Tuesday 19 May 2020

Birds on my daily dander!



It's a bit of "make love not war" in this post, a sub adult Herring Gull trying to mate with an adult, a Mallard duck being harried by two drakes and House Sparrows fighting for the rights to a feeder.

A walk from Danger Point (Old Brewhouse), around the Harbour, Inchcape, West Links, Low Common and Keptie Pond. On return a few more backstep birds. Google still over brightening photos!

House Sparrow fledgling meets Tree Sparrow fledgling, click here

House Sparrow fledglings being fed, click here for video 


Dunnock, feeding or preening in the grass, click here for video 




One of three drake Eiders trying to court a female at Danger Point, Arbroath


The female


The happy couple



Lesser Black-backed Gull at Danger Point with three more in the area


This Mallard was being pursued by two males just out of shot and she just didn't want to play



Not so many Great Black-backed Gulls on Monday, although a few adults were still at the harbour



The male Herring Gull hasn't fully developed adult plumage, 4th calendar year/sub adult



Not the best photo ever, but my first sighting of a Small White this year, at Keptie Pond



Just two broods of Coots seen at Keptie, this one was three well developed birds touring on their own









I only saw two Moorhen chicks with different parents. The gulls always thin them out and the Mallard ducklings too, but I wonder if Foxes have a role to play as well



The Pintail/Mallard hybrids persist and as a pair, but as expected they haven't produced a brood and don't look likely to



The Pintail/Mallard duck



One of the many Jackdaws around at Inchcape Park, flushed by Olive who wouldn't deviate from her path





New on Monday morning in my garden, this House Sparrow fledgling with two siblings, the Tree Sparrow family are still there every day, and a new scruffy looking Dunnock fledgling which is very shy as I'd expect



Mum House Sparrow feeding the begging chick



A lot of rivalry and violence for a while at this feeder with some photos showing eye gouging!



And it's the women causing the trouble, no surprise there






This Blackbird must be near to fledging young as it's become ever more tame and keen to feed, and remains dominant, defending it's patch from all-comers



Almost posing like a Capercaillie


Not seeing the Blue Tits very often and none have nested in my boxes, one is empty, the other has a Buff-tailed Bumblebee nest in it

The Dunnock parent and assumed to be a moulted female


Greenfinch male, yes it really is this yellow green



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