Northern Shovelers at take off. Shovelers couples stay together longer than most dabbling ducks. They hook up in the winter and stay together until the fall migration. Pretty good especially when compared with those randy little Ruddy ducks who don't bother forming pairs at all. Another interesting thing about Shovelers...when flushed off her nest, a female will defecate on her eggs to deter predators. Seems like a pretty crappy strategy but whatever works, I guess.