SOME RECORDS IN SPANISH WILDFOWLING
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
El Travierso, _February 9, 1901._--An hour before dawn we (five guns)
lay echeloned obliquely across a mile of water, the writer's position
being the second out. No. 1 squatted (in six inches of water) between me
and the shore; but, being dissatisfied, moved elsewhere shortly after
day-break, leaving with me two geese and about a dozen ducks. These,
with thirty-six of my own, I set out as decoys. Shortly thereafter I
heard the gaggle of geese, and two, coming from behind, were already so
near that there was only time to change _one_ cartridge to big shot. The
geese passed abeam, quite low and within thirty yards, but six feet
apart--impossible to get them both. Held on; upon seeing that the decoys
were a fraud, the geese spun up vertically, and that _one_ cartridge
secured both. The incident gives opportunity to introduce two rough
sketches pencilled down at the moment. During this day there were
recurrent periods when for ten or fifteen, minutes ducks flew extremely
fast and well--_revoluciones_, our keepers term these sporadic
intermittent movements; then for a full hour or more might follow a
spell of absolute silence and an empty sky. Almost the whole of these
successive flights concentrated on No. 2--such is fowler's luck,--so
that by dusk I had gathered 105 ducks, 3 geese, 3 flamingoes, and 4
godwits; total, 115. The next gun (J. C. C.), though only 200 yards
away, in No. 3, had but 30 ducks; while the others had practically had
no shooting all day. Bertie, however, two miles away at the Desierto,
added 65--bringing the day's total to 268 ducks, 8 geese, etc. Three
guns left to-night.
Next day at the Cañaliza, Bertie and I had 70 ducks by noon, when (by
reason of intense sun-glare at the point) I shifted back to my
yesterday's post--two hours' tramp through sticky mud and water, with a
load of cartridges, ducks, etc. Thereat in one hour (4 to 5 P.M.) I
secured 56 ducks, bringing my total for the two days--a record in my
humble way, but surpassed threefold, as will be seen on following
pages--to over 200 head, and for the party, to precisely 500 (491 ducks
and 9 geese), besides flamingoes, ruffs, grey-plover, etc.
[Illustration: GODWITS]
* * * * *
A curious incident occurred on February 11 (1907). But few ducks--and
they all teal--had "flighted" early, and a strong west wind having
"blown" the water, my post was left near dry. Just as I prepared to move
300 yards eastward, a marvellous movement of teal commenced. On the far
horizon appeared three whirling clouds, each perhaps 100 yards in length
by 20 in depth, and all three waltzing and wheeling in marshalled
manoeuvres down channel towards me. To right and left in rhythmical
revolutions swept those masses, doubling again and again upon themselves
with a precision of movement that passes understanding. Each unit of
those thousands, actuated by simultaneous impulse, changed course while
moving at lightning speed; and with that changed course they changed
also their colour, flashing in an instant from dark to silvery white,
while the roar of wings resembled an earthquake.
All three clouds had already passed along the deeper water beyond my
reach when there occurred this strange thing. A peregrine falcon had for
some time been hanging around studying with envious eye the dozen or two
dead ducks stuck up around my post; now he swept away, as it were, to
intercept that feathered avalanche on my right, with the result that the
third and last cloud, being cut off, doubled back in tumultuous
confusion right in my face--what a spectacle! The puny twelve-bore
brought down a perfect shower of teal--probably 30 or more fell all
around me. I gathered 18 as fast as the sticky mud allowed; others
fluttered here and there beyond reach; how many in all escaped to feed
marsh-harriers none can tell.
Another incident with peregrine:--I had just taken post for
night-flighting at the Albacias, when, as dusk fell, a big bird appeared
in the gloom making, with laboured flight, directly towards me. Thinking
(though doubtfully) that it was a goose, I fired. The stranger proved to
be a beautiful adult peregrine, carrying in its claws a marbled duck,
and the pair are now set up in my collection.
* * * * *
Figures such as the following are apt to provoke two sentiments: (1)
that they are not true, or that (2), being true, such results must be
easy of attainment. The first we pass over. As regards the second, the
assumption ignores the nature and essential character of wildfowl.
These, being cosmopolitans, remain precisely the same wherever on the
earth's surface they happen to be found. It is their sky they change,
not their natural disposition or their fixed habits, when wildfowl shift
their homes. The difficulty is that not half-a-dozen men in a thousand
understand wildfowl or the supreme difficulty which their pursuit
entails, whether in Spain, England, or elsewhere.
