BBC Wildlife - UK (2020-05)

BBC Wildlife 45

ROBERTE FULLERisa naturalist,

wildlifeartistandwriter.Findhis

workatrobertefuller.com.

FINDOUTMORE

Discovermorefascinatingfacts

aboutkingfishersonourwebsite:

discoverwildlife.com/kingfisher-facts

encouragethechickstoventureout.Inside,

theyoungstersscuttlearoundrestlessly,

expectinga meal,buttheparentsdeliberately

don’tfeedthem,flyingdownstreaminstead.

Inthequietthatfollows,thechicksrealise

theirparentshavegone.Oneheadsdown

thetunnelandlaunchesoutofthebank

atrocketspeed.It getsairbornejustin

time,itstailleavinga rippleasit skimsthe

surfaceofthewater.

A secondchickfledgesminuteslaterand

thefinalchickpanics,realisingit is home

alone.It rushesaround,bumpingintothe

sidesofthedarknestingchamberasit tries

tofindtheexit.It crash-landsintothestream,

reboundingoffthesurfacebeforesettling

ontoa thinreed,whichbendsat itsweight.

Thechickis catapultedbackintothewater

andhastoflap,bedraggled,totheedge.

I haveproudlywatchedtheseyoungsters

growfromtinyhatchlingsandheretheyare,

ontheirfirstdayoutofthenest,mastering

theskillstheywillneedwhentheirparents

leavethemtofendforthemselves.

I'msurprisedtoseeanotherfledgling

alreadytryingtofish.It plungesintothe

waterandreturnswitha pussywillowflower.

Realisingit’sinedible,thebirddropsthe

floweranddivesagain,thistimeretrievinga

smalltwig.Themalefliesinwitha fishinhis

beak.Hehoversabovethechickspeeping

and they follow him into some trees.

KINGFISHERS

Thespecies
is mostoften
spottedwhile
perchedonlow-
hangingbranches
abovestillorslow-
moving water.