As many WAB members will know, I've been privileged to have a female Kingfisher visiting my garden ponds on a regular basis for nearly a year now.
I'm delighted (and excited!) to report that she's now found herself a mate
Even better - the pair appear to have set up territory around a relatively small area of water within a few minutes walk from my home
I've been observing the pair for nearly two weeks now on an almost daily basis and it's been fascinating to watch their courtship rituals at fairly close range.
So I thought I'd share the pleasure with my fellow Kingfisher-loving WAB members by starting this Diary with regular reports and photos - I hope all the Kingfisher fans enjoy it.
The first photo below shows the female awaiting her mate in their territory -
The next photo shows the male having arrived with a fish for his mate -
This 3rd photo, although of poor quality, is the best I've got so far of the pair together. It shows the female consuming a fish brought to her by the male. Unfortunately, the delivery and passing of the fish caught me by surprise and took place so quickly that I was just too slow to capture the moment. Immediately after this copulation took place (again I was too slow to capture on camera
) and the male then flew off - I believe that's what today's youngsters call a cheap date
Anyway, more news/photos as it happens.
Jeff