Wildlife in a Suburban Garden

Tree Bumblebee - Bombous hypnorum

Bumblebees! Apparently there are 6 easily recognised and easy to identify species in the UK, at least thats what I have read repeatedly. But if only it was that easy because it really isn't.  The species with white tails are almost impossible to sperate with certainty, they vary in size between individuals and then as they age yellows turn to white, bleached by the sun.  I haven't given up but I am frustrated to say the least. The Red-tailed bee can also vary dramatically, males have yellow faces and thorax, the first confusion and then the red can turn bright yellow when bleached by the sun, very confusing.  So, imagine my delight when I saw a Bumblebee yesterday that I could identify immediately as a species that I hadn't seen before. But murphy's law meant that I hadnt got my camera with me. So I went back hoping to find it again and it was easier than I thought. In the end I found 2. It was a Wood Bumblebee Bombous hypnorum. This is a really distinctive bumblebee as you can see.  It has a white tail but unique amongst the other white tailed species was the distinctive rufous thorax.

I mentioned how individuals vary and you can see that here, this is a queen or worker.  I have included some pictures below of bees that I am yet to identify with certainty.

 

A newly fledged Blackbird in the garden

This young Blackbird was sat on my lawn this afternoon and  for the second day running.  It's a lucky bird, we have a had terrible predatory domestic cat problem in our neighbourhood and usually by now it would have been a goner!  Luckily for it one of my neighbours moved out recently and took her nasty cats with her!!!!! The wildlife has a chance!   What a beautiful little thing it with life exuding from it's eyes!  There is a down side though, rats have arrived and so it seems I need to to take the rough with the smooth!  The rat catcher is dealing with the problem.

If you don't know about Blackbirds, they are Britain's most common thrush species and  in the family "turdus".  The most well known member of the family in the USA is the American Robin (Turdus migratorious).

 

Male or female Goldfinch?

I have noticed over the years how often people come to the blog to try and find out how to tell the difference between a male and female Goldfinch (carduelis carduelis). I saw a pair today and it was so obvious which one was which. The female, as you can see was noticeable brown on the head whereas the male had a much darker mask... thats the dark patch between the eye and the beak. It's often said that the red on the face extends further back but in these individuals that isnt the case. However, in the female the red is not as intense and hass a little hint of orange. The male is much more intense red. 

The woods and gardens have a different feel abou them now with lots of immature birds around.  The adult tits are in a bit of a state and in their moult.  This one is a real mess.

When I arrived at the caravan hide I was quickly joined by a Jay which flew in to the food that I have been putting out for them this last few days.  Once I have some good regular visits from the Jays, and it looks as though they are coming to the food already, I will concentrate on photographing them in flight which is alwys a challenge but really good fun.

 

A Jay leaves the food source, more to come in the coming weeks.

 

Finally some nice photos of Red-tailed Bumble Bee - Bombous lapidarius.

This is a male and a very attractive bee. Female's are all black with a red tail whereas females have some yellow on the thorax and face.

Bees from around my Caravan hide

Red Tailed bee - Bombus lapidarius female.

I spent just a short while with my camera  at my caravan hide area yesterday.  I attached my macro lens to photograph some of the bees and other insects from the area.  Ragwort, a controversial plant that is poisonous to livestock when dry, is abundant and in flower at the moment, providing pollen and nectar to all kinds of insects.  It's a shame that it obviously can't be tolerated because they do provide quite a source of food for bees and they need as much help as possible.  I dont find bees that easy to identify but I can usually arrive at an answer with a bit of hard work.  The first bees below are probably the easiest to identify but then you come up against a Red tailed bee with a yellow tail, you are bound to be confused by that if you are an interested but quite casual observer like myself.  There are only 6 or so common species of bumble bee in the UK, it should therefore be a relatively simple matter to name them, trust me..... it rarely is easy!

 

Bombus lapidarius male.  Males have a yellow face and a yellow band.

 

 

Red Tailed bee - Bombus lapidarius  bleached by the sun. 

Red Tailed bee - Bombus lapidarius  (bleached by the sun).

 

 

Lasioglossum calceatum (Slender Mining bee)

This is an update:  It turns out that the bee above and below is a Slender Mining Bee- Lasioglossum calceatum, apparently one of the most common mining bee species, oddly if that's the case, I wonder why I haven't seen one before?

 

Apparently they have striped legs which you can just about see, this is a way of identifying this species......oh and it's a male!

 

 

 

Common Carder Bee - Bombus pascorum

I have noticed Common Carder Bees before at this time of year so I wasnt surprised when I started to see them in the garden this week.  They are an interesting bee, smaller than other  Bumble Bees with a noticeable striped abdomen. They have a long tongue and dont seem to fly as quikly as the other bumble bees making it easier to photograph them while they are flying.

The dark background was created by the inside of the garage behind.

Showing the long tongue.

6 Penguin species.

African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus)

Penguins need very little description, they are of course recognised by everyone. Surprisingly there are only 17 species worldwide, all found in the southern Hemisphere.  I have been lucky enough to see  6 different species in the wild.  Most recently, the African Penguin,  at Simonstown in South Africa and also out at sea off  Cape Point.  This penguin, although not the most northerly species, never the less, breeds in a very temperate climate and has strategies for dealing with a warm climate. My  first species  ever  was the Galapagos Penguin.  This is the most northerly Penguin exclusively found in the Galapagos.  Their existence is fragile to say the least.  There seems to be only an estimated 1000 remaining now and due to development of the Islands, fishing  and tourism, their future is insecure.  It seems a total contradiction that the main threat is from tourism and from people that care enough to travel to see them!  Quite a quandary.  My recollections and memories  of seeing this species are as clear now as the day I saw them in 1972.  We were going ashore from the Royal Yacht Britannia in a small rubber craft. The Penguins were on the sharp, jagged rocks that bordered the small bays.  As we cruised in slowly  towards the rocks I remember seeing the small penguins shooting under water beneath the boat. A wonderfull sight. Unfortunately, all the photographs taken on that  trip were on 'half-frame" slidess and haven't survived the 40 years.

