Weymouth nature centre is staging a kingfisher quest

12:40pm Wednesday 15th September 2010
By Ruth Meech

GRAB the opportunity to see one of our most stunning and rare birds in its natural habitat.

The RSPB at Weymouth Wetlands is hosting a Kingfisher Quest this weekend at the Radipole Lake nature reserve.

Staff and volunteers will be strategically placed as ‘spotters’ around the site, ready to radio in to HQ if there’s a good chance of seeing this exquisite bird.

The shy kingfisher is iconic and one of our most recognisable birds, with an electric blue back, crown and wings of greenish-blue, rich, orange-red underparts and cheeks, white cheek patches and throat, coral red legs and feet, and a long, dark bill.

But it has a habit of perching motionless in the dappled shade of vegetation overhanging rippling water, waiting for its prey, and the different play of light and shade can render it virtually invisible.

“Despite the harsh winter, which could have affected their numbers, we are seeing kingfishers here on an almost daily basis,” said assistant reserve warden Nick Quintrell.

“The second phase of the restoration of Weymouth Wetlands has just begun but fish populations here started to increase soon after we finished the first phase of the work last autumn and the sheer numbers of fish it now supports, including minnows and sticklebacks, is simply staggering. They’re just the right food prey for kingfishers.”

Although they are often elusive, kingfishers will occasionally perch in the open and Radipole Lake has a number of well-placed branches where you can watch the bird at close range – a breathtaking experience. If there’s no perch around, the kingfisher can hover to rival a hummingbird.

Nick added: “These birds have favourite fishing places and perches so with our ‘spotters’ on location this weekend, we have high hopes that people who come along will be lucky enough to see one.”

At around 18cm, the kingfisher is barely bigger than a house sparrow.

When it has spotted its prey, it will dive vertically from its perch, beat its wings to gain speed and then tuck them tight into its body before hitting the water like a dart and with an audible splash.

As it hits the water, protective membranes sweep across its eyes so it is effectively hunting blind. The bird then dives down to its predetermined depth and grabs the fish with its open bill. A nesting pair with a hungry brood can catch around 100 fish a day.

The kingfisher nests by excavating a tunnel up to a metre long in a sandy bank, which ends in a chamber where the young are reared.

Nick said: “Part of the first phase of the restoration of Weymouth Wetlands was to build an artificial nesting wall for sand martins, with lots of small holes. It is feasible that kingfishers could use the same site, especially if we fill in one or two of the holes so that they can excavate the nests for themselves.

“Normally after diving, the kingfisher will return to the perch, strike the fish against it to kill it and then swallow it headfirst. So a good clue as to whether birds are breeding in an area is if the fish is carried away from the perch with the head protruding from the bird’s bill. That way, they can present it headfirst, either as a courtship gift or as food for their young.

“There are between 5,000 to 8,000 breeding pairs of kingfishers in the UK but they are amber-listed across Europe, which means they are of conservation concern. So we live in hope that we can encourage them to breed here at Weymouth Wetlands.”

Weymouth Wetlands’ Kingfisher Quest is on Saturday and Sunday, from 10am until 3pm. Visit the Radipole Lake visitor centre at the Swannery or call 01305 778313.

http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/8392185.Weymouth_nature_centre_is_staging_a_kingfisher_quest/
(Submitted by Jonathan McGowan)