The new Mute Swans have produced a brood of five Cygnets, first seen by me on June 13th, the original pair of Swans are still on the pond but confined to the east end. The new parents are being very cautious at this stage while the cygnets are still small.
There aren't many young water birds at the pond just now, first or earlier broods have nearly all been predated by the Gulls, most likely the Lesser Black-backed. There are a few young Coots and one or two Moorhens but no Mallard ducklings at present. Better news is that there were nine female Mallards in company with about fifteen males so new broods are likely. There are two pairs of Tufted Ducks but no signs of breeding.
Song birds must still have chicks in nests and I haven't seen Willow or Sedge Warblers for a few weeks. There was a Heron which landed on the island and went into the cover but I'm thinking it was hunting not nesting. There are also three domestic ducks on the pond, one large and pure white which is being bullied by the swans.
There seems to be two pairs of Black-headed Gulls around the pond
This Coot has survived the gulls and looks big enough to be safe. I watched a Lesser Black-back hit a smaller coot which seemed to be injured but with encouragement from both parents managed to get back to cover
This Dunnock was feeding on the crumbs left after the gulls had been fed with bread right next to the sign saying "Don't feed the gulls, they become aggressive"
Yes, it was me who ate all the ducklings. This Lesser Black-backed Gull has a black tip to its beak which the others don't and research suggests it's a 3rd summer bird. The Collins Bird Guide has a photo identical to this bird but it's a Baltic Gull so I'll ask someone wiser than me.
Look carefully and you'll see the females head just visible at the end of the males bill, it's not a subtle mating and sometimes the courtship is even violent
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