Helping the most beautiful!

[ExposingTheWild]

Hello people,

Having spent the whole of last summer trying to tracking down the elusive Kingfisher on the river Whiteadder in the Scottish Borders we have became rather fond of it.

Don't worry we were law abiding and did not disturb it/them. We knew this because we never saw it very much. The only time we did we...well you can check this film out to see how we did.

Anyway, I'll cut to the chase(!!!), I have now moved to Germany, Hamburg to be precise and my research over the summer has told me that Kingfishers suffer particularly badly with bad winters. I have seen the snow in the UK via my parents emails and it is pretty bad there, well I can tell you it is equally as cold and white in Hamburg.

I was thinking about the Kingfishers in Hamburg, I saw them about 2 years ago on a local Canal and about 4weeks ago in near enough the same place.

What I was hoping someone could tell me is, how can I help the Kingfishers during the winter months. It is common for the canals and lakes to freeze solid. I guess a whole in the ice would suffice? Any other suggestions.

Please be aware that I am a conservationist, zoologist and biologist and I am fully aware of the problems that disturbance can cause. This post is purely to ask if I can help them..without disturbing them.

With kind regards

S @ ETW

[Adam Cheeseman]

In Britain, many kingfishers move to estuaries, coastal areas and free flowing rivers to avoid the water freezing over. I can't imagine that a hole in the ice on a canal would actually much to help as I suspect that apart from the practicalities of catching fish, most birds would have moved off anyway.

Cheers,

Adam

[ExposingTheWild]

Fair point,

Would be interesting to know where they would go. In Hamburg there is a big lake, the Alster. It often freezes over.

I guess the coast is relatively close too. We'll see. I put a hole in the ice too, you never know ;-)

[rossy]

i can understand your worries, but as posted most move , as they have to , to survive, which is obvious, but you reckon you will put a hole in the ice, its going to have to be of some considerable size, as not for the kingfishers to become trapped underneath, sounds a bit dodgy to me, for you also as you could end up in there, be careful rossy.

[JeffH]

Sorry - duplicate post - see below.

[JeffH]

I'm not sure there's much practical help you can offer your local Kingfishers in terms of helping the birds maintain feeding sources when your local waterways are frozen.

However, I help our local population by keeping a section of my garden ponds ice-free (by means of an air pump) and stocked with small fish, so that they know they can always get a meal here even when the other ponds/lakes in the area are frozen over

By the way, did you know that in Germany Kingfishers are known as "Eisvogel" (or "icebird") as it was once believed that the birds nested on the ice

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

[ExposingTheWild]

Hello peeps,

Thanks for the info. Yes Jeff I knew about the bird of the ice :-). I haven't met a Hamburger yet that believes me that these birds are in their city, which I see as a good thing, less disturbance.

Jeff you say about stocking with small fish, do you think ground baiting would help attract small (any fish) as I can't stock the canal. Cool with the air pump.

S @ ETW

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by ExposingTheWild

......Jeff you say about stocking with small fish, do you think ground baiting would help attract small (any fish) as I can't stock the canal. Cool with the air pump. S @ ETW

Yes, ground baiting would certainly attract fish to a particular point - it's a technique I've successfully used myself in order to attract fish to a known Kingfisher perching position.

However, the problems I foresee in ground baiting a canal in winter are:-

1. The depth of the water - in terms of attracting fish for which Kingfishers would dive it would probably only be effective in a depth of about 50cm or less.

2. In a period of prolonged very cold weather it would be difficult to maintain an ice-free area in a canal as the ice would quickly re-form after breaking it. Yesterday I broke a hole in one of my garden ponds (at the opposite end from where the air pump is situated) but it had re-frozen in less than 45 minutes

Personally I take the view that unless you can keep the area concerned permanently ice free so that the birds have continuing access to a reliable food source, it is perhaps best and less risky for the birds (and for you!) to do nothing to encourage them to stay in the area but to allow them to follow their instincts and move to ice-free estuaries and other areas of water.

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

[Dogghound]

Additionally fish become fairly dormant and tend not to feed much, as well as group up in deeper channels when the water temperature is very cold.

[Wild-Woman]

I suppose the best thing is to help ensure that the canal/river stays clean, pollution free and a great habitat for the fish. That way, during the year when the water body is ice free, the kingfishers should stay well fed and healthy giving them a better chance of surviving a particularly bad winter.