In England, it is true, such results are out of the question, simply
because the country is highly drained, cultivated, and populous. Were it
desired to recover for England those immigrant hosts--the operation
would not be impossible--break down the Bedford Level and flood five
counties! Then you might enjoy in the Midlands such scenes as to-day we
see in Spain.
As a matter of simple fact--and this we state without suspicion of
egotism, or careless should such uncharitably be imputed--the results
recorded below represent even for Spain something that approaches the
human maximum alike in wild-fowling skill, in endurance, and in deadly
earnest.
That test of individual skill has, it may go without saying, been
demonstrated during all these years times without number. There are not,
within the authors' knowledge, a score of men who have fairly gathered
to their gun in one day 100 ducks in the open marisma. Again, while one
such gun, who is thoroughly efficient, will secure his century, others
(including excellent game-shots) will fail to bag one-tenth of that
number. There can be no question here of "luck" in that long run of
years.
A feature, more valuable than the figures themselves, is the light they
throw upon the varying distribution of the _Anatidae_ (both specifically
and seasonably) in the south of Spain.
1897. _November 10._--ONE GUN (W. J. B.)
Dawn at El Puntal 6 geese
Forenoon at Santolalla 128 ducks
Afternoon " " 2 stags
1897. _November 25._--LAS NEUVAS (C. D. W. and B. F. B.)
307 ducks, 53 geese
(Geese, all the afternoon, came well in to decoys)
1898. _January_ 29, 30, and 31.--TWO GUNS (W. D. M. and W. J. B.)
437 ducks, 17 geese
1903._January 18._--FLIGHT-SHOOTING WITH 12-BORE AT CAÑO DULCE (ONE GUN)
139 Wigeon
32 Pintail
20 Teal
22 Shovelers
10 Gadwall
1 Mallard
3 Greylag Geese
Total, 224 ducks and 3 _geese_. About one-half shot on natural flight
before 11 A.M.; the rest later, over "decoys." Nice breeze all day.
1903. _February._--THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS' FLIGHTING (ONE GUN)
February 22. February 23. February 24.
Pintaila 49 39 68
Wigeon 17 18 5
Shovelers 41 70 2
Teal 10 17 2
Gadwall 1 0 3
Marbled Duck 1 0 0
Garganey 1 1 0
Mallard 0 0 1
--- --- ---
120 145 81 = 346
On the 24th a succession of pintails came in, all _in pairs_. Almost the
entire bag of that species was made in double shots.
1903. _March 4._--BEYOND DESIERTO, FLIGHTING (ONE GUN)
124 Teal
7 Pintail
2 Mallard
4 Shovelers
Put away many thousands of teal early. These kept coming back in small
lots all day. But the wind held wrong all through, and the _Viento de la
mar_ (= sea-breeze) did not blow up till 5 P.M. Nine camels passed close
by.
1904. _November 8._--LAGUNA DE SANTOLALLA (ONE GUN)
102 Teal
14 Pochard
3 Gadwall
7 Mallard
3 Shovelers
6 Ferruginous Duck
25 Marbled Duck
---
Total 159 Ducks
1905. _November 8._--(P. GARVEY, C. D. W., and B. F. B.)
Santolalla 264 ducks
1905. _December 3._--CAÑO DULCE (ONE GUN)
3 Greylag Geese
121 Wigeon
47 Teal
3 Pintail
3 Shovelers
1 Flamingo
---
Total 178
1905-6. TWO DAYS AT CAÑO DULCE (ONE GUN)
Dec. 17, 1905. Feb. 17, 1906.
Wigeon 235 47
Shovelers 10 13
Pintail 18 62
Gadwall 6 0
Teal 2 6
Marbled Duck 1 0
Geese 1 2
---- ----
273 130
The total on December 17 represents the "Record," and was made (as was
that with geese, see p. 131) by B. F. B.
The whole of the above records refer to flight-shooting with a 12-bore
gun.
Following is a list of the different ducks shot by one gun during two
consecutive seasons:--
1902-3. 1903-4.
Wigeon 277 230
Pintail 267 28
Mallard 9 42
Gadwall 21 36
Shovelers 195 32
Teal 276 269
Garganey 2 1
Marbled Duck 4 51
Pochard[22] 1 0
Pochard, Crested 1 0
Tufted Duck 0 1
White-faced Duck 0 1
Unenumerated 191 0
---- ---
1244 726