Kingfisher Behaviour

[sleipnerofasgard]

Maybe Jeff H could help with this,i went to my local patch to try to improve my kingfisher shots and was greeted with a plethora of them,no i know that's not a collective noun so it appears that some have recently fledged.i don't know how many there are in a brood usually but i seen at least four but i think there may be five,they were flying around in pairs as if racing each other and when two disappeared at the top end another two shot across from the opposite side,and when one ,which i presume was an adult hovered overhead and then hit the water and came up with a fish it was pestered all the way back to the nest, or at least that is what it looked like.
The most i seen at any one time was three but it was usually two and they were zipping around for about an hour or so before i had to leave.They are probably still at it now. Really spectacular of course i didn't get any decent pictures as they were much too energetic and when they did rest it was usually half way down the mere at some distance and out of my range,still,it was a pleasure to watch the whole spectacle,so thats tomorrows plans sorted

[ron1863]

You lucky sod

[sleipnerofasgard]

Went again today,not as spectacular as yesterday but still plenty of action including four in the air at one time plus a coach load from Nottingham.Must have read this thread,any of you Wabbers on that one,nobody said hello

[ellen h]

Originally Posted by ron1863

You lucky sod

My thoughts exactly!! lol
ellen

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by sleipnerofasgard

Maybe Jeff H could help with this,i went to my local patch to try to improve my kingfisher shots and was greeted with a plethora of them,no i know that's not a collective noun so it appears that some have recently fledged.i don't know how many there are in a brood usually but i seen at least four but i think there may be five,they were flying around in pairs as if racing each other and when two disappeared at the top end another two shot across from the opposite side,and when one ,which i presume was an adult hovered overhead and then hit the water and came up with a fish it was pestered all the way back to the nest, or at least that is what it looked like.
The most i seen at any one time was three but it was usually two and they were zipping around for about an hour or so before i had to leave.They are probably still at it now. Really spectacular of course i didn't get any decent pictures as they were much too energetic and when they did rest it was usually half way down the mere at some distance and out of my range,still,it was a pleasure to watch the whole spectacle,so thats tomorrows plans sorted

Nice one Frank - it's really great that you and many other people are able to witness such a spectacle from a public hide on a nature reserve (I presume by "local patch" you do mean Martin Mere - I certainly hope so!) and without the danger of getting too close to the nest site, the risk of disturbance to the birds and the need for a Schedule 1 licence, etc. Such opportunities are few and far between.

I can confirm that five is a typical brood size for Kingfishers and what you are seeing is the fast-track upbringing that fledgling Kingfishers get from their parents. But make the most of it - as after 3 or 4 days the young birds are usually driven out of the territory by the parents to make their own way in the world.

The parent birds will then probably have another brood (2 is typical and 3 in a good year) with the female perhaps having already started egg-laying, often in a different nesthole.

Unfortunately, by the time they're forced out by their parents many juveniles simply haven't developed their fishing skills sufficiently well to survive on their own. Some youngsters also struggle to find an unoccupied territory with sufficient food resources and, sadly, mortality rates are high.

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for the photography and for the monitoring of Kingfishers and Barn Owls)

************************************************** *******
PLEASE REMEMBER -
As a fairly rare and easily disturbed bird, the Kingfisher is afforded the highest degree of legal protection under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. If you “intentionally or recklessly” disturb a Kingfisher whilst trying to photograph it “in, on, at or near” the nest or whilst it has dependent young, and without the necessary Licence from Natural England, you may be committing a criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to £5,000 and/or a prison sentence of up to 6 months.
************************************************** *******

[sleipnerofasgard]

Close Jeff H ,it was mere sands wood,and quite a few turned up today including a coach from nottingham,and three people in the hide i was in were treated to four flying across at the same time

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by sleipnerofasgard

Close Jeff H ,it was mere sands wood,and quite a few turned up today including a coach from nottingham,and three people in the hide i was in were treated to four flying across at the same time

I must admit that despite being a Lancashire lad I've never heard of this reserve before, though it is more than 31 years since my wife and I were exiled here to the flatlands of East Anglia!

I've just had a look at the reserve's website and it sounds good - I'll perhaps visit next time I'm up that way.

Jeff

[GME]

Hi sleip. I was there again on Sunday too. Probably sat next to you in the hide! We should have some way of identifying each other! I watched them in awe also. It was great to see them all flitting about. Ted (don;t know if you know him? one of the volunteers) said one came to the perch, but not whilst I was sat there, and I was there for a while I saw the one you mentioned catch the fish (well, it could have been the same time after all, i'm sure it did it more than the once!) but it did hover for a while before diving down as you described. Like you, no decent pics (a few blue whizzing blobs in the distance). It did get busy in the hide at times, and I did wonder about the coach parked up! It was much busier than usual, but the weather was good I suppose

Maybe see you next week then, ha

Gareth

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by GME

Hi sleip. I was there again on Sunday too. Probably sat next to you in the hide! We should have some way of identifying each other! I watched them in awe also. Gareth

How about dropping camera and then saying "Now that's something I'm not wild about"

May have to carry sacrificial camera, and be prepared to be seen as someone who is a little casual with their gear.

I am not sure I have thought this through.

[sleipnerofasgard]

Hi Gareth we must stop not meeting like that i was determined to stay in that redwing hide for as long as possible but at around 2 i decided to go for some afternoon tea at brandreth barn and have a quick look at martin mere,glad i did as i got some close up views of green sandpiper at hale hide and a common outside the window at raines hide which i think someone told me were turnstones.failed to spot either the little egret,spoonbill or the med gull.this is the nearest i've come to a decent pic at redwing hide