Kingfisher Diary (with photos)

[Bub-les]

Again thanks Jeff
You are so privileged thank you for sharing your time and photos.
Barbara

[Rob T]

Wow, this is some story Jeff, and the pictures are superb.
Im sure everybody is appreciative of your efforts to post this for us all to enjoy.
So well done and THANK YOU from me.

Regards

Rob

[stephen p]

Great stuff Jeff. I never tire of this thread it's great.

Love the Vole aswell

[JeffH]

UPDATE - 6th August 2008

Thank you everyone for your very kind comments following my last two-part update - I'll try to keep this one much shorter!

Well it's good news all round - firstly, our newly resident pair have just successfully hatched their 2nd brood

I spent some time last Friday evening and again early on Saturday morning watching the parents bringing in the tiny fish they feed to their new nestlings (as shown in part 1 of my 4th July update). However, within the next 2 -3 weeks they'll be back to catching and delivering the big stuff, as shown below -





The 2nd bit of good news is that during the last month or so the water level at the site has dropped to the lowest level I've ever seen, making fishing rather easier for the birds but also enabling me to wade over onto the island and to observe the birds from a hide spot I've cleared amongst the undergrowth on the opposite bank from the nesthole.

Finally, the last piece of good news is that within a half hour of my returning home from the site on Saturday morning and whilst I was having a cup of tea near one of our patio windows, one of the adult birds visited our garden pond and spent several minutes perched above it before making a failed dive for one of my fish and then flying off. As I mentioned in my last update, we hadn't seen any Kingfishers in the garden since the new pair took over the territory and after an absence of some 3 months it was great to see one back. The next evening and whilst I was out watching our local Barn Owls , my wife had the pleasure of seeing a further visit so I expect to see them in the garden on a regular basis again from now on.

Jeff

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REMINDER
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.
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[pressld2]

Excellent Jeff! Good news all round and a couple more top-notch photos. Considering they swallow these fish whole they must have large throats and stomachs!

Any progress with the book? Some good news on that front would be the icing on the cake!

Dave P.

[mrs fish]

I'm so pleased things have turned out better for the Kingfishers this year with their breeding

Great stuff

[John]

Excellent news Jeff, together with a couple of top notch photos as well. Sad for the poor young Roach but great for the Kingfisher family.

I can never get my head around a Kingfisher being a garden bird. What an honour and a privilege to have them begin to come back to yours.

With the low water level it looks like a boom time for Kingfishers in that area, especially if they are as healthy looking as the one in the photo.

John

[DavyG]

Excellent update Jeff, or in my case, 2 updates.

Somehow I'd missed part 2 of your July report, I really don't know how that happened!

Thanks for taking the time to post your reports, they make an excellent read and you pics, as always, are great.

Thanks again.

Dave

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by pressld2

.........Any progress with the book? Some good news on that front would be the icing on the cake! Dave P.

Thanks for the kind words Dave. As for the book, no major developments to report and it is likely to be a year or two before I find time (hopefully in retirement ) to complete it.

I have, however, been introduced to a local print company here in Cambridge which specialises in short runs of books (usually academic stuff) at a fairly modest cost, so that if a publisher doesn't take it on that's something to fall back on. One of the problems is that I have absolutely no idea just how many copies such a book might sell

One other bit of good news is that Simon Barnes (the Sport and Nature writer) has kindly agreed to allow me to quote from a recent article of his about Kingfishers in the preface to my book. I'll try to find a link to the article concerned - see PS below.

Mrs fish and DavyG - and thanks to you too for your continuing encouragement.

and John ("I can never get my head around a Kingfisher being a garden bird. What an honour and a privilege to have them begin to come back to yours") - I know exactly what you mean John. Eventhough the birds have been regular visitors for nearly 2 1/2 years now the thrill and excitement of seeing one in our very own garden never diminishes and friends/relatives who are lucky enough to be here during a visit just can't believe their eyes.

They've been seen in the garden nearly every day this week, probably because I recently re-stocked a pond with golden minnows which are a perfect size (and quite an easy target ) for feeding the recent hatchlings.

In fact, I saw one here this afternoon during the pouring rain and managed to grab a couple of quick shots, though being taken at an angle through rain-drenched double glazing has resulted in fairly poor quality photos -





Jeff

PS DaveP - here's a link to the article I mentioned - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle4282187.ece
The paragraph in question is his first one which I think sets the scene beautifully for a book on Kingfishers.

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by JeffH

As for the book, no major developments to report and it is likely to be a year or two before I find time (hopefully in retirement ) to complete it.

Writing a book certainly does take time and those barn owls are keeping you busy at the moment too!

I for one don't mind waiting as long as I've got the updates on this thread to look forward to.

And you're right - that paragraph from Simon Barnes is just perfect!

Dave P.