KINGFISHER DIARY 2009 (with photos)

[Deer Stalker]

Good to hear Jeff. The Kingfishers come back on the New Forest streams about now.

[Keith Talbot]

good news jeff,

fingers crossed for a good 2009

[Ollie]

Good news Jeff and a great start to this years diary. I look forward to reading more.

[Picidae]

Positive start to the new season Jeff, look forward to hearing more.

Just a couple of questions.

Re: last year's fledglings - what would happen after fledging? Do the youngsters move on then to find new territories or do they stay in the area?

How long does it take for them to reach maturity? Do 2cy Spring birds breed or do they not reach breeding stage until their 3cy.

Oh ... ok ... another little one ... Is it possible to age Kingfisher after the first post juvenile moult?

[Meta menardi]

All I ever see is a flash of blue, thanks for giving us without the time, skill and patience to see what we will never see otherwise.

[wend5000]

Please can i come to yours! your pics are amazing as always!

Hoping to get some pics soon (prob at a reserve- as dont want to disturb the breeding pairs!)

Well done!

Wendy
x

[nightowl57]

Thank you for taking the time for the 2009 Diary, I am looking forward to this. I saw a Kingfisher from a hide on sunday, (my husband saw it first and almost fell off his seat from jumping up and down trying to point out where it was! ) The people in the hide, just sat in dead silence observing this beautiful bird whilist he preened himself. It was amazing. I learned from reading your diaries how to tell the difference between a male and female, which impressed my husband....Thanks!

[JeffH]

Thank you all for your very encouraging comments - it's your continuing interest that makes maintaining the Diary worthwhile

In answer to some of the points/queries raised:-

Originally Posted by pammosley

I bet you had the biggest of grins on your face as you walked home ..........Pam

You're absolutely right Pam - I did

Originally Posted by Picidae

Re: last year's fledglings - what would happen after fledging? Do the youngsters move on then to find new territories or do they stay in the area?

The parent birds feed their young for only 2-4 days after fledging and by which time (and in theory) the young birds are capable of fishing for themselves, though in my experience some much better than others.

Meanwhile, the parents will generally have started a 2nd (or even 3rd) brood.

Although the independent (?) youngsters will tend to stay in the area and find their own favourite fishing perches, within a few days the territorial instincts kick in and the parent birds will drive them off, leaving their young to find their own territories - if they can. Sadly mortality rates are high and it's thought that within a week or so of fledging it is rare to find more than half a brood alive and by the following breeding season some 75% will have perished.

Originally Posted by Picidae

How long does it take for them to reach maturity? Do 2cy Spring birds breed or do they not reach breeding stage until their 3cy.

Yes, 2cy birds will breed in their first Spring after fledging (incidentally and for those unfamiliar with the terminolgy, '2cy' means 2nd calendar year)

Originally Posted by Picidae

Oh ... ok ... another little one ... Is it possible to age Kingfisher after the first post juvenile moult?

So far as I'm aware ageing is not possible with any accuracy, though it is said that the orange/red colouring of the feet gets brighter with age and, in some birds, the transition of the feet colouring from the dark juvenile stage to the bright orange/red adult stage is slower than in others.

For instance, the female of last year's successful local breeding pair was still showing some darkness on her feet (indicating that she was definitely a 2cy bird) even after the fledging of her 2nd brood in late August, as shown by this photo from last year's diary of the young Mum (2nd from left) with 3 of her fledglings -



If anyone else has any questions please feel free to ask them and I'll do my best to answer.

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers and Barn Owls)

[NicolaB]

So glad that they've returned Looking forward to more diary updates and stunning pictures.

[Picidae]

Thanks Jeff for taking the trouble to answer all my questions! I'm sure there'll be more as the season progresses and who better to ask than the 'man on the ground' as it were

Super shot in the first post btw .... I'm sure good anticipation of their behaviour arising from such close studies in the field must help with the photography too!