Australasian Shoveler . Maori name is Kuruwhengi

I dont think I have seen this duck here before and had to look it up in the Bird Book which told me it was an Australasian Shoveler,  and protected, but may be hunted in the open season. That is probably why the pair are lurking in the Inlet at this time with duck hunting in full force.

The male is distinctive in his breeding plumage and has a golden eye. The female is plainer with brown eyes.

The shoveler can be recognised by its  large, wedge shaped beak and a low profile in the water. It is unusually quiet for a duck with just a soft call at night. A fast flying and mobile bird, it travels the length and breadth of the country.