Red-breasted mergansers

Mergus serrator. I cycled along to Scapa Pier to see what was about. The tide was really high, so I couldn't do the beached birds survey today. Two great northern divers were nearby- one caught a sizeable crab.

These male RBMs seem to be sailing along amicably but one was actually trying to steer the other away from a female. They engaged in a fierce fight- one held the other by the throat and tried to drown it.