I returned to the Kingfisher site at 7 this morning. I have a busy day ahead with music but I was keen to try and see and hopefully photograph some interaction between the adult Kingfishers and their recently fledged youngsters.

I managed to get myself sat and concealed opposite the nest and so far I hadn't seen or heard a bird which was good because it meant that I hadn't caused any disturbance as I approached the area. Arriving and leaving are the two most dangerous times. This area is very busy with dog walkers and the birds seem to accept the comings and goings with no problems. For example, yesterday I watched a couple of people and a big Manchester Terrier playing in the water just 20 feet from the nest and as soon as they had departed the Kingfishers returned almost immediately. They have chosen to breed here in spite of the busy aspect, in itself a very interesting fact. Therefore, even though it is very important to keep disturbance down to the absolute minimum I do feel that this pair of Kingfishers are relatively used to the presence of human beings.

Back to this morning, it was a good 30 minutes before I saw and heard the first bird of the day. A kingfisher seemed to be flying up and down the river in front of the nest. I could hear it calling for several minutes both to my left and right but I couldn't seem to see it. Then I realised that it was perched at water level just beneath the nest and it continued to call. I assumed it was one of the youngsters and it wasn't until I fixed the lens on it that I realised it was the adult male. I realised what was going on when after 10 minutes I caught sight of a Kingfisher disappearing in to the nest burrow. Then another bird, obviously the female who had apparently been relieved of duties in the nest flew away up river. The calling male was letting the female know that he was there and ready to take over. What is going on? There are two possibilities. The first could be that there are still almost fully grown chicks in the nest still waiting to fledge? Or more likely, the female has already started on a second clutch of eggs and has begun incubation. I am going with the second theory because if there were near fully grown chicks in the nest, food would be delivered almost constantly and this is not the case. It is odd though that the youngsters from the previous round are being allowed to remain in the territory. Later on before I came away I saw two other Kingfishers, obviously youngsters.