Cormorant courtship display?

Still photographing everything in sight and sometimes unusual things I've never seen or captured before. The Cormorant display below looked weird!

My first site of the day was Loch of Kinnordy where it appears that the Bittern has gone, maybe coincidental with one appearing in Lothian? Looking at the photos below the only birds of note were the Bramblings at the feeders and a distant Red Kite. I moved on to Forfar Loch which appeared devoid of life but closer attention and a bit of sun, and dare I say heat, helped.

(Editors note: Just recalibrated my PC monitor to "hopefully" ensure that the blog photos don't appear over-exposed).

 Male Cormorant displaying to a female on Forfar Loch, something I can't remember seeing before which he carried on for many minutes as they drifted too far away. He appears to be paddling hard to raise himself from the water at the same time puffing out his neck and gular pouch. I had a look on Google images for a similar photo and couldn't find one

The female joined in

The male, or perhaps another in a normal state during breeding season

I've included this male Brambling as it has lost the tip or half of its lower mandible which may make feeding difficult and mean it would find feeding around the feeders at Kinnordy a better option than foraging elsewhere. At first on another photo it looked to have a "crossbill" which is something I'd seen on a Reed Bunting once which had survived into adulthood successfully

Comparison of two beaks

A pretty tatty adult Buzzard at Forfar Loch

Also at Forfar an immature in much better condition and quite pale

Red Kite from the Gullery Hide, Kinnordy. Good to see Red Kites these days without wing tags

First I'll declare I have a thing for gulls and these Lesser Black-backed are a favourite. They're less of a beast than the Great Black-backs, more colourful, but they do eat the ducklings at Keptie Pond each year. This one was at Forfar Loch with five others and has a yellow ring "T:75H". Ringed as an adult at Forfar Loch Ranger Centre on 12/8/15 - GR88061, the only other report so far!

Same bird at Forfar Loch

One of the Lesser Black-backs at Keptie Pond which remain wary until late spring or summer, currently they drift away from anyone walking around the pond

Magpie at Forfar Loch. There were Magpies all of the way around, this one the only one that didn't immediately fly into a tree out of sight

One of a small group of Long-tailed Tits seen near the car park on the north bank of Forfar Loch

Coots battling over territory at Keptie Pond. A fourth bird out of shot eventually joined in. Another reason to visit when it's sunny and earlier in the day