It Started With a Fish (Maybe!)

The male kingfisher is definitely in the mood for love at the moment. He’s been cleaning out last years nest hole in preparation for a new breeding season. There is a female about and she has visited the hole to check out his handy-work, however she seems to be playing hard to get at the moment.

When kingfishers pair up they seal the deal with the fish pass, where the male offers the female a fish he’s caught. I’ve witnessed this in the past but always at a distance so yesterday when the male sat on a perch with fish ready I was hoping to get some nice shots of the pass happening.

If the fish is being held tail first with the head furthest from the beak, then the fish is for someone else, either the female as in this case or for the chicks when they have arrived. He sat on this perch for a good ten minutes waiting for his potential mate and seemed a little perturbed when an unexpected blind date arrived!

I don’t think this robin was what he was expecting at all!

He was very busy looking up and down the river for the female and when she did finally turn up she just flew straight past upstream.

Today he was back again and this time he seemed to have caught a bigger fish to try and impress her and show off his skills as a potential provider for her and their offspring.

But again she was a no show, and he flew from perch to perch upstream hoping she’d arrive and take his catch. Fingers crossed she falls for his charm soon!