Well, i visited my local patch today, Cullaloe (it's a local nature reserve in Fife, used to be a reservoir, now a SSSI for it's rare plants). I don't normally go there, preferring to go a bit further afield, but since i'm off work with a bad back at the moment (but you didn't realise that yesterday, Delia!
) i thought it would be nice to pop round.
The place was so much more lively than the last time i was there. Swallows absolutely everywhere, and for being at the side of the road, the bird song still managed to drown out the car noise (though i still can't tell one bird from another!) Saw a couple of willow warblers on the way to the reservoir, plus the usual suspects, chaffinch, blue tit, blackbird, robin and a mistle thrush.
The loch itself was quite quiet, but quite interesting. The coots were on the loch with their chicks (i counted 4 chicks with the one pair of coots, although i suspect there are more there) and the mallards had their chicks, too (5 of those). Plus the resident male ruddy duck. And of course the usual suspects, the grey heron, a pair of mute swans, at least 5 pairs of tufted duck, moorhen and plenty of coot.
Was only there for a couple of hours, but was a worthwhile little visit.