The Birds

After the customary visit to the market for pies, etc, Dave went across to Dunfermline for the match against Ayr. I had been intending to join him but had had such a poor night's sleep that I didn't feel like doing anything much. So I was at home to witness these extraordinary goings-on - at least five gulls clustered here in the corner of the parapet opposite, apparently engaged in mutal preening and a lot of crowing. Was it celebrating establishing a new nest site, a wedding celebration, some sort of group sex event or......the laying of an egg? It would seem to be very early for the latter.

Shortly after this calmed down and most of them flew off (leaving one sitting tucked down behind the parapet), there was an outbreak of magpies, presumably arguing over the nest site in the tree on the west side of the square. See extra. Think I saw a dozen of them at peak magpie.....