COMMON POCHARD 153 



On the water the old males can hardly be confused with any other species except 

 possibly the Red-crested Pochard and in poor light with the Widgeon. The females 

 and young are, however, inconspicuous, and at long ranges it is easy to confuse 

 them with Scaups, White-eyed Ducks, Tufted Ducks and perhaps even Golden-eyes. 



Wakiness. The Pochard cannot be considered as wild by nature, especially as 

 compared with many of the surface-feeding ducks. All species of diving ducks are 

 inclined to trust to their swimming and diving powers and hesitate to jump at the 

 first alarm. When undisturbed, newly arrived birds, such as Hume and Marshall 

 (1879) describe in India, sometimes pay very little attention to a boat, and flocks of 

 several thousands may at first be approached to within thirty yards. One of these 

 great flocks, Hume says, "seemed to take no notice of us; and, when I halted the 

 boat and we all remained perfectly still in it, they closed in again, so that scores 

 were swimming within twenty yards of us, and many dived under us and popped up 

 here, there, and everywhere within a few yards, disappearing under water, however, 

 again instantly, as soon as they perceived how close they were." Probably few 

 sportsmen at the present day have seen Pochards behave so confidingly except in 

 sanctuaries. Ordinarily they are by no means easy to approach with a gunning-punt 

 on larger waters, though it is sometimes easy to sail down-wind upon them. When 

 paddled up to they swim scattered before the punt for a considerable distance before 

 taking wing. Puntsmen usually alarm them sufficiently to make them crowd on the 

 water before flying. Single birds or small parties are apt to be much less wary and 

 may be easily approached. No doubt Pochards would show just as little discrimina- 

 tion in approaching wooden decoys as do our Red-head and Canvas-back. The ease 

 with which this duck was taken in the standing nets of the Essex decoys and flight 

 ponds shows that it cannot be rated very high in brain capacity. 



Daily Movements. Pochards prefer to feed by day, but if hard pressed in the 

 winter quarters they will do a certain amount of feeding both at night and during 

 the very early hours of the morning. 



When undisturbed they will rest during the mid-day hours, procuring most of their 

 food in the morning and evening. Like other ducks they make regular evening 

 flights from the daytime refuges to the more exposed places where they can feed 

 under cover of darkness. Some writers maintain that they prefer to feed by night. 

 This may be true on bright moonlight nights when all fowl are fond of feeding, but 

 it is not certain whether they really feed as well during actual darkness. In certain 

 places, at least, our Red-heads do not appear to attempt night feeding and the 

 stomachs of those shot early in the morning are empty. 



Gait, Swimming, Diving. Like other Pochards and Scaups they walk slowly 



