The arctic terns have begun their early summer residency down at Balcomie. There were about 40 on the rocks yesterday and 25 today. They gather for a week or two before getting down to nesting on the May Island. There is a lot of courtship feeding that goes on. The terns are all pumped up to breed and any carrion crow or great black-backed gull that came near would get mobbed and dive bombed.

And coming from the May rather than heading to it, the first eider chicks of the year. Two with two females just off Balcomie Beach. I should think that a lot of the flotilla of chicks that set off from the island didn’t make it across to Fife Ness. It has been windy and the sea a bit choppy. These two should be alright now with a couple of females to look after them and a sheltered beach covered in rotting seaweed and its attendant maggots and flies to feed up on. The same is also doing the shorebirds well this week: there were over 120 today, mostly ringed plover, then sanderling with 20 or so dunlin. More than 10 whimbrels, 30 or so turnstones and a couple of wheatears were keeping them company.

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