My next Penguin encounters were also very special.  I was in the Falkland Islands with the Royal Marine Band. We had just arrived on the island and while my fellow band members made a bee-line to the pub, I made my way to an area about 2 miles from the main airport camp. When I got to the beach area I managed to photograph a small colony of Gentto Penguin.  If my memory serves me correctly, there were only 10 or so breeding pairs of Gentoo here.  This species nests above ground and this small colony was at the edge of the beach in an isolated spot. It was late evening and on this lonely beach, standing close to the surf, like two holiday makers on a day trip,  were two King Penguins!  This is probably the best  and most memorable wildlife moment of my life, quite a lucky encounter with two non-breeding birds, the rarest Falkland Island breeding penguin.  Unfortunately, I didnt have a camera with me and I can only tell the story.  Two species that I did photograph in the Falklands were the Magellanic Penguin -  Spheniscus magellanicus.This pair were breeding in a burrow close to Port Stanley. At that time, the presence of minefileds left over from the recent Falklands war was having a  very positive effect, enabling birds like the Magallenic Penguin to breed in the sand dunes near to Port Stanley without being disturbed. 

Magellanic Penguin - Spheniscus magellanicus, Port Stanley Falkland Islands

However, my trip to a Rockhopper Penguin colony was a once in a lifetime affair. I managed to "blag"  a lift in an RAF  Wessex Helicopter and was taken to a massive colony which contained thousands of pairs of  Rockhoppers, an amazing spectacle.  The noise was tremendous and the smell very  strong. It was amusing to see them making their way up to the colony from the sea in single file,  a journey of hundreds of yards across the steep grassy banks.  Being part of a band at the time, famous for marching along in straight lines, I found this very amusing.

 

Southern Rockhopper Penguin - Eudyptes chrysocome

 

 

Rabbit photographs.

You can tell by this photo that I didnt have a successful bird evening yesterday. But I sat watchinga a group of rabbits in the hope that a nearby  Buzzard would come and try for one. Needless to say, it didnt but I thought that, in the late evening sun, the rabbits looked really attractive.

Turkey or Black Vulture

I have an extensive collection of photographs featuring around 1000 species from 5 continents.  I get a lot of pleasue from looking at them and I have decided to feature them on the blog more often.  Today I am featuring some vulture species.  The first is the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), a common bird in the USA.  I see them on every visit to Florida and I have also seen them in New York State, Belize, Mexico and the Caribean. As you would guess, they are scavengers and do a useful job removing decaying bodies from the habitat.  The Turkey Vulture is not related to the Vutures of the old world but convergant evolution means tha they are very similar. They are a large bird with a magnificent two metre  wing span.  They locate their prey by smell  and can detect the chemicals given off by a freshly killed carcase which is an unusual skill. They are a protected species in Canada, USA and Mexico. 

 

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) feeding on a road kill Racoon carcase.

 

The Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) (below) is a similar species but more compact and with shorter wings than the Turkey Vulture.  Apparently it's behaviour is different, they do not have the ability to smell their prey but follow the Turkey Vulture's who do posses this skill. They are more aggressive and dominant over the larger Turkey Vulture and will also kill newly born animals such as calves. They will take out the eyes of the calf which causes shock and then the vultures will feed on the  freshly killed carcase.  Black Vultures have a less extensive range than the Turkey being absent from Southern Canada and the lower regions of Souhern South America.

There's quite a difference in the heads of the two species, but they both have naked skin on the head which enables them to feed without clogging the face with blood.

You can clearly so the difference in nostrils which have no nasal septum,that's  the tissue seperating the two sides of the nose.

European Oystercatcher - Haematopus ostralegus

An adult with youngster.

I find European Oystercatchers quite difficut to get close to so I was pleased to be able to get an opportunity today.  Jenny and I went again to Rumps Point,  Cornwall  to try and catch sight of the Puffins that are reported to breed here in small numbers.  I have read recently that they had been seen and as we hadnt been lucky on our previous trip in May we thought we would have another go.  We drew a blank again, no idea why I couldnt see them but I scanned the nearby island with a scope and also searched the water for an age but there was no sign I am afraid to say.   There were a few Oystercatchers about and I noticed 3, two and their youngster on some nearby rocks and I managed to creep closer and closer without disturbing them.  I took a few photographs so my day wasn't totally wasted photography wise, but with the gorgeous weather and scenery to match, it was a lovely day all in all.  The Oystercatcher - Haematopus ostralegus is one of several Oystercatcher species that I have seen on my travels and for a comparison here is a photograph of the African Oystercatcher - Haematopus moquini   that I photographed in Cape Town at the beginning of the year. That species is all black and not pied like our familiar and much more common bird. The population of ostralegus  is thought to be 1.2 million  whereas the population of moquini  is estimated to be only around 5000.

 

9 Cormorant species from four continents.

Cormorants are a great family of birds with different species all around the world giving the birdwatcher and photographer lots to get their teeth in to.  They are a very noticeable species and exclusively fish eaters which they catch by diving under the water to chase down their prey.  They can be found in both fresh and salt water.  In the UK the European species is at the centre of much controversy due to the predaion of fish stocks. This affects the hobby of angling with the cormorants eating massive amounts of stocked fish from artificially stocked commercial fisheries.

 

Phalacrocorax carbo - (Great Cormorant)

Devon UK.

 

Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis - (Chinese Cormorant )

Sri Lanka

 

 

Phalacrocorax cororanatus (Crowned Cormorant)

Cape Town South Africa

Phalacrocorax capensis (Cape Cormorant)

Cape Point South Africa

Microcarbo niger - (Little Cormorant)

Sri Lanka

Phalacrocorax auritus (Double Crested Cormorant)

Haulover marina, North Miami Florida USA

Phalacrocorax aristotelis (Shag)

Beer, East Devon UK

Phalacrocorax fuscicollis- (Indian Shag)

Sri Lanka

Phalacrocorax atriceps (King Shag)

Falkland Islands

 

Comparing 5 large Heron species.

 

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

A new feature on the blog today, I am calling it...."Picture of the Day"  this is a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias),  photographed in the Florida Everglades. This is a species is very similar to the Grey Heron (below)  that we are familiar with in the UK and Europe, they are very similar.  This one was on the Exeter Canal.

