Black Duck – Barr Loch, near Lochwinnoch, Clyde, 3^rd December 1989

A decidedly unanimated Black Duck on ice, animated!!

A black duck! A distant male Black Duck, but despite the poor visibility it was distinct from the accompanying female Mallard.

It had been a twitch to break a grown man; Paul and I had driven north on the M6 and M74 through the dark and the fog before travelling through and beyond Glasgow and then south-west to Lochwinnoch on the M8 and A737.

Barr Loch and the surrounding area involved really good countryside, or it would have done if we could see it!

We were provided with good directions on site, and better, the bird, along with a small group of Mallard, was staked out as to rested out on the frozen loch, looking mightily upset with life in Scotland.

Was really a dark-coloured Mallard, but was distinctive in this, its grey-white under-wing (which it did obligingly show off), paler face and yellowish bill.

Almost as exciting was my second in the Scillies in October 1994. This was similarly inanimate, but involved better viewing, although the bird was not particularly co-operative; it flew from the rock upon which it had been perched near the edge of the Great Pool whilst I was erecting my ‘scope, and then continually up-ended on one occasion, and disappeared into the reeds on the other.

Black Duck, Great Pool, Tresco, Isles of Scilly, October 1994 (photographer unknown)