Teal Time

Nice early start allowed me to drop into both Cullaloe and Inverkeithing this morning, where Teal were the main feature of the day. The normally skulky collection of Teal at Cullaloe were instead out in full view on the pond and uber-active. Some seemed to have paired off already and stood apart from the crowd, while unpaired males swarmed around available females and displayed. Their head display is so quick that it's hard to catch in a photo, pushing their head forward and up before whipping it backwards, all in a fraction of a second. One female At Cullaloe paddled round in circles as drakes flew in front of one another to get her attention. This scene was also playing out at Inverkeithing when I arrived there.

Nothing appeared to be actively migrating especially, an a Dunlin count of 40-odd was as good as it got. While some gulls loafed around there wasn't anything of note.

Loafing Herring Gulls

Common Gulls

Black-headed Gulls and Dunlin

Dunlin

Teal in typical Inverkeithing setting

Look at me! Look at me!

Another suitor

Unusually approachable Redshank

Domestic exotica

Oh, what a Beautiful Morning

Woke late at 7:30 to an already bright day (sunrise 7:40) and managed a first for the year - visiting two patches before work. Glorious sunshine and not too cold either (4-5 degrees).

First up was Dalbeath Marsh for a quick check - really I'm just looking for any drop-ins on the water, and the only thing of note is a new high for Tufties at 13. Coot and Moorhen continue to prepare for breeding and 4 pair of mallard could produce a result later. The Mute Swans were back again but I can't believe they'll breed successfully - this is a reserve which has as residents three footballs and a computer monitor - in the water, and disturbance must be enormous. Let's see.

Tufties new high of 13

Likely breeding candidates you would think

On then to Inverkeithing to see if anything interesting had turned up on the river. It hadn't, but the nice weather feeling was shared by a number of singing species and a sense of urgency amongst the feeding Dunlin in the harbour - 38; not a bad total. Teal had also increased to c.25. Nothing new was added to either species list this morning, but with the great weather I honestly didn't care!

Love is in the air

Feeding up