UPDATE – 5th April
Since my last report there has been a noticeable change in the birds’ behaviour which leads me to believe that the nest tunnelling stage is now complete and we are now into the egg-laying phase, which will be the subject of my next update.
Whilst digging the nest tunnel the birds showed a great deal of nervousness at the presence of any other birds. The area of water where they are nesting has Coots, Moorhens, Mallards, Canada Geese, Cormorants and Herons as daily visitors and each time any other bird(s) swam by the nest hole whichever of the pair was on ‘sentry duty’ (usually sat on a convenient perch I’ve positioned on the opposite bank about 8 feet away) would become quite agitated and give out an alarm call resulting in the other one emerging from the tunnel and joining its mate nearby to wait and watch until the intruder had left the area. Here’s a couple of photos – one of the male calling his mate from the nest hole and one of the pair of them waiting for a pair of mallards (just out of shot) to leave the area –
Digging the nest tunnel and chamber is obviously quite a dirty business and, as I mentioned in an earlier report, each time one of the pair emerged from the hole they would make several quick shallow dips into the water to cleanse their beaks, breasts and tail feathers. During the tunnelling stage (ie. before the nest chamber itself is completed) the birds reverse out of the hole using their stiff tail feathers in a sort of bulldozing action to push out the loose soil – it’s now obvious to me why evolution has given them that short stumpy tail!
Once the day’s digging was over both birds would then spend a surprising amount of time preening and generally cleaning themselves up. They each had a favourite perching position for this activity with the male preferring a perch in a fairly open position and typically spending up to 40 – 45 minutes sprucing himself up, whereas the female tucked herself away in the rather bushy lower branches of a nearby overhanging tree, often just above the level of the water, and would spend anything up to 1 ¼ hours on her beauty treatments. Noting this time differential I’m tempted to draw a comparison with humans but I’ll resist making any further comment for fear of upsetting the ladies
Here’s a couple of photos (of rather poor quality I'm afraid) showing some preening activity –
Incidentally, in an earlier report I confirmed that I do hold the necessary Schedule 1 Licence from Natural England to “disturb” these birds at or near the nest for the purpose of photography. I’m pleased to say that thus far I haven’t actually disturbed them once, being able to access and exit my on-site hide from behind the mound of earth on which it is situated and out of sight of the birds. However, I’m aware that many WAB members are strongly opposed to any kind of nest photography (authorised or otherwise) and during my own 30+ years of interest in birds I have always adhered to a self-imposed rule of not engaging in such photography, save for a few minor exceptions in my own garden.
With this in mind, I should perhaps also explain that my observations, records and photographs at this particular nest site are not some mere ‘flight of fancy’ on my part – there is a serious conservation purpose behind all this. Although we do not live close to any rivers or large lakes, there is a network of drainage dykes plus 6 largish ponds well stocked with fish (and many more small garden ponds such as my own) within a local area of about a square kilometre. These disjointed areas of water have been sufficient to sustain a local breeding Kingfisher population for 25 years or more and the particular nest site I am currently monitoring has been used several times in the past. However, this site is now under threat from possible development and my work is intended mainly to provide irrefutable proof that it is the nest site of a Schedule 1 protected species and to ensure that adequate measures are taken to protect the birds and the site. I don’t really want to say anymore on that issue at this stage for fear of heightening local sensitivities but I thought it important that WAB members should be made aware of the reasons for my actions.
Finally, I’ll post another update in a week or two.
Jeff