Gadwall are quite secretive compared to thir cousins the Mallard. Proving the fact of them breeding has always been a challenge. Seemingly later breeders they have the advantage of more vegitation to hide within. I suspected they were breeding several years before I eventually managed to glimpse a female with young. somehow Mallards are much earier - the females always seem to make far more noise.
This last few weeks I've mange to find two pairs - one a I knew about for some time and its two ducklings are failry well grown now, but there is another - though with only one chick.
The first time I found here she flew off the ditch it was on circled around calling and then landed on the main river very alert some 50 metres away. So it was only a matter of time before I spotted any brood.
The RSPB had a useful collection of data on bird species and this is the link for the Gadwall:
Gadwall on RSPB website
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