176 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



184. SHOVELLER. 



Anas clypeata. 



This singular bird is by no means common as a 

 visitor to our county, though it can hardly be con- 

 sidered to be extremely rare ; it is mentioned by 

 Morton as one of the species that was taken on 

 Sir John Shaw's decoy. A very fine pair are stuffed 

 at Bulwick Park which were killed there certainly 

 before 1850. One male was obtained on Naseby 

 Reservoir on January 6, 1867 ; I shot a solitary 

 female in September of that year near Aldwincle. 

 Another of the same sex, of which more anon, ap- 

 peared upon our park-pond at Lilford towards the 

 end of February 1870. Several Shovellers have 

 been shot at Blatherwycke at various times of the 

 year ; a pair was seen on the Nen, near Wansford, 

 on March 17, 1886, and a pair appeared on my 

 decoy-pool on April 3, 1888, but only remained for 

 two days. On October 22 of the same year a female 

 dropped into the decoy, and towards the end of the 

 following November a pair frequented our home- 

 ponds for about ten days. On June 8, 1889, three 

 adult males dropped into the decoy at daylight, and 

 were followed by a fourth at the same hour on the 

 10th of the same month. With reference to the 

 female of this species above mentioned as having 

 appeared on our park-pond at the end of February 

 1870, I find the following notes in my Journal for 

 that year : — "April 27, 1870. The female Shoveller 

 still haunts the park-pond and river near the house"; 

 and "July 28, 1870. The mid Shoveller before 

 mentioned has paired with a pinioned drake (the 



