Richard Williamson, Country Life.
Eider ducks gather in our harbours in winter, sliding up and down the waves in deepwater channels, generally seen from places like East Head and Selsey Bill. But they are not easy to find unless you are a committed sea watcher and have a feel for the on-off sight of birds vanishing in troughs and briefly appearing on crests as though flashing signals to the shore.
They are our biggest duck and our most elusive. Even those denzions of the deep, scaup ducks are easier, gathering as they do around groynes or rocky shores in their search for mussels. As for the scoter duck, which also dives deep underwater for its food off the sea bed, well:easy. They are black and stick out like a Labrador on a dark night ( one reason why the yellow Labrador became more popular). Scoters also form long regular lines of black dots.....
For the full feature, read Richard Williamson's column in the West Sussex Gazette, January 26.