 

 

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

The Grey Heron is a predatory bird, in fact the UK's largest preadatory bird.  They eat mainly fish and frogs but will also take ducklings, voles and even baby rabbits.  Below is a Purple Heron, larger than the Grey Heron and a resident of Europe and ocassionally we see them in the UK.   Their diet is going to be exactly he same as the birds above.

 

 

Purple Heron - Ardea purpurea

A handsome large bird even  bigger than than the Grey Heron, I have seen them in Spain, Sri Lanka and the one above was photographed in Cape Town.

The Great White Egret is another favourite of mine and a very familiar sight in the USA but very surprisingly this is also a bird of Europe and regularly, now the UK.  I always see them on my regular visits to the USA in fact they are hard to avoid and you will see them with certainty in the right habitat.  The face changes colour depending on their breeding condition.  This one was photographed at Sawgrass Park in the Everglades. 

Great White Egret -Ardea Alba

 

Black - headed Heron-Ardea melanocephala

This is a Black - headed Heron Ardea melanocephala another large heron this one was photographed on a golf course in the Western Cape, South Africa.  An interesting bird because they are not as aquatic as the other ones featured.

 

The baby Kingfishers fledge the nest.

 

Meet one of the baby Kingfishers!  I went to the nest site at 7 this morning in the hope that, at last the babies would have left the nest.  I made my way to the hide and immediately I saw two Kingfishers...... there are babies at last!  They flew just to the right and I could see one perched right out in the open, low on a willow branch.  I was elated, its been quite a journey. I took a few photos and sat watching him, yes it was a male.  He was gorgeous, completely fully feathered and he looked very strong. Suddenly another  joined this one, and then just behind some branches, there was a third.  So it looks like there is three, the first mystery solved and I am pleased because that is what I had predicted over the last few days. I sat quietly watching them, they were nervy and constantly changing their positions on the perch, one second facing me, the next, looking the other way. They bobbed up and down constantly.  Suddenly, the male arrived to feed them, I could clearly see that he had a fish and there was excited calling from him and a kind of chirping from the babies.  Unfortunately he didn't feed them on this perch but flew further up stream and the three babies followed him and disappeared out of sight. I had waited and waited for weeks to try and get a photo of this and I came very close!  After an hour they still hadn't returned to the original perch and I rushed home to have a look at the pictures, planning to return later in the morning for another chance to see the male feeding them while they are still dependant on him.  So there it is, after a long wait just like an expectant father, the babies have eventually arrived and three more babies are out there for us all to enjoy whenever anyone is lucky enough to grab a glimpse of them.

 

 

This shows the colours and plumage that indicate a juvenile. A white tip to th end of the beak, dark feet rather than red and smokey dark on the breast .

 

 

Bees in flight

Gone are the days of just being happy with bees nectaring in flowers, they are more interesting to photograph in flight.

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Unbelievably, the Kingfishers still haven't fledged.

Yet another picture of one of the  adult Kingfishers  coming to the nest this morning.  I am now more than amazed that they still haven't fledged the nest.  I had expected them to have left 6 days ago and I am really surprised that  my observations and then predictions earlier on were so off the mark.  There is a possibility that they have fledged during the day today while I have been away but, it's a mystery and I fully expect fledging to take place tomorrow. Fingers crossed because my patience is now being stretched having visited the nest site every morning for the last 2 weeks...... I could do with a rest!!!

Red-legged Partridge

If you read my Blog entry from yesterday evening you can see that I had been out to a location in Mid-Devon to photograph Little Owls, a species that has eluded me for many a year although they are around, its just a matter of luck, a good tip off or being in the right place at the right time..  I drove home full of excitement after some great success and nearly collided with a Red-legged Partridge which was in the road in front of the car.  I stopped immediately and backed up far enough away so that I could get the camera out of the boot without disturbing it.  It waited around for some weird reason and then I took some nice pictures. This is another species that is not rare here in Devon, possibly this one could have even been released for shooting because this is the fate of this beautiful game bird in exactly the same way as 1000's of Pheasants.   Never the less this is a species that I haven't taken  good pictures of before and I gladly took the opportunity.  A car approached from the other direction and then it scurried up drive way and in to a farm yard where it posed on top of an old dung pile and what looks like, oddly road salt?

I am quite used to the idea of Pheasants being shot but the idea of shooting these Partridges is a bit more difficult to accept as pretty as they are.  But you have to accept that without shooting they would not be here.

Little Owls in Devon

I couldnt believe my luck this evening.  I had been invited over to a property somewhere in Mid-Devon because they had Little Owls breeding around the farm yard.  I tripped over this evening just for a recce, I wanted to take a look and then plan a strategy to get some photographs.  As I was being shown around I saw a Little Owl  after just a few minutes and then another just a few moments later.  Brilliant.  This is a bird that I have seen before of course but rarely in Devon and even more rarely in the last 10 years.  This site is deffinitely going to be kept very secret at the wish of the owner and I am not going to betray that trust.

I decided to sit down by a fence close to where I had seen the bird and it wasn't long before it apeared again high in an Oak tree looking down on me beneath.  It was wonderful to get a really good look at it and see the bright yellow eyes staring down at me.   At first I missed the shot, I was disappointed but not undaunted and remained until it returned for another look at me and this time I was ready and  I  took some nice pictures.  I have got a good  planto go back and get som more pictures and I am sure that I will have some good phots to show you before very long.

Kingfishers, more of the same.

It was more of the same at the nest this morning but it is worth recording a pattern that has started to emerge.  At first when I arrived,  it was 40 minutes before I even heard a Kingfisher let alone saw one.  The usual fears started to go through my mind as I waited, had they been disturbed so much yesterday that they had deserted the youngsters or had they fledged the nest and departed the area?  Both of those scenarios were dismissed when I heard a bird at last.  As is usual, after hearing the bird and then noting the silence it was less than a minute before, there it was disappearing in to the burrow..... always a relief to see...... Then, during the next few minutes their were two further visits before it went quiet again and after another half an hour there had been no sign. So, heres my theory.  The birds have settled in to a pattern of feeding each youngster, one at a time and then resting for the next 50 minutes or so before reapeating the pattern again.  Could this indicate just 3 chicks in the nest, it certainly points to that.  But what is now becoming obvious,incubation commenced later than I thought.  Also, I have read that chcks can spend an extended period in the nest depending on the amount of prey that they recieve from the parents so it could be that the disturbance which takes place with alarming regularity is having an effect on the progress of the youngsters. More likely though, and having studied my diaries from earlier on, it seems that incubation probably started 5 days later than I guessed which would mean that the chicks are due to fledge either today or tomorrow.  I hope so! 

