“Well,” continued my new pal, “BirdGuides says it’s opposite us on the other bank.”
So I set up my scope, checked my guidebook and found the prime suspect. A bundle of brown and grey feathers was having a snooze among the flooded tree roots.
The most distinctive characteristic of the ring-necked duck is the band near the end of its beak (Image: Getty )
Its most distinctive characteristic is a white band near the end of its beak. Of course, it was sleeping with its beak tucked under its wing.
When God was allocating the patience gene he decided to miss me out. So I spent 30 frustrating minutes waiting for this exotic to move.