Part 16

Formerly breeding in small numbers in the Orkneys, this species now only visits us during the winter, its numbers depending largely on the severity of the climate in Northern Europe. It frequents bays, estuaries, and inland lakes, feeding on weeds and aquatic vegetation. The note is a loud "whoop, whoop, whoop," from which its trivial name has been derived, and is often uttered as they fly along the shore in a long straggling line. The sexes are alike in plumage, as are all palæarctic Swans, and this species may be distinguished by the colour of the bill, which is black at the tip and yellow at the base, the yellow extending forward beyond the openings of the black nostrils. The base of the bill is flat and quadrangular and not knobbed as in the Mute Swan. Length 60 in.; wing 25·5 in.

BEWICK'S SWAN Cygnus bewicki, Yarrell

This species, which is smaller than the Whooper, visits us regularly every winter, and is in some places the commoner of the wild Swans. In Scotland it is abundant in some seasons as it is also in Ireland, but on the coasts of England and Wales it is always rather scarce. It breeds in the Far North to the east of the White Sea.

It may be distinguished from the Whooper by its smaller size and the extent of the yellow on the beak, which does not quite reach the nostrils. Length about 46 in.; wing about 21 in.

THE MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor (J. F. Gmelin)

In this country the Mute Swan is only met with in a state of semi-domestication, having been introduced at some early period of history. It is now, however, widely distributed throughout our islands. Inhabiting lakes, rivers, and ornamental waters, it feeds on aquatic weeds and grain, and is extremely useful in preventing an undue growth of weeds in ornamental ponds and lakes. The nest is a huge structure of straw and rushes, built upon the edge of the water, or in the centre of a reed-bed. The eggs, which vary in number from five to nine or ten, are of a uniform pale green, and are hatched after some five weeks' incubation.

The young, which are covered at first with greyish down, are carefully tended by both parents, and when tired nestle on their parents' back. In olden times the right to keep Swans on the Thames was granted by the King to many of the City Companies, and in the autumn of each year (a custom which is still continued) the young Swans are caught up and marked on the bill with the private mark of the Company to whom they belong. This is known as "Swan upping." The male is known as the "Cob" and the female as the "Pen," and the rules and regulations clearly state how the brood shall be awarded in the event of the Cob and Pen belonging to different Companies, while the landowner on whose ground they nest also comes in for a share.

At the nest the male Swan is very savage, attacking any intruder with his bill and with savage beats of his powerful wings; his mate, however, is very quiet and will allow herself to be pushed off the nest with no stronger protestation than a subdued "hiss."

This Swan is not mute as its name implies, but has a loud trumpet-like note, to which, however, it seldom gives utterance.

In a purely wild state, this species may be found breeding in Denmark and the south of Sweden, and it is a common breeding species in South-eastern Europe. From its northern breeding haunts it migrates in winter, many probably coming over to our shores.

The plumage is pure white; the bill reddish orange with a black knob at its base. This knob is much larger than in the male. The young are greyish drab. The so-called "Polish Swan" is a variety of this species, in which the young are white. Length about 56 in.; wing 27 in.

THE COMMON SHELD-DUCK Tadorna cornata (S. G. Gmelin)

Although somewhat local in its breeding haunts, this species is fairly abundant round all our coasts in winter. It is a Sea-Duck, being seldom found far inland, and its food consists of small mollusca and marine insects, which it seeks on our flat estuaries and along the shore.

A rabbit-burrow in sand-dunes near the sea is chosen for a nesting-site, and lined with a little grass, to which is subsequently added an abundance of grey down from the body of the female. Occasionally it makes its own burrow, or other sites such as crevices between boulders or under furze bushes are selected. The eggs, generally ten in number, are creamy white. As soon as they are hatched the mother leads her brood to the shore, where they feed, making for the sea on the first sign of danger.

During the pairing season this bird is very noisy, the male uttering a short whistle, while both sexes run round each other with out-stretched neck, making a curious guttural chuckle.

In winter large flocks of these birds visit us from the Continent. These flocks may be seen resting out at sea by day and come in to feed on the soft ooze by night; they are of course more partial to flat and sandy parts of the coast, but may nevertheless often be found in small sandy bays on an otherwise rocky shore.

The head and neck are glossy bluish black; the scapulars and primaries black. There is a broad band of bright chestnut across the back and breast, and a black stripe along the centre of the under parts. Speculum green. The rest of the plumage is pure white. Legs flesh pink; bill crimson. The sexes are alike, but the female is smaller and duller. The male has a crimson knob at the base of his bill which swells up considerably during the breeding season.

The young bird lacks the chestnut band, the head and neck are dull brownish black, the scapulars greyish brown, and in its first autumn it assumes a plumage similar to the adult female, but duller. Length 25 in.; wing 13 in. Both sexes assume in July a much duller plumage, somewhat resembling that of the young in their first winter.

