The fisher king flies in

Kingfishers have been spotted diving in the lakes at Moors Valley Country Park and Forest near Ringwood, despite the weeks of severe winter weather they have had to endure.

A recent survey by the RSPB indicates that kingfisher numbers are gradually increasing with