Some of the notable locations on the refuge to photograph at:

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2 The United States Fish and Wildlife Service manages the refuge for various uses besides conservation. Fortunately for us, one of those uses is photography. The refuge staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. They actively promote the use of the refuge by the general public. Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge is located near the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The local residents refer to the location as the The Land Between The Rivers or more commonly Calhoun Point. There are several segments of the refuge but this document will primarily deal with the area around Swan Lake. If using a GPS to navigate to the refuge you will need to use a different address than their mailing address. Enter 1 Hagen Rd, Brussels, IL. When you arrive at Hagen road follow the signs to the refuge. GPS Coordinates for the refuge headquarters are 38 56'9.31"N 90 32'29.35"W. From Alton, Illinois: Travel west 17 miles on Highway 100 (passing through the town of Grafton), then cross the Illinois River using the Brussels Ferry. Continue 4 miles, then turn right onto Hagen Road, following signs to the Refuge headquarters. There is no fee for the Brussels Ferry, which is operated 24 hours per day by the Illinois Department of Transportation. From St. Louis, Missouri: Take I-270 east to the MO-367 North exit. Stay on 367 N until you cross the Clark Bridge into Alton, Illinois. Turn left onto Lewis and Clark Blvd and travel to HWY 100. Turn left at the traffic light onto HWY 100. Follow remaining directions from Alton, IL. From St. Charles, Missouri: Cross the Mississippi River on the Golden Eagle Ferry. After leaving the ferry, travel two miles on Ferry Road to the intersection with Mississippi River Road, then turn right. This road meanders through rolling hills for 3.4 miles to the intersection with Illinois River Road. Turn right onto Illinois River Road, travel two miles, and turn left onto Hagen Road, following signs to the Refuge headquarters. There is a fee for the Golden Eagle Ferry, which is privately owned and on a daily schedule. *When Brussels Ferry is closed due to ice or high water travel North on Hwy 100 to Hardin, IL. Drive South on Illinois River Rd 14 miles from Hardin toward Brussels. Continue South through Brussels 3 miles until you see the sign for Two

3 Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters and Swan Lake Boat Ramp. To check the status of the Brussels Ferry go to **When the Golden Eagle Ferry is closed due to ice or high water you can either cross the Mississippi River at Alton, IL and follow the directions above* or cross the Mississippi River by ferry at Winfield, MO. From the Winfield Ferry landing in Illinois, drive south on Mississippi River Rd to Schleeper Ln. At the intersection of Schleeper Ln and Illinois River Rd, turn south to Brussels, IL and follow the directions above*. Note: the Winfield Ferry only runs when the Golden Eagle Ferry is not operating. Check online at to see if the ferry is running. The Refuge is closed from mid October through December 31 for the fall migration of waterfowl. The Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on select weekend days throughout the year. Please call first to ensure the office is open if you need to meet with refuge staff or pick up a recreation pass Phone: While not part of the Refuge, The Brussel Ferry area often has Bald Eagles that feed on fish that get stunned by the Ferry s propellers. The eagles will perch in the trees near the site or patrol that stretch of river. On occasion, you may be treated by one swooping and catching a fish in their talons. Some of the notable locations on the refuge to photograph at: The water control device About a mile from the Brussels Ferry, there is a sign that announces the refuge. Directly across the road from the sign is a gravel/dirt road that leads to a graveled parking lot. Once there, you can easily see the water control device. The device separates Swan Lake from the Illinois River. The shallow waters near the device on the Illinois River side often have various waterfowl, waders and American Pelicans. It also has Bald Eagles that use the trees to perch. If there are icy

4 conditions, the eagles may be riding ice flows down river. This parking lot provides access for walking the levy and viewing whatever is on Swan Lake or the river. The parking lot can also serve as a spot for photographing birds in flight if the conditions are right. For the adventurous and in shape photographer, the levy is about 7 miles long one way. There are plenty of opportunities without a marathon trek. It all depends on the birds and the photographer. It also provides access to a dirt service road that circles the eastside of Swan Lake. Part of the road is near a slough that may be the home of nesting wood ducks. Providing there is water in the slough and that some of the dead trees that have cavities are still standing after the winter season. Birds may or may not cooperate but this is generally a good and easy place to photograph. Map below:

5 Another place to look for waterfowl is the road that leads to a parking lot that is adjacent to the moist soil units used as feeding and loafing areas for waterfowl and other wetland birds. You reach this road by continuing towards Brussels on HWY 1. You pass an observation area/parking lot and the next road on the right is the one you want. If the birds are cooperative, you may be able to photograph from your vehicle on this road. This road also provides access for the wetland pools by foot. The path at the parking lot is gravel and you can walk it all the way to the headquarters if you are so inclined. You may also walk the levies that hold the water for the pools. On the Swan Lake side of the parking lot, there is a levy that goes to the lake and is a spot to see where the birds are or to photograph from as they fly by. The Headquarters

6 If you continue along HWY 1 towards Brussels, Il, you will eventually come upon a sign directing you to the refuge headquarters. This is Hagen Road. Take the road to the sign that directs you to the headquarter parking lot. The headquarters has a large observation deck that you can use to determine if you want to photograph the wetland pools or photograph The Cut or if you want to photograph the prairie critters or the bird feeders behind the headquarters. If the headquarters are open this is also where you can find restrooms. They also have a lot of informational pamphlets that you might find useful. Map on next page Disclaimer: There is an old saying from a Harvard Research Lab that states Under even ideal conditions of temperature, humidity and general conditions, the observed organisms are going to do whatever they damn well please

7 While the time period between March 1 and April 15 is generally a good time to observe and photograph waterfowl, the day you go may not be the optimum day of the season. We are dealing with MIGRATORY birds. One day they may be there in thousands and the next gone to other locations. One day the birds may congregate in part of Swan Lake and the next in a part of Swan Lake far from access or they may just head North. The following list of helpful items is by no means all encompassing. Helpful items: Rubber boots/shoes. Knee boots are the most practical and unless you really need them, waders or hip boots are not necessary. Drab clothing is fine. Camouflage clothing is not necessary but in some instances it is helpful. A lightweight stool is invaluable if you have to wait for the birds. While you may be able to photograph waterfowl with shorter lens, lens 300mm or longer are recommended. Like drag racing..the more horsepower the better your odds of success. If you are focal length limited, most modern cameras have sufficient resolution to allow even major crops if you can work it right. Also, more environmental style photographs do not always need 600mm lens. Tripods, monopods or handholding for Birds in Flight is a personal choice. Water and snacks along with backpacks work pretty well.