THE RUDDY SHELD-DUCK Tadorna casarca (Linnæus)

The Ruddy Sheld-Duck is a South-eastern European species, breeding on the shores of the Levant and throughout Northern Africa, but it is rare on the north shores of the Mediterranean west of the Adriatic. It has several times been noted as a straggler to England, and in 1892 many flocks appeared in different parts of the country.

The general colour is a deep orange brown, the head being rather lighter. The male has a narrow black collar during the nesting season. The female is much paler on the head, the forehead, lores, and a ring round the eye being nearly white. Length 25 in.; wing 14·5 in.

THE MALLARD OR WILD DUCK Anas boschas, Linnæus

This is at once our commonest and most beautiful Duck. Owing to drainage of fen-lands and higher cultivation it is, perhaps, not so abundant as formerly, yet there are few marshes or low-lying lands of any extent in our islands, which do not afford a home to a few pairs of this species.

It feeds chiefly by night on worms, aquatic insects, water weeds, and grain, and prefers ditches overgrown with weeds or shallow ponds to open stretches of deep water. Early in March it chooses a nesting site, usually on the ground and at no great distance from water, but exceptionally it has been known to nest in trees, faggots, stacks, and other elevated places. No nest is formed, but a cup-shaped hollow is scraped out, which is warmly lined with down after incubation commences. The eggs, usually ten to twelve in number, are pale greenish yellow, and are always carefully covered up by the Duck on leaving the nest. They hatch after twenty-seven days' incubation, and the young are then taken to the nearest water, on or near which they remain for about two months till they can fly. If, however, they are much disturbed they will be led away by their mother to a neighbouring piece of water, often at some considerable distance.

In a wild state the Mallard, as the male of this species is called, is strictly monogamous, and during the whole of incubation he will remain in the vicinity of the nest, warning his mate of the approach of danger, and accompanying her when she comes off to feed. Once the young are hatched he retires to some secluded and sheltered piece of water, where he assumes a dull plumage, somewhat resembling that of the female. During this period he becomes very skulking, rarely showing himself on the open water. When his dull or "eclipse" plumage has been assumed, he casts all his flight feathers at once, and for a short time becomes incapable of flight. These grow again in about a fortnight, and then in September he begins to assume his brilliant colours once more, and comes from his secluded retreat to join his comrades. In the winter they gather in large flocks, which resort to open sheets of water or the sea, flighting every evening to the marshes and shore to feed, and retiring again at daybreak to rest on the water.

It is these daily movements of Duck that are known to sportsmen as "flights," and they afford excellent shooting to the gunner concealed on their route. Vast numbers of this and other species of Duck used formerly to be taken in decoys, but partly owing to decrease in the numbers of the fowl, or still more to the increase of shooters, who frighten them away, few if any decoys are now worked at a profit in this country. A decoy is a pond in a suitable locality near the sea surrounded by trees and having two or four curved arms known as "pipes" running up at the different corners. These pipes are covered with netting, and end in a small bag net. The Duck are enticed up by tame birds and by means of a red dog that they follow out of curiosity. When some way up the pipe they see behind them the decoyman, who has hitherto been concealed by an ingenious arrangement of reed-screens, and rather than turn back and face him, they rise and fly up the pipe into the net. The whole operation must be carried out in silence so as not to scare the other birds on the pond, who remain in complete ignorance of their comrades' fate. Absolute quiet and plenty of food are the essentials for the successful working of a decoy. They are still used in Holland, where they form a considerable source of profit to their owners; their number is limited, and a licence has to be paid for each decoy.

After the brood can fly the Duck loses her primaries and becomes incapable of flight for a short time, but as soon as her quills are grown the whole family move off to join the flocks, which are now rapidly forming. Large numbers visit us yearly from abroad, and a spell of severe weather in midwinter still further increases their numbers.

The male has a glossy green head and neck, the latter being encircled by a narrow white ring; rump and tail coverts glossy greenish black, the four central coverts upturned; chest and breast deep chestnut; rest of under parts pale grey, vermiculated with black; bill greenish yellow; legs orange. The Duck is dark brown, the feathers having paler edgings. The young resemble the female, but the males have assumed their full dress by October. The male in eclipse has a plumage which approximates to that of the female. Length 23 in.; wing 11 in.

THE GADWALL Anas strepera, Linnæus

The Gadwall is a scarce visitor to our shores, occurring irregularly along the east coasts of Scotland and England, but it is very rarely seen in the west or in Ireland. In a few places in Norfolk, where it was originally introduced, it breeds, and has of late years considerably increased both there and in the surrounding counties. In habits it resembles the Mallard. The eggs are usually ten in number and of a delicate creamy pink. It may be easily recognised on the wing by its white speculum.

