We are in the middle of a crisis at the Kingfisher nest site. The river is tidal, this wouldn't normally present a problem, however the height of each tide is dictated by the phases of the moon and there are two types of tide. The highest ones are spring tides, and the lowest are neaps and the height difference can be dramatic. Yesterday was a very high spring tide and when I visited the nest to check I could see that the morning tide had been up to within a foot of the nest hole! The worry is that the evening tide was going to be higher and when I left at 9 0'clock it hadn't quite reached the high line of the morning but there was still 30 minutes to go before it reached its full flood. Would it inundate the nest? It was getting dark when I left so when I return this morning I am hoping for a successful outcome. I didn't hear or see a Kingfisher last evening but that's not unusual as one was probably in the nest and I wasn't there for even an hour. It can be a lot longer before you hear or see one when they are incubating, so even though I am slightly concerned we will have to wait and see if everything is OK. All in all I am slightly pessimistic.
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