Lesson #1 - Flies

I went through to the Kinghorn Loch birdhide after lunch and stayed for 3 hours. When I arrived, the female swan, the pen, was just taking her newly-hatched brood of four into the water.

She just took them into the horsetails for 8 minutes before returning to the nest.  Dad, the cob, was way out across the loch.

During my stay, I was abe to see a number of waterbird families coming by.  Sadly some of them were further reduced in size.

The nearest coots still have their single surviving offspring which is now almost adult-sized.  They are still incubating their second clutch.

The further coots are down from 6 to 5 youngsters.

Mrs mallard returned with her ducklings.  She has lost a further two (now down to 6),

The moorhen put in a brief appearance but with only one chick.  She was close in to the edge so another may have been hiding amongst the margin plants.

Later, another mallard brought in 3 very tiny ducklings, probably only a day old.

A brief highlight was a near approach by a great-crested grebe (probaby a male), the closest I have seen one this year.

Finally, after 2 hours and 10 minutes, the swan roused again and led the youngsters back into the water just as the proud father arrived with wings partially raised in protective mode. Together they slowly made their way into the open areas of the loch.  I was particularly amused by the father's reaction when the cygnets approched him: he backed off!