THE GADWALL AS A SCOTTISH BREEDING SPECIES 15 



THE GADWALL AS A SCOTTISH 

 BREEDING SPECIES. 



By Evelyn V. Baxter and Leonora Jeffrey Rintoul. 



For some time it has been our desire to write a series of 

 papers on the spread and distribution of certain of our 

 Scottish breeding Duck. The first of these is the Gadwall 

 (Anas strepera), which is, comparatively speaking, a new- 

 comer, as it is only fourteen years since it is first recorded 

 as having bred in Scotland, although it has long been known 

 as a winter visitor. We have been unable to trace the first 

 record of the occurrence of the Gadwall in Scotland, but 

 as long ago as 18 13 Don had reported it from Forfarshire, 

 while in Gray's Birds of the West of Scotland, published in 

 1 87 1, he gives a good many instances of its occurrence on 

 both the east and west coasts. It is interesting to note 

 that the first recorded occurrence of the Gadwall in Solway 

 was as late as 1900. Though it is one of our rarer breeding 

 ducks, still there are records of nesting from, no fewer than 

 five of the thirteen faunal areas into which Scotland has 

 been divided. A curious fact is, that these are all in the 

 east and north of the country where the bird is a scarce 

 winter visitor, whereas, in the west it is, in parts, much 

 commoner at that season although it has not yet been 

 recorded as nesting. The winter distribution of the Gadwall 

 in Scotland is unlike that of any other duck ; it is a scarce 

 winter visitor in practically every area except the Outer 

 Hebrides where it is more plentiful, and Tiree, where it is 

 very abundant. Dr Harvie-Brown, in his Faima of Argyll 

 and the Inner Hebrides, says that since 1870 the numbers 

 which winter in Tiree have steadily been increasing, and by 

 1 89 1 it was "very abundant in winter, flocking at sea, 

 especially outside Ballyphetrish Reefs on the west or north- 

 west side, sheltering inside the reefs in very heavy weather, 

 and flighting all over the island at night to the mosses : and 

 many are shot every season among other wild-fowl, and on 

 some occasions actually bulk in the bag over the other 

 species." 