 

Kingfishers with prey half their weight?

 

A Banded Demoiselle

What a beautiful insect, and interesting to see how it shares the same hue of blue as a Kingfisher.

 

This morning the Kingfishers were still coming to feed their youngsters and still they are  yet to fledge.   I am starting to be really surprised that it's taking so long.  My calculations indicate that they were due last Tuesday but 5 days later they still haven't, perhaps tomorrow now?  It was again  beautiful to watch the adults this morning,  but again a bit worrying, the disturbance is just constant.   When people started to arrive  they were obviously disturbed and I watched the male fly to the nest with a fish and then  turn away because fishermen were literally standing above the nest.  Eventually, once the fishermen had moved on I am sure that they would come again to feed their young.  You just have to hope that the youngsters can survive these extended  periods when they are not fed.  They seem  to get around this and its obviously worked for them up till now.  

When bringing large prey to the nest.

I watched the male bring a reasonably large fish to the  burrow  and as usual when they have large prey it stopped in front of the nest before taking it in to the burrow.  I have a theory as to why they do this.  An adult Kingfisher weighs on average around an ounce and half, thats about 40 grams.  They could easily  dive and successfully catch a large prey item that could weigh almost half the weight of the bird.  My theory is that that an adult bird must find it strenuous to carry, fly with and then manoeuvre something that is so comparatively  heavy and it must be difficult to fly in to the nest with accuracy when carrying a fish half it's weight.  I am sure that this is the reason but it doesn't answer the question as to how a young Kingfisher is able to swallow an item of prey that could be more than half it's weight. 

 

This is the male with a largish fish, a Bullhead I think, I have seen them with much bigger.

 

 

Yet another session at the nest.

I really enjoyed my 3 hours at the nest site this morning.  Its hard to describe how wonderful  it is to see a Kingfisher even when you are seeing one for the thousandth time.  The sudden appearance of exotic  bright blue as it arrives to then disappear  a second later in to the burrow is a thrill, time after time. This last few days its been fascinating to watch and then occasionally be able photograph them emerging from the burrow and then splashing in to the water to bathe on the wing. This is a fascinating aspect of their behaviour, it's instinctive of course and I have seen other Kingfishers doing this previously.  As they leave the burrow they fly low over the water and then dip in flight a couple of times, without even slowing their speed. I tried to capture this today by trying to predict where this dunking was going to happen.  I almost managed it on a couple of occasions.

Yesterday I had said that we had a visit on average, 1 visit every 16 minutes but today the average was one visit  every 23 minutes.  If I used the same criteria that I had used yesterday to try and estimate how many youngsters in the nest, I have arrived at only 3 youngsters. Best wait and see I think.  One interesting fact though was a wait for almost an hour before I saw my first bird today.  Its worth noting that  usually (but not always), the arrival at the nest with prey is announced by calling.  As I sit there quietly without a bird, suddenly there is calling and then quiet again.  Before I can count to 60 the bird will glide across the river and in to the nest.  I have a strong suspicion this calling bird is the male whereas when a bird just arrives unannounced, that is the female.  Generally the female is much more calm and quieter about everything she does.

 

Good progress at the Kingfisher nest site.

There was lots to see at the nest site this morning.  At first when I arrived just after 6.30 there wasn't a lot to going on until 6.45 when the first bird arrived with prey for the youngsters.  They haven't fledged yet but I think it is very near.  I am basing this on the state of the nest burrow which is now quite messy around the entrance with the remains of guano starting to be noticeable.  Imagine healthy youngsters in the nest all excreting copious amounts of very wet droppings as well as the remains of the odd piece of rotting fish and, who knows there may even be the decomposing remains of a dead fledgling? After exiting the nest, the parents almost invariably dunk in to the river a couple of times without breaking flight.  This is to wash their plumage which would obviously, very quickly get clogged and matted.  Kingfishers are normally very fastidious about their plumage anyway and even out of the breeding season, spend a lot of their time preening. Once the bird has reached the safety of the trees opposite the nest, they dunk in and out of the water a few times again to make sure their plumage is clean.  Then from there they seem to fly up stream to a favourite fishing spot.  I decided to try and catch this "dunking" splash today and am thrilled with the results.

 

I just managed to follow the flight path of the bird and I pressed the shutter just when it bombed in to the water and captured this image of it emerging, still flying.

Now, a split second later its free of the water and carries on in flight leaving more than a ripple behind it.

 

I have been trying to "guestimate" the number of youngsters in the nest and  I am plumping for  4.  Here's how I arrived at this guess.  I have read that baby Kingfishers need to eat 12 to 15 fish each day. So taking 16 hours of daylight, that is 960 minutes of daylight each day. If there was just one youngster in the nest and we knew that it required 15 fish each day that would equate to a fish (on average) being brought every 64 minutes throughout the day.  This morning though, again taking an average, a fish was delivered every 16 minutes.  So if I work this in reverse, I divided this 16 minutes in to 960,  meaning that 57 fish would be delivered in a day.  To have a guess at how many youngsters there are I have just divided this 57 fish by the number of fish required for one baby, and we already know that this s 15....... and the answer is 3.84.  You can't have 8.84 birds........ so rounded up lets call that 4, and thats how I have arrived at my guess of 4. 

An even more amazing statistic is this.  Based on these figures, in the 25 days that the chicks are in the nest , 1425 fish are delivered by the parents.  Imagine that!  Plus also,  the 600 fish that the parents need to feed themselves, 300 each.  That's a total of 2025 fish required for one clutch of young Kingfishers. This says a massive amount about the kind of habitat Kingfishers require. 

