Cotman watercolours tubes, Faber Castel Pastel pencils on Saunders Waterford 300gsm 310×230 Cotton Satiné High White paper

(Northern) shovelers (Spatula clypeata) are a touch smaller than the common mallard. They can be clearly recognized by the somewhat strangely shaped broad beak, it looks like a spatula. With this specially shaped beak with large blades, they can efficiently slurp plant and especially animal plankton as well as snails, crustaceans, insect larvae, seeds and the like from the water.

The male (in splendor) is beautifully colored, with a green head and chestnut-brown belly and flanks. I like the upper part of the wings best, however. But you don’t see that until they start flying. Then suddenly, as an added surprise, the beautiful light blue color appears from the forewings. I tried to show that in this painting.

The females are not so colored, but look much like a female of the “normal” mallard with brown/white speckled plumage. But they have a more dark brown belly and no white border along the green mirror on their folded wing. But they are easy to recognize thanks to their bill, which also has the typical broad shape.

Reference: Own photo

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