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.