 

One of the adult Kingfishers delivers one of the 1425 fish required to rear the clutch of young birds.

..... and with it successfully delivered, off it goes to hunt for more.

 

A brilliant session.

 

The female carrying a fish up to the nest.

 

I visited the nest site at 6.15 this morning and it was beautiful. The sun was already climbing in to a cloudless sky and it was bright, very peaceful and calm.  Apart from just a couple of dog swimmers at first, then it was as quiet as it could be.  I went early because there was a high spring tide at around 8 40 which would have made it impossible to sit in the hide during the morning, I needed to be there nice and early.  I have also decided to keep away from the nest site during the most popular times of day to try and avoid any conflict which is just not helping.  The Kingfishers have obviously got a strategy to cope and even if there is some disturbance that will compromise the nest it is virtually impossible to stop it.  

  I would have expected the Kingfishers to bring food constantly but it didn't work out that way. It was almost half an hour before any visit to the nest by the birds  and then, really surprisingly, it was almost an hour before another. After that though, several fish were brought even though the spring tide was rushing in and the water level by now was very high.  I have commented previously that it is interesting to see how the birds fly straight in to the burrow, obviously knowing exactly where it is but then today, I was fascinated to see something quite different.  The water level was high as I have said and the male came to the burrow with a fish but instead of flying in he was confused and tried to fly in to the wrong hole.  He suddenly realised his mistake but couldn't find his nest, he left and flew over to my side of the river returning with the fish to the correct  burrow  a short while later.  It seems that visual references are used to fly accurately to the burrow but on the few occasions that the water level is high the "scene" must have looked totally different which is obviously confusing.  Eventually the water level had risen high enough to inundate the hide so before 9 I was back home for breakfast.  During the session the light was just about as good as it could be and I took a few nice photos.

I had a comment on the blog yesterday from a guy who calls himself  Fruitloop.  I do know who you are by the way!  Shame he left a false email address. It seems that anyone who wants to be less than kind when they comment on the blog almost invariably leaves a false email..... now isn't that odd?  Strangely  though, even though I have deleted his comment, I do agree with him........ and Jeff, thanks you are a gent.

 

July 9th, lots of stress but they are still feeding.

This is the day that I had predicted fledging but as far as I know, they haven't.  The disturbance is  minimal today and most people have not lingered long apart from one pair who were interested in the lamprey that do seem very plentiful  today and who could resist watching the spectacle of these large writhing beasts in very shallow water. The problem was that they had 3 dogs between them and these dogs were and are, because I have seen them before, vey active.  I suspect that the nest burrow is very smelly as both yesterday and today these dogs tried to sniff at the nest entrance.  They were right on top of the nest for an age and II finished up in a right row with these two older men, one even threatening me.  I pleaded with them to leave but they just kept turning the argument in to how rude I was and how much  they hated people like me.   I think what they really hated was being asked to do something that they didn't want to do, I am like that so I can fully understand.  I just said I was sorry to appear rude and could they just leave to which they said that if they wanted to stand there for as long as they liked then they would.   It was no use telling them of the law because when I did that  was just winding them up and making it worse.  We even had the usually stock answer of I have been coming here for 30 years.  An obvious reference to my non West Country accent!  Eventually by walking as they berated me I was able to get them away without them realising.  A Kingfisher even delivered  a fish at this point!  Amazing really. But as far as arguing with two Bolshy Last of The Summer Wine  characters, well I could do without it.  According to the more aggressive one of the pair, I am a menace for trying to stop them disturbing the nest, which of course, at the end of the day,  is a criminal offence.   Am I wrong to care about these Kingfishers,  I don't think so but I am probably better off just watching and hoping rather than actually getting involved with people you can never win and even if the police were called, it would be 20 minutes before they turned up and by then the damage has been done or they have moved on any way.

 I am at the hide again now and as I write it is very quiet, fortunately. It's also very very warm,  as warm here today as South Florida, some of the warmest UK conditions that I can remember. I have seen the Kingfishers bringing to the nest so that is good but their visits are far less frequent than you would imagine. I would suspect that disturbance has caused some damage but this is a public area and people do have the right to be here.  They obviously don't have the right to disturb the nest but then  if they don't know its there then so be it.   I will think twice about getting a license for this nest next year because frankly it is intensely stressful.   I am constantly hoping that people will leave quickly and not splash about too much.  But when I am not here people still come and go so I have to accept it as a fact of life.

I know I have alienated some people by asking them to leave the nest area even though the  very  few people I have asked to move seemed to be very accommodating and nice.  To be honest, I am quite deflated.

I do think that youngsters are still alive in the nest though, in fact I am certain and I do think that one or two will fledge, so all in all, considering where they are breeding, that is a good result.   As if to cheer me up, a Kingfisher has just delivered a fish after first perching in front of me and then flying to the nest and with other people now arriving to bathe their dogs I move away.

Right at the end of my session a very nice young couple had put a blanket down and were picnicking just above the nest. I really didn't want to get involved but then I thought that I must.  I walked all the way around again and as kindly as I could, I told them of the nest and the potential for disaster. As if to help me, I heard a bird and as we all watched sat there on the grass, in it came and disappeared from view in the nest beneath us.  Then when it emerged it flew off dunking itself in the water to bathe several times in mid flight.   They were thrilled to see this. They packed up quietly and left to sit somewhere else well away. There, that was better. 

Monday 8th July

A picture that says it all and needs no other caption.

I have been keeping a diary right back from when I first started to watch the breeding Kingfishers.  It was hard for me to say with absolute accuracy when incubation began, therefore it was impossible to say exactly when they hatched and now of course, it's impossible to say when they are going to leave the nest.  Making some assumptions as I have watched, I put on the calendar that they would fledge the nest tomorrow, but  that is far from certain. Chicks apparently can stay longer in the nest depending on the amount of food they receive, it could be another week even?  There certainly is a never ending supply of fish but it perhaps hasn't been delivered with normal regularity because of interference and disturbance mostly by dog walkers who will insist on encouraging their charges in to the water which causes such a massive amount of disturbance and stress to the adults. Take this morning as yet another example.  An old dog was in midstream in front of the nest, between me and the nest in fact.  It was trying to catch the mullet in the way that Alaskan Bears catch running salmon.  The owner was just sitting nearby dangling her feet in to the water.  After 10 minutes of this I asked her to leave and told her why but she just couldn't get the old, decrepit and probably deaf dog to obey her and just couldn't climb out of the water.  Consequently, 20 minutes later it was still there, and all this right in front of the nest.  But you know what?  A fish was delivered to the youngsters during this time and when the dog was just up stream and not right in front.

