Duck's delight.

Mario's marina plays host to an eclectic bunch of characters. But none(well okay there have been a few!) are quite so strange as the latest addition to the population...Armando, the black bellied whistling duck...

I kid you not! The place has degenerated into a dating service for depressed ducks! And boy is this guy depressed. Little Armando has the misfortune to be a member of a strain of duck that doesn't really think it's a duck.

For a start they like to nest in trees, and poor old Armando has been left here with clipped wings. No tree climbing for him for a bit. Not only that, this particular breed like to mate for life and the fates have dealt this duck a dud hand. There are no other Black Bellied Whistling Ducks for miles and, as he can't fly there's no chance of meeting one. Oh and by the way they don't really like the water either, and he doesn't quack but whistles. One fucked up duck!

Poor Armando has taken up residence under the kitchen by the water's edge where he eyes up any visiting bird life. You can almost see the little guy's brain working as he tries to figure out why this feathered friend can't be his mate... well mainly 'cos they don't look anything like him duh! Poor old Armando no-mates!

There's a little heron, bit of a sort of bossy bitch bird who has taken him under her wing ( sorry couldn't resist that!) . She scolds him from her tree stump perch but also protects him from the bullying of the more aggressive native blackbird. Little Armando sports a rather neat mohican hairstyle which twitches with interest whenever the cormorant is diving close to the shore. He really does seem to be confused by the whole business of life as a duck.

Cruisers being what cruisers are, well especially one particular kind who try and adopt any small children and strays that get close enough, he has been provided with a crate for a home and sacks of corn and all sorts of unimaginable luxuries.

Cindy suggested to two of the staff, who live in the nearby village, that they take him home to find a mate. After a long and complicated conversation in Spanish she was told in no uncertain terms that this was Armando's home and we should get him a mate. Needless to say they knew just the place to buy one...Oh dear bonding has set in in a big way!

He is a cute little thing, not really big enough to warrant getting out the recipe for duck a l'orange, but you never know...