R. and N. Stevens—A Sanctuary for British and Foreign Waterfowl 311


had the ten flights of one wing clipped. There were Shoveler, Wigeon,

Gadwall, Pintail, Shelduck, Chiloe Wigeon, Carolina, Mandarin,

Falcated, Ruddy Shelduck, Bahama Pintail, Cinnamon Teal, Red-billed,

Black-billed, and Wandering Tree-duck, Red-crested Pochard, Rosy-

bills, and Canadian and Grey-lag Geese.


We had been careful to erect the fencing in such a way that it was

unnoticeable, in other words there were no visible boundaries to prevent

our birds clearing off altogether. Turning out in these circumstances

such rarities as Red-breasted and Emperor Geese, Rajah Shelduck,

and North American Ruddy Duck provided a delightful feeling of

recklessness.


For the next ten weeks all our new-found pleasure was blighted

by the depredations of an otter, which we discovered to our horror

had managed to get enclosed, apparently j ust before the completion of

the last few yards of the 3J mile fence. In the end he was caught, after

killing 150 duck. To-day he looks a beautiful beast in his glass case

in the office, although at times we feel like throwing an ink-pot

at him.


Last winter many wild Duck came to visit us. There was a flock of

about forty Tufted, the same cf Pochard, also Mallard, Wigeon, Teal,

Pintail, Shoveler, Goldeneye, and one Whooper Swan, besides numerous

waders, a Black Tern, and an invasion of Crossbills. It was interesting

to note how quickly they realized they were in a sanctuary, and very

gratifying to be able to walk past the Ducks as they sat on the water

only a short distance away. Two pairs of Tufted remained to breed.


When the nesting season came round it was extremely interesting

to observe the places most favoured by the fowl for this purpose. The

islands were in great demand, and there was a considerable amount of

skirmishing for their possession, which ended in their being used by the

Geese and larger Shelduck. Actually there was no serious fighting in

spite of the fact that people prophesied disaster when we turned out such

cantankerous birds as Cereopsis, Andean, Magellan, Spurwinged,

Egyptian Geese, and different species of Shelduck. It is true that at the

feeding hour some of the smaller ducks occasionally receive a jab in

the back, but at all other times the species separate and go their



