Another daft coot

Or it could possibly be the same daft coot that I blipped on 9th June. It was chirping loudly from what might be the beginnings of a nest, although I would have thought quite a lot of work was still required. This nest is in a marginally better position, near to reeds, but it could be much better sited actually within the reed bed. 

This is at Blackford Pond where I hadn't been for several weeks and I was pleased to see that all the cygnets were still present and correct along with their parents. There was also a moorhen family with tiny babies who had the good sense to stay at the margins of the reed bed or within it. 

Sadly however I saw two dead gulls in the water which I've never seen before and I wondered if it was bird flu, which had been detected way back in February. I emailed the ranger service and also messaged the Facebook group in case they weren't aware. I know at least 20 swans have died on St Margarets Loch in Holyrood Park where there's a large flock of non-territorial swans, and I really hope that the swans on Blackford Pond won't succumb. I will feel anxious about going back to the pond now, but I reckon that seeing the swan family today and the other birds was worth the dead gulls.

There's an extra of the swan family, who were being fed along with other birds, which shouldn't be happening as it risks spreading bird flu. But it's going to be difficult persuading people not to do it.