The dog in the water between the hide and the nest.

 Eventually the dog was retrieved and quietness took over.  But it was well over an hour between adults visiting the nest.   Then I saw something that made my heart sink.  One of the adults eventually came to the nest with prey and went inside.  All was well and good I thought  but then I saw that when it came back out of the burrow it was still carrying the fish.  Did this mean that the chicks had been left too long between feeds and they were too week to beg?

One of the adults leaving the nest and still carrying prey.

 I was then desperate to watch for more deliveries to check if fish were delivered.  It was another 20  tense minutes  before another adult came with a fish and then this time the fish was delivered and I was very relieved.   I watched another few visits all about 10 to 20 minutes apart and was pleased to see that the prey was left each time.  When I left it was about the quietest it had been for quite a while in spite of the very warm and sunny weather.  

Then fortunately the other bird brought prey to the nest and delivered it safely.

Even though they fly straight in to the burrow they touch the edge as they fly in.

AsI have said before, they always emerge tail first, drop and then turn in the air, all in a split second.

Before I left I had witnessed several successful deliveries which was pleasing to see.

Kingfishers at the nest site and massive disturbance.

 

The male Kingfisher in front of the nest just before it was almost attacked by a dog. See below.

I came away from the nest site at 9.15  this morning feeling immensely frustrated and stressed.  The disturbance was just so intense,  I just didn't know what to do for the best.  I got there at 7.30, the spring tide was just receding but the water is high during the spring tide period and it is due to peak and be even higher  tomorrow.  I am quite confident that it won't rise high enough to inundate the nest but I was hoping that the nestlings would have fledged by now but they haven't.  What did intrigue me was the lack of visits to the nest this morning and in fact during the first hour only one fish was delivered. I did start to get worried but I have done that before, worry that is, and then realised that everything was fine.  Having given the situation a great deal of thought there are two factors that could have influenced the lack of visits to the nest  during this time. Firstly the high tide was at 6.30 and the level was still high, even at 7.45.  This meant that fish were probably difficult to catch in the deeper and more muddy water. In addition, by 7.30, 2 hours 20 minutes after dawn the parents had obviously fed the youngsters as they would do at first light.  This is a long process  and if there are up to 5 or 6 nestlings ( as is normal), if every youngster was fed just 2 fish this is 10  or 12 visits to the nest which could take potentially 2 hours to achieve.  Then the parents of course would need to feed themselves. They were obviously resting up somewhere.

 

By the time I came away,  the birds had started to visit the nest burrow regularly again but the intensity of disturbance now was dramatic.  The picture above shows the male who perched on the willow branch by the nest with, as you can see, a large minnow. There were several dogs  with their owners very near.  The dogs were in the water and the owners were  throwing stones to encourage them in to the water.   Other dogs and owners were arriving, yet the Kingfisher remained on the perch with his fish.  Then one of the dogs actually tried to catch the bird running towards it  playfully but with that, of course the bird flew off rapidly.  As if that wasn't enough, two more dogs were now in the mid-stream running and splashing through the stream with their owners encouraging them.  I seethed with frustration and with fear for the birds. Enough was enough, I emerged from the hide and called over to the owners and their now 10 dogs!!!!!   I told them of the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act and that they were  disturbing a bird which is afforded special protection and I asked them to get their dogs out of the water and move away which they all, except one did immediately without question.  The one other dog and owner  eventually left but even before they did the Kingfisher came in to the burrow to feed.  I felt better to see that but just how much they can tolerate is a question to ponder.  I came away because I knew I was going to get involved in a situation that was beyond control.  I obviously cant keep shouting at people to tell them to go away, that wold cause disturbance in itself and the more people that know about the nest, the worse it would be for the nest security.  I decided to hope and pray that the birds "hang-in there" and continue to feed their young when they get the chance and also to pray that they fledge the nest very very soon. At the end of the day you can't blame people for wanting to enjoy the pleasures of an English summer.

If anyone is following this blog then you may be pleased to hear that at dusk I watched the parents bring at least 6 fish to the burrow.

Youngsters yet to fledge the Kingfisher nest.

 

One of the adults has emerged from the nest tail first, it  turns in the air and  zooms away from the burrow.

It was much of the same this morning.  Both birds coming to the nest burrow as normal bringing fish of various sizes.  When I arrived at 6.40 it was very calm and peaceful with the just the  sound of birdsong and Kingfisher calls in the air.  There was a fisherman who had obviously been there all night but he was at least 200 metres from the nest  and he wasn't causing any distress for the birds so I didn't get involved.  Fortunately the river is quite shallow just in front of the nest so it is not a favourite fishing spot.  As normal when the birds had caught large fish they paused in front of the nest before flying in and today I did see some different behaviour.  The male perched on the branch with his large fish but instead of taking it in to the nest he flew off with it.  It seemed like he was disturbed but there was absolutely nothing to be seen, perhaps a bird of prey flew over and I didn't see it but something definitely upset him.  There is an optimum time when the light is the best its going to be, that is between 7.30 and 8.30 when the sun shines on the the face of the bank and I made the best of it, trying to get some good in flight shots.  It is just so unfortunate that the river is so wide at this point and for really good photographs I would need to be about 30 feet closer, but never the less it's still been a wonderful experience and opportunity to watch these breeding Kingfishers and record the action.

 

Here one of the adults flies in to the nest with a smallish fish. On average this morning they brought about 5 fish an hour.  It is an amazing exhibition of flying skill  when you consider that they normally  fly directly in to the nest with an amazing amount of accuracy. Any kind of misjudgement could result in damage to the wings which would be fatal, yet this never happens.

