Rye Meads RSPB Reserve

All looks well for the pair of Kingfishers at Rye Meads - they were in constant attendance at the hole bank and mated twice while I was there. They are a long way off but still good to see and capture a few memories. Other water birds are also looking in good condition. 

RSPB Reserve,Fairburn Ings, Yorkshire

I visited Fairburn Ings reserve this week when travelling to and from giving a talk at Bishopthorpe Club - thanks for your welcome and to Chris for his hospitality. The Kingfisher stayed for a long time on the brook bank but in the shade so an unerexposed 1600 iso image is very noisy. The morning visit had better light but no Kingfisher. Interesting to see a White-tailed Bumblebee - alive but a bit torpid in the cold air.

Morning Activity at Rye Meads

A small group from CCC visited Rye Meads RSPB reserve yesterday. We spent the morning in the Kingfisher Hide and had several views of its namesake but always at a distance and often in the bushes. Twice the male brought in fish, gave to the female and then mated. This has been happening for a couple of weeks so hopefully eggs will be laid soon. Chiffchaffs (also Blackcap, Cetti's Warbler and Sedge Warbler) were singing, Kestrel's were busy exchanging food and guarding the nest box while the Coots and Moorhens dragged much too long sticks and reeds to their nests. Even a few butterflies on the wing (Peacock, Tortoiseshell, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Small White).

Afternoon photos to follow when we got closer to things!

Kingfisher Preening

 We were lucky today at Rye Meads as the male Kingfisher after taking a large fish into the nest came to the closer branch to have a good wash and brush-up. The picture of him emerging from the water shows the problem of autofocus (picks up splashes rather than bird) and why people spend a lot of money to photograph kingfishers coming to plunge pools where the point of entry and exit can be reliably predicted. Like the way he manicures his feet first and works up with a final scratch of the ear.

Kingfishers at Slimbridge

 Called in at Slimbridge on the way back from Somerset and was delighted to see Kingfishers there again from the Hide. Apparently, they started to nest in the bank and then deserted. From their behaviour, they have a nest elsewhere. In the first series, the kingfisher caught and then dropped a fish. In the second series a fish was caught then knocked on the head before turning it to present head first at the nest burrow.

Kingfishers Again

 The Kingfishers are now very busy feeding chicks so lots of opportunities for pictures. They always wash straight after leaving the hole but guessing where they will dive is very difficult.