Harlequin
Nov. 2009, Valdez, Alaska
35. Barrow’s Goldeneye
Nov. 2009, Valdez, Alaska
36. Surf Scoter
Nov. 2009, Valdez, Alaska
37. Common Scoter
Jan. 2011, Narragansett Bay, R.I.
38. Bluewing Teal
Oct. 2013, St. Lawrence River, N.Y.
39. King Eider
Jan. 2014, St. Paul Island, Alaska
40. Pacific Black Brant
Nov. 2014, Cold Bay, Alaska
41. Aleutian Greenwing Teal
Nov. 2014, Cold Bay, Alaska
42. Pacific Eider
Nov. 2014, Cold Bay, Alaska
43. Black-Bellied Whistling Duck
Jan. 2015, Palm Beach County, Fla.
“Once I realized I was close to the slam, I started seriously planning some adventure trips. Hunting ducks in 80-plus-degree weather in January was my kind of adventure.”
44. & 45. Mottled Duck & Fulvous Whistling Duck
Jan. 2015, Hendry County, Fla.
46. Borealis Eider
Jan. 2015, Fogo Islands, Newfoundland
“A friend and I decided to target this harder-to-get eider subspecies and hunted them from a commercial fishing boat. It was so much fun that I went back the next year.”
47. Cinnamon Teal
Nov. 2016, Great Salt Lake, Utah