Kingfisher

emo72

swifts need our help! wrote: »

You buried it! You could have put it in the post for me to get stuffed

Great photo above.

Check out this photo on the Native Birds forum
http://www.nativebirds.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=24432

cant see it. need to be registered to see it. can you post it here? thanks.

emo72

do kingfishers migrate in the winter? cos if they dont they certainly hide themselves well. i know a good spot on the liffey for watching them in the summer, but come the winter, nada. any ideas why?

emo72

just an update. spent a nice evening watching them on the liffey. had my binos with me and got some great viewing of them feeding. truly amazing watching them up close.

Rainbowsend

They don't migrate, but will move closer to the sea in winter, so their usual stomping grounds would be deserted, but they usually return to their nesting sites by March or so. Haven't seen any yet this year, but with the long hard winter we had I am sure there were a few casualties

swifts need our help!

Bury! Get it stuffed

vandriver

I saw one in Dun Laoghaire harbour last winter.

emo72

also their "call" is very distinctive. They'd usually whistle just before they took flight, so you'd get an advance notice of when they were gonna appear. you wouldnt have a chance of seeing them unless you seen it fly to a perch, they are really much smaller than i imagined.

emo72

vandriver wrote: »

I saw one in Dun Laoghaire harbour last winter.

interesting? they would go right to the sea to overwinter? i wonder if they were actually feeding on saltwater fish or in a river on freshwater fish.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

They don't go to the sea to overwinter as such. Some feed by the sea all year round and others move to the coast during times of prolonged severe weather during the winter.

vandriver

I saw one yesterday flying across a field at Corkagh Park!

olly_mac

I just got back from Bushy Park. Saw either the same bird on two ocassions, or two seperate ones. I had no binoculars with me . That is a rare mistake on my part! Lovely birds.

OpenYourEyes

olly_mac wrote: »

I just got back from Bushy Park. Saw either the same bird on two ocassions, or two seperate ones. I had no binoculars with me . That is a rare mistake on my part! Lovely birds.

Delighted to hear that! I walked 5km of the Dodder last saturday, from Rathfarnham Shopping Centre downstream and saw no Kingfishers at all (despite spotting a Kingfisher being my main motivation for being there), so delighted that there are still some there!

emo72

well its been a great few weeks, they are very active,the parents, and im hoping to see the chicks fledge soon. i know where the nest is, and all his favorite perches. does anyone know how many chicks on average and are their colours the same as the adults?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

They will have 2 or 3 clutches in quick succession, often in the same nest. Seems late for the first clutch. Young fledge around 24 to 27 days.

Fledged birds are very like adults but the feet take several months to attain the bright orange of an adult.

I would suggest you invest in any of many excellent bird books, if you have such an interest.

emo72

Ben Small Liquid wrote: »

They will have 2 or 3 clutches in quick succession, often in the same nest. Seems late for the first clutch. Young fledge around 24 to 27 days.

Fledged birds are very like adults but the feet take several months to attain the bright orange of an adult.

I would suggest you invest in any of many excellent bird books, if you have such an interest.

well i may have been looking at fledglings. although i usually see one heading back to the nest so assumed that was a parent. only ever seen one at a time and dont know if its the same one. but its the same usual perches i see them at. will pay close attention to the feet next time.

emo72

an update, hadn't spotted anything since my last post in july. then went for a walk christmas day and stephens day and spotted it flying both times. maybe the calm bright weather after the storm made them very active and they were getting as much feeding in as possible. or maybe it was just good timing:D

either way first time i spotted them deep into winter. im getting better.

whelzer

I spotted one on the canal in the general Lexlip area on 27th Dec. I've made note where "he" went and intend on bringing binos and camera with me next time.

Jayzesake

Was delighted and surprised to see a Kingfisher flying along the Lee in the very centre of Cork city the other day. First time I've seen one for over 30 years (!), though in fairness I wouldn't have been looking too hard for most of that time.

skittles11

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Delighted to hear that! I walked 5km of the Dodder last saturday, from Rathfarnham Shopping Centre downstream and saw no Kingfishers at all (despite spotting a Kingfisher being my main motivation for being there), so delighted that there are still some there!

Walking the dog in Dartry Park yesterday when I spotted a kingfisher flying low up the river. No time to get a snap unfortunately. Saw one once up at Roundwood reservoir but that's gotta be 20 years ago now! Beautiful little birds.