Lucky (for me) Birthday Bird

Mike Rowinsky

Mike Rowinsky

Active member
Went hunting yesterday, my birthday, with my best friend. Beautiful "blue bird" skies along the coast and we didn't see much. Then, as the wind shifted it got a bit darker and we started to see more birds on the move. Several flights of mallards and blacks passed by without hesitating or decoying.
Suddenly, four birds buzzed through our decoy set. They circled back and remained just out of range. Initially we thought them a less desirable species, but I noticed the rather large bill. During their third pass I knocked the drake out of the flight. He's got the early hormone markings common for a northern bird, unlike the pure white breast found in southern birds.

(Could someone move the attached picture here please.)

I've never seen a Northern Shoveler outside of a museum's collection. They're beautiful and according to all I've spoken to extremely rare here in CT.

I've already dropped him off at the taxidermist.

Thanks for letting me share with the group!

View attachment Northern Shoveler.jpeg
 


Congrats on your first spoonie. They are definitely cool birds in my mind even though they are thought of as trash birds in other parts of the country. We kill them from time to time here in jersey and it's all about being in one of the areas they frequent. I certainly think of them as a treat whenever I am fortunate enough to have them come into my spread.
 
Happy Birthday, Mike!

Shovelers have at most been an occasional bird for me when I gunned Long Island - although you can reliably find them living on certain freshwater (unhunted) ponds throughout the winter months. However, when I was on LI earlier this month, a flock of about 12 buzzed the rig - just out of range - a couple of times. We were about 20 miles south of the Nutmeg State at the time.

All the best,

SJS
 
I hunt eastern LI and have resident flocks of shovelers. Opening day I got a double on shovelers.
Haven't seen to many blacks or mallards. After the freeze a lot of birds are moving around.

Merry Christmas to all and a safe season...
 
Great bird Mike! I have killed a small handful of them over the years here in CT, I'll have to dig up the pics. I would say probably the toughest puddle duck to harvest here in CT, I cant think of any species I've shot fewer of. There was actually one season where we killed them fairly regularly, would be cool if that happened this year again!
 
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