.
At the nest site. this evening there were some good developments. It wasn't long before I heard and then saw a bird fly past the nest burrow and down the river, and then back again. What transpired then was very reassuring. I have been trying to ascertain if there is a second clutch of eggs laid yet and if incubation has begun? Not being all that experienced with nesting Kingfishers, I still have a lot to learn so I have found it difficult to interpret behaviour. There was a lot of calling and it seemed as though the male was quite agitated as he flew to the bank by the nest, then he was disturbed by the usual dog walkers and I watched him come straight towards me and alight in the tree by the hide. To start with, this was different behaviour than I had seen before. The bird was quite aware of the presence of people and a dog just opposite and yet he chose to remain in the true watching, he flew back to the nest even though there were people nearby, previously when there had been people near he had flown away, only returning when it was completely quiet. I wasn't sure where he was but I switched the camera in to film mode and focused on the nest entrance for a couple of minutes. I didn't see him enter the burrow but when I checked the video I saw that he had quickly and quietly taken his place in the nest burrow. It seems that he had been waiting to take over his incubation duties and that's why he hadn't flown clear of the area. I think you can safely assume that there is a clutch of eggs and incubation has begun. I am thrilled that everything is progressing just the way I hoped it would.
Recent Comments