On the Continent it nests in Central and Eastern Europe, its breeding range extending to the far north of Russia. It winters in the Mediterranean basin.

The adult male is greyish brown, with darker mottlings on the head and neck; back dark brown, with greyish markings; median wing coverts chestnut; greater coverts almost black. Under parts white, grey on the flanks and vent. Under tail coverts black. The female is marked with dark brown and buff much like a Wild Duck, but is recognisable by the _white_ speculum. The young somewhat resemble the female. The white speculum forms a distinctive mark of this species at all ages. Length 20 in.; wing 10·5 in.

THE SHOVELLER Spatula clypeata (Linnæus)

This bird is by no means rare with us in winter, when large numbers come over from abroad. It is essentially an inland species, preferring small and sheltered pieces of water rather than wide open stretches. Its most characteristic feature is the large flattened bill with which it feeds on the surface-swimming animalculæ and other insects, the broad lamellæ of the mandibles forming an efficient strainer. When feeding three or four will often follow each other in a circle, each feeding in the other's wake. Of late years it has become more numerous as a breeding bird, and it now nests commonly in the Broads and other districts of Norfolk and the eastern counties. In Kent and the Midlands, Yorkshire and the North, it nests sparingly, as well as in some of the southern and eastern counties of Scotland. In Ireland it is a local but by no means scarce species. Except in the breeding season it is a very silent bird; when courting it moves its head up and down, uttering a low "took, took," which is answered by the female. The nest is generally placed at some distance from the water in the middle of a dry grass-field, where there is hardly any cover beyond a small patch of grass more luxuriant than the rest.

The eggs, which number from eight to ten, are pale greenish buff in colour. The female sits very closely, and the male remains in attendance at no great distance and accompanies her when she comes off to feed. The incubation period of this species is rather shorter than with most Ducks, and lasts between twenty-one and twenty-three days. The young are solely looked after by the Duck, and when first hatched their bills show no trace of the broadening and flattening, characteristic of the adult.

During the summer the Drake assumes an "eclipse" plumage, which somewhat resembles that of the Duck. In October he begins, _unlike_ most other species, to assume an "intermediate" plumage, in which the head is very dark but not metallic, and the white of the breast is obscured by dark transverse bars. The full plumage is not usually complete till the end of February or early in March.

In this country our breeding birds are practically resident, only shifting from their nesting-quarters when frozen out. The majority of birds met with, however, in winter are immigrants from the Continent, who leave us again in March.

The adult Drake in full plumage is a beautiful bird. The head and upper neck are metallic green; lower neck, breast, and scapulars white; back brown; shoulders pale blue; greater wing coverts white. The under parts are deep chestnut; speculum green; bill black; legs orange.

The Duck is dark brown, with light rufous buff edgings to the feathers. Shoulders bluish. The young at first resemble the Duck, and in November begin to assume the "intermediate" plumage described above, except that the breast feathers are spotted and not barred. It does not always assume its full plumage in the first year.

THE PINTAIL Dafila acuta (Linnæus)

This species visits us in large numbers during the winter, arriving in September and not leaving our shores till April. During this period it is essentially a Sea-Duck, haunting shallow shores and estuaries, where it feeds on aquatic vegetation, crustacea, and other animal life brought in by each tide. It is commoner on the east coast than elsewhere owing to the large tracts of shore suited to its habits, but it may be found in smaller numbers on the west and in Ireland, wherever suitable localities exist.

It is only of late years that it has been known to nest in this country, a small colony having established themselves on one of the Scotch lochs. Elsewhere it breeds abundantly throughout Northern Europe, migrating southwards in winter. The nest is placed in a dry situation, at some little distance from the water. The eggs are rather elongated in shape and pale buffish green in colour.

The adult male has a brown head, greenish black on the nape. A white stripe runs down the neck on either side, merging into the white of the under parts. Back and flanks dark brown, mottled with grey. Wing coverts buff; speculum bronze green; tail black, the two central feathers much elongated; under tail coverts black; bill and legs slate grey. The female is of varying shades of buff and brown. The elongated neck and general shape of this species is sufficient to distinguish it from others of its family. The young resemble the female, and moult directly into their full plumage in their first autumn. The eclipse plumage of the Drake, which is dark brown above and smoky grey below, is lost about October. Length 26 in.; wing 11 in.

THE TEAL Nettion crecca (Linnæus)

This is the smallest of our native species of Duck, and is fairly common throughout our islands at all times of the year, but its numbers are largely augmented in winter by the arrival of vast flocks from abroad. It may be found in winter near the mouths of rivers and shallow estuaries as well as inland; its food consists of grain, insects, worms, slugs, and molluscs.

It breeds throughout our islands, but more abundantly in the north. The nest is generally placed at some distance from water on a dry moorland or rough grass-field, and this species makes a rough nest of leaves and grass, lined with down. The eggs, eight to ten in number, are creamy white.