When they depart the nest, without exception, they tumble  out  tail first and in a split second turn in the air and fly away very strongly.  They then fly without a pause to the opposite side of the river and dip in to the water to bathe.  They then quickly preen and carry on fishing.   

 

Later on in the day I went back to see if things were still OK, its hot now and the "worse case scenario" would be someone playing in the water in front of the nest or picnicking above it. Dog walkers and dog paddlers can be tolerated because they dont stay to long and the Kingfishers have learned to feed in between people so to speak. However, long term stayers are a different thing. I was horrified to see 6 almost adult youths fishing very close. I told them what the score was and they immediately packed up and went to fish somewhere else which says a lot about the young lads living around here. As if to reassure me that everything was OK, even as I spoke to the lads, one of the birds flew down river opposite then crossed over and flew straight in to the nest with a fish. Amazing really because we were very close and I would never have imagined that they would still carry in with people so nearby.

A sunny day at the Kingfisher nest.

It's now a tense few days at the nest site with the nestlings surely ready to fledge very soon.  I had originally said that they were due to fledge  on July 9th and I dont think I will be too far off that. We are in the middle of a warm spell of summer weather with hot, bright and very sunny conditions. I spent 3 hours at the nest this morning and in that time both birds were delivering fish to the burrow regularly. A few times the female perched on the mud beneath the nest and then lingered with a large fish before she entered the nest and fed the youngsters. This is all pretty much the same as I have observed for the last week with not a great deal to add. The excitement of the chicks fledging the nest is about to happen and this should hopefully give me some great photo opportunities. I am hoping for interaction between the adults and young.

 

Today's bright sunshine made it more difficult to get a good photograph because of the intense shadow and harsh light, but here the female is perched beneath the nest with what appears to be a roach.  You can jus see the orange lower mandible on the bird which shows that this is the female.

After quite a pause she flew with the fish up in to the nest. I have no idea why she  is likely to perch beneath the nest when she has large fish but I have never seen either the male or the female perched beneath the nest with small fish prey.

This appears to be the male but later on in the morning when it was even brighter and the sun was casting even more shadows, photography was evn more difficult.

 

We have had some disturbance from fishermen this last few days and I have contacted the Wildlife Crimes Officer at the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary for advice.   He offered me some guidance as to how I should deal with these potential nest threatening disturbances and both yesterday and today I asked people to move away which I am glad to say, they did willingly. Hopefully, over the hot weekend, we won't have further problems. The only other things of note today was when the female  perched beneath the nest with a fish. She was suddenly disturbed by a dog walker just above her on the bank, she quickly flew over to my side of the river,  still with her fish and then when the coast was clear, flew back again and went in to the nest. On another occasion, she entered the nest when people were splashing about, no more than 30 metres away, proving that even though Kingfishers are said to be easily disturbed, the instinct to feed their young is even stronger. It could be that this busy area is a good place to breed because predators such as mink and weasels may be reluctant to frequent this area. The only threat to their safety now  would be a sudden flood and this is not forcast.  However, a spring tide is due on Sunday and Monday, fingers crossed it won't flood the nest, it hasn't so far so things should be OK.

July 4th at the Kingfisher nest.

I decided not to itemise  minute by minute on my visit today.   It's  still a little overcast so dog walker wise, it was relatively peaceful.  Dogs seemingly don't get so many walkies  when the weather is "iffy". I have constructed another screen hide with a clearer view of the comings and goings, quickly erected and then finished off with willow from inside and using the Himalayan Balsam for cover until it was errected.   At first it was quiet Kingfisher wise but very soon I had a great view of one visiting the nest. It perched on a willow branch conveniently washed down river and to the right of the nest. I wasn't properly set up to photograph so I  missed the chance to take a good photo but not worry because within minutes, another was there with a fish and I took probably my best picture of an adult with a fish, it looks like a roach.

It was quite active with a bird calling from somewhere nearby.  Fledging does not appear to have taken place yet, but who knows, that calling could have been a young bird?

Quite interestingly, whereas yesterday the birds always seemed to arrive at the nest from down stream, today appeared to be the opposite which suggests that they are returning repeatedly to a spot where they know there are shoals of small fish.  Why go looking elsewhere when you know a good source of food.  I have come to the conclusion that if the birds are delivering a smallish fish, then they will fly straight in to the nest burrow without even calling.  However, when they have caught a large fish such as the one pictured above, they tend to perch on the bankk beneath before they deliver.  Quite why this makes a difference is hard to say.  This is a very large prey item even for an adult, surely the youngsters must be very advanced and almost adult size to be able to eat a fish this size.  

This is the bird now flying from the nest without the prey so it was delivered successfully to the youngsters.

Here a fish of the size you would expect is successfully delivered.  After my sesion was over this morning the weather had brightened up somewhat and this was starting to cause me a little bit of concern.  The warmer and brighter it got, understandably the busier it became.  I assume that the Kingfishers are well used to these busy times and just seem to find a way to feed their nestlings properly.  I have seen them entering and leaving the burrow, obviously feeding successfully when people have been very close by.

The male in direct sunlight fishing opposite the nest burrow.

Kingfisher nest July 3rd.

As I arrived at the nest site this morning at 1002 I could hear Kingfisher calling but there was a subtle change today. At 1007 one flew up river on my side, that was different than normal. I was hoping that the youngsters had fledged and I was keen to find out. As the session went on I came to the conclusion that they hadn't.  At 1010 another bird was calling, probably the other one of the pair and it was flying on my side of river just like the first  one.  Obviously as the chicks grow and get near to adult size the adults need to catch more and more fish to keep up with them.  But today, strangely, after 30 minutes I hadn't  seen a bird at the burrow.  This was very unusual compared to my observations on the previous 2 days and hard to explain.  At  1025  I heard a bird approaching but it didn't  enter nest and I didn't  see it either.   Then I heard some much more excited calling, this usually happens when the birds meet eac other but still I didn't t see a bird at the nest.  Then one of those dog walkers who wants to encourage their dog in to the river  turned up, yesterday evening I actually watched Kingfishers entering the nest with fish while all that was going on nearby so I was not too worried.  Contrary to all you read, these Kingfishers are not that easily disturbed.   As if to contradict me though, a Kingfisher called an alarm and then flew away.  I had still not seen a bird at the burrow, maybe  they had fledged but I would expect to see young Kingfishers if that was the case?  Kingfisher watching can be traumatic and I hoped everything was OK but I was starting to get pessimistic again.

