Ring-necked Duck at Balgavies and evidence provided by Goosanders at Keptie Pond, of the Carp breeding successfully. I will most likely go back to Balgavies when sun is predicted and I should really do the same at Keptie instead of late in the afternoon. Some video from a dull day of distant birds in these links.
Ring-necked Duck (drake) Ring-necked duck diving Redwing Fieldfare
Ring-necked Duck (drake) at Balgavies with a handy Tufted drake for comparison. Seen from the hide area where sometimes it's lost to view behind the reeds. Grey flanks with a white flash at the front, white where the bill meets the face and the rear crown is prominent
Not very close and not much light either
I was sent a photo at the weekend of a Goosander at Keptie Pond with a Carp in its bill which looked far to too big to swallow. I went and had a look late today and 3 Goosander were squabbling over an even bigger Carp which they eventually lost or abandoned. This is the first evidence I've seen of the released Carp breeding successfully, and it must have been a few years ago given the size of the young ones
Goosander male
Goosander male
Goosander female
Goosander female
Coots, they have character, or is it just aggression
The Pintail/Mallard hybrid couple, there's a second duck paired with a Mallard and the third looks to have disappeared
Pintail/Mallard hybrid drake. A true drake would have a completely white breast and belly, the legs would be dark grey and it wouldn't have an irridesant patch behind the eye. This bird shows a patch of purple to green depending on the light shining on it
The Pintail/Mallard hybrid duck (drake behind)