It is a Flag Day

The yellow water iris - Iris pseudacorus.


There must have been a crisis at the loch earlier today. Not sure what hapened. When I left last night, Mrs grebe was on the nest incubating two eggs with two chicks on her back. The male was nearby.
Today, the nest was deserted with no sign of eggs. No sign of the male either in the 2 hrs I was there. Mum was swimming around in the middle of the loch. I was able to capture photographic evidence that she has just two chicks with her (at that distance, of too poor quality for a blip).


Confirmation that she has no more than 2 chicks came from another visitor who stated there were two unattended eggs in the nest at 8:30 this morning.


A vacant property doesn't stay empty for long.  Squatters moved in by mid-afternoon - a mallard duck with just two of her chicks left out of seven newly hatched a week ago. (See the 'Extra' photo.