After an hour at 1100, even though I had heard Kingfishers repeatedly both flying by and up and down river I had yet to see one enter the nest burrow, that was most unexpected. This is a change in behaviour, could it be that the adults are trying to encourage the youngsters to leave the nest by not feeding them?    At 1110, at last a bird delivers  food and then within a minute or so another.   They had obviously been well  fed before I arrived. It was another 30 minutes before another delivery but then there is a constant visit, every 15 minutes or so.  

My conclusions from this visit:  The chicks are continuing to be fed. The parents were unusually quiet with less calling than on my previous visits.  The birds seemed to arrive at the nest burrow quietly and fly straight in.  That is quite a feat of flying skill. They always arrive from the same direction and then depart back to where they had come from.  I suspect that, as they were flying in and leaving in silence,  I had missed some of the food deliveries earlier on.  Just by taking your eyes away from the burrow for even a second could mean that you miss them. 

I returned in the evening for an hour and watched Kingfishers bringing prey to the nest burrow 10 times in an hour, thats every 6 minutes of course.   I decided to watch constantly and without taking my eyes off the burrow.  I noted that the birds arrived and flew directly in to the burrow.  Sometimes they would give a warning but often they would arrive and leave without any noise.  Considering that there is 16 hours of daylight, if the adults were delivering 10 fish every hour that would, of course be 160 fish.  If you divide that between 5 chicks in the nest, that would be 32 fish each.  I think that this is probably twice the amount of food taken by youngsters in the nest.  However, in the hour or so before darkness and the first 2 hours at dawn, the adult Kingfishers are very active and tonights hours watching is proof of that.

July 2nd at the Kingfisher nest.

I returned to the Kingfisher nest site this morning at around 1030 and I am glad to report that everything is progressing properly.  I made an effort to record everything that I saw, trying to learn as much about their breeding as possible.

1031. The male  arrived with fish to feed the youngsters but he was disturbed by walkers nearby, he  flew to my side of the river and in to the willow......  then he ate the fish himself. he then flew  back to the nest side and perched on the bank above the nest  and waited for the walkers to leave.  He  allowed them to get within 6 feet of him before flying away calling loudly, the walkers were oblivious.  Kingfishers seem used to endless disturbance so no worries for me nor obviously the Kingfisher.  It will be interesting to see how they deal with constant disturbance  today.

1042 A KF  heard but not seen.

1048. With much double syllable calling ..... Short long short long short long ....a bird arrived with  a small perch, a big fish for a baby Kingfisher, come to think of it large for even an adult, this was  a first for me.   Even though there was a dog in the nearby  cow drink he perched  on the mud beneath the nest  and flew up to feed the young.  There was much calling as he flew away, still aware and protesting at the presence of people nearby.

 

The male arrives with a perch.

looks up to the nest.

Now I can see by the dorsal fin that it is a perch.

It flies up to the nest.

...and then after delivering the prey, flies clear of the nest.

1051 calls heard

 

1053 Calls heard

1134 Distant call heard.

1135 Now the calls are nearer.

1138 A single sylable  call call down river. ......"short... Pause....short"

1139 KF leaves the nest, probably the calling bird but I hadn't seen it enter the nest.

1140 More calling then I see a bird fly up river.

1142 Now some quiet calling.

1145 Bird flies in to nest and food is delivered.

It's raining and therefore its quiet with no walkers so birds are coming and going unhindered hence their relative quietness.

1148 interestingly, a dog leaps in to the water followed by a Kingfisher flying around calling, obviously disturbed and then  by.....

1152 that dog had gone.  I wondered how long it would be before a bird returned. 

1205 The female arrived with prey, a roach,  she perched on the mud beneath the nest and then flew up. Judging by the size of the prey the chicks must be due to fledge very soon. Interestingly the  bird seemed very well camouflaged against the reddish earth.

1212 Excited calls are heard. 

1217 I hear a call but no bird seen.

My conclusions from today: Adults were  away from the nest constantly, hunting. The young are not being brooded by either parent.  The fish are large, as big as an adult would eat and both of these facts would indicate that fully grown youngsters are in the nest and ready to fledge any day now.

The birds don't always call when they arrive at the nest. The male usually flies straight in to the burrow  but the female appears more cautious and often lands in front of the nest before entering with her food.  Sometimes there is much agitated and excited calling however. Male will fly to my side of river if disturbed but I have yet to observe the female do this.

A miracle at the Kingfisher nest.

 ..

A short video showing one of the birds twice emerging from the burrow this morning.  If you look carefully, (I have  slowed it down to half speed), it's interesting to see how the bird backs out of the burrow in identical fashion, you can see how it turns acrobatically in mid-air before flying off.

.

.

The male flies in to the burrow with a fish confirming, by the size of prey the presence of large chicks in the nest.

Here, with fish delivered, the bird emerges seconds later.

Having turned in the air the bird flies up river to find more food.

It  was 5.40am when I sat in the hide in front of the nest this morning.  Almost immediately I saw a Kingfisher disappear inside the burrow, that was very pleasing!  As I had walked towards the area I wasn't confident because I just couldn't imagine that the nest burrow and it's contents cold have survived what appeared to be the river level flooding above the nest burrow.  Surely it would be a miracle if they had survived that.  Amazingly that miracle happened.  During my stay I saw a Kingfisher  every 10 to 15 minute, disappear inside, and the emerge from the burrow. Then,  the 100% confirmation that I hoped to see. I saw the  female who had landed just in front of the nest with a large minnow, then,  after a short while, a minute or so,  I watched her disappear inside and then just seconds later, it emerged without the fish. What a result and absolutely amazing.  All in all, in my 3 hours at the nest both Kingfishers delivered about 15 fish but  by 7 o'clock the visits had become less frequent.  Usually the birds would arrive  quietly but on occasions they would call loudly before I then saw them enter.

 

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