KINGFISHERS
IN CUMBRIA
The
image below is a detail from a limited edition print by
Martin Ridley available from:
-
 It
was probably a “once in a lifetime” experience
when we looked out of the window at 8 a.m. one July morning
in 2004 to see a Kingfisher sitting on the washing-line!
Perhaps it was digesting a fish from a neighbour’s
pond? Those who have lived in the neighbourhood for fifty
or more years do tell of Kingfishers being seen along
the nearby beck in the past, but this is the first time
we have seen one in the Ulverston area. Given the time
of the year, it would be nice to think that this was a
juvenile being encouraged to disperse by its parents.
- In
early June 2005 an adult bird was seen carrying a fish upstream
on the beck; it returned empty after a minute, so hopefully
a nest was in the vicinity. The following day a female (females
have orange on the lower bill, juveniles have very dark,
rather than orange, feet) was seen sitting on a log across
the beck.
- The
birds had returned by 21st April in 2006 and 6th April in
2007 but did not seem to stay around for long..
-
Late
Victorian writers do record that Kingfishers frequented
the creeks of the local saltmarshes, but one suspects
this is possibly an autumn occurrence as many move to
the coast at that time. Indeed, Leighton Moss in autumn
is one of the most likely places where Kingfishers may
be seen, often resting on the posts outside the hides.
I have been lucky enough to see one dive and retrieve
a fish here.
-
In
more recent times, they have been spotted regularly on
Ulverston canal and on the rivers Crake and Leven. Other
strongholds in the county are the river Eden, especially
around Appleby, and the rivers of the Solway Basin. Records
from the west coast of the county are surprisingly rare.
-
The
Cumbrian population of Kingfishers is estimated at up
to 200 birds (The Breeding Birds of Cumbria).
After lean times, it seems that numbers are on the increase,
especially after a series of mild winters and the improvement
in the quality of many watercourses. They become less
abundant towards the north in Britain, but they are certainly
increasing their range in Scotland at the present time.
Kingfishers are amber listed because of their unfavourable
conservation status in Britain and Europe.
-
Kingfishers
suffer severe mortality during harsh winters but they
may have up to three broods in a season, and up to six
chicks in a brood, so numbers can recover rapidly.
-
Ignoring
the beak, Kingfishers are just a little bigger than a
House Sparrow and smaller than a Starling and are most
likely to be seen as a moving flash of turquoise following
the line of a river or stream. Anyone lucky enough to
see a fishing Kingfisher in late autumn as the low sun
reflects from its plumage is in for a breath-taking sight.
Despite their relatively small size, they fiercely defend
their stretch of river at breeding times and can catch
prey heavier than themselves.
- Nesting
takes place in a tunnel half a metre or more into the river
bank. For the first two weeks the nestlings sit in a circle,
with the one nearest the entrance receiving food before
shuffling round to let the next one in - this behaviour
is innate and is known as a Kingfisher carousel. Any bird
trying to cheat gets rough treatment from the others! Later
the arrangement changes to a "team photo" pattern
with nestlings squatting at the front with a row of standing
birds behind, each having to beg in the traditional manner
when the adult brings in food.
-
Curiously,
most of the world's kingfisher species don't catch fish,
but eat grubs, insects and small lizards.
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