Northern Shoveler, Invercargill

[kengeorge]

The Northern Shoveler was back in the Invercargill Estuary Lagoon again this morning, easily scoped from the small viewing hide just down from the carpark at the north end of the lagoon. He wasn't there yesterday so he seems to move between the lagoon and the sewerage ponds.

[Richard Schofield]

Sharon Roberts reports the Northern Shoveler this afternoon at 2nd & 3rd ponds, Lake St.

[Phil Rhodes]

There are now TWO male Northern Shovelers at the ponds, Neil Robertston spotted the other bird as we were about to leave the area. We think it had been loafng up in some vegetation and then slipped into the water and the two birds came together to feed.
Has there been records of more than one bird in previous reports around NZ?

[Clinton9]

You have to provide photos of two male Northern shovelers.

[Phil Rhodes]

We had no cameras with us - the male birds looked exactly the same.

[Clinton9]

Otherwise the same one male bird might be "lake-hopping" as it flies from lake to other lake.

[Neil Robertson]

This is not lake-hopping. The two birds were both in the same field of view in my scope briefly and were within 30 metres of each other for at least 10 minutes.

[Byrd]

Otherwise the same one male bird might be "lake-hopping" as it flies from lake to other lake.

...and flying so fast that it meets itself on the lake before it has left!

[philbattley]

I think that the only record of two is the male and female seen by me, Ian Saville and Ormond Torr at Pauri Lake near Whanganui in the 1989.
Phil

There are now TWO male Northern Shovelers at the ponds, Neil Robertston spotted the other bird as we were about to leave the area. We think it had been loafng up in some vegetation and then slipped into the water and the two birds came together to feed.
Has there been records of more than one bird in previous reports around NZ?

[Clinton9]

Healthy male shoveler can fly at 100 k/m.