The male has the crown, nape, cheeks, and throat chestnut; an elongated patch of purplish green behind the eye, the rest of the upper parts vermiculated with black and white except the rump and tail coverts, which are black. Under parts white, the lower part of the neck and breast being spotted and sometimes of a yellowish tinge; flanks vermiculated with black. Speculum green and purplish black. Bill black, legs brownish grey. The female is mottled with brown and buff. The young resemble the female. The male in his eclipse dress, which is worn till late in October or November, resembles the female very closely, more so in fact than is the case with any other species. Length 14·5; wing 7·25 in.

THE AMERICAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL Nettion carolinense (J. F. Gmelin)

This species has only occurred three or four times in these islands. The male differs from the Common Teal in having some greyish vermiculated feathers on either side of the breast, and the buffish white lines on the face are very slightly defined. The female cannot be distinguished from our native species. Length 16 in.; wing 7·25 in.

THE BLUE-WINGED TEAL Querquedula discors (Linnæus)

This American species has been taken at least once in the United Kingdom. The male has the throat, forehead, and crown dark lead colour, and _a long crescentic patch of white_ in front of the eye. Cheeks and neck dull lavender grey. Length 16 in.; wing 7·25 in.

THE GARGANEY Querquedula circia (Linnæus)

This is one of our scarcest species, coming to us as a summer immigrant from April to September, and remaining in a few suitable spots to breed. It is commonest in Norfolk, and may also be found in Hants, Kent, Suffolk, and Yorkshire. Elsewhere its occurrences are rare and only consist of stragglers on migration.

It breeds regularly on the Continent from Sweden southwards, becoming commoner in the east.

The nest is usually placed in a dry and often open situation, where there is but little cover. The eggs resemble those of the Teal, but are rather greener in tint.

The crown and nape of the male are dark brown, with a conspicuous white stripe passing backwards over the eye. Cheeks and neck brown ticked with white. Back dark brown; wing coverts bluish grey. Chin black; breast pale brown, with dark crescentic bars; remainder of under parts white. Vermiculated on the flanks. Speculum green; bill black; legs greenish. Female somewhat similar to Duck of the common Teal, but may be distinguished by the presence of a light stripe over the eye. The feathers of the back are dark with light margins, not barred as in the Teal, while the feathers of the breast are also entirely dark with white margins. Length 16 in.; wing 7·8 in.

THE WIGEON Mareca penelope (Linnæus)

The Wigeon is one of our commonest winter visitors, arriving in large numbers from early in September onwards, and frequenting estuaries, bays, and tidal waters, but rarely wandering far inland. Although feeding also on marine insects and crustacea, it is chiefly a vegetable eater, living almost entirely upon _Zostera marina_.

In Scotland a good many pairs remain to breed, and during the summer it frequents high moorlands and inland waters. The nest is placed in a tuft of rushes or among heather, and the eggs, usually ten in number, are of a delicate creamy white. The note is a melodious whistle, which may be expressed as "whee you."

The male has the head and neck chestnut, with a broad buff stripe extending backwards over the crown; back grey uniformly vermiculated; throat and upper neck chestnut; breast white, vermiculated on the flanks; shoulders white; speculum green. In the eclipse plumage the head is dark chestnut, grizzled with brown; back brown, with chestnut edgings to the feathers; flanks chestnut; under parts white. The female is dark brownish grey above, lighter on the wing coverts, and white underneath. Length 18·5 in.; wing 10·5 in.

THE AMERICAN WIGEON Mareca americana (J. F. Gmelin)

One or two examples of this species have occurred in this country at long intervals. It may be distinguished from our Wigeon by the forehead and crown being dull white, the cheeks and neck whitish, speckled with brown, and a green stripe passing backwards from the eye. The female has the head and neck yellowish white, speckled with black. Length 19 in.; wing 10·25 in.

THE RED-CRESTED POCHARD Netta rufina (Pallas)

The Red-crested Pochard, whose nesting home is in South-Eastern Europe, though it also nests sparingly in the Rhone delta and Spain, is only a rare straggler to these islands, and most of the examples have been obtained in Norfolk, where as recently as last year, 1906, a flock of eight appeared, and needless to say were soon all shot.

It is a much larger bird than the Common Pochard, and may be distinguished by its rufous crest, red bill, and legs, though differing also in many other particulars. There are sixteen tail feathers instead of fourteen as in the genus Fuligula. Length 22 in.; wing 10·5 in.

THE COMMON POCHARD Fuligula ferina (Linnæus)

With this and the preceding species we come to the second division of the Ducks, which are known as Diving Ducks, in contradistinction to the others which are known as surface-feeders, although quite capable, when alarmed, of diving. Diving Ducks may be recognised by having the legs placed further back on the body, thus rendering their progress on land rather difficult, and by the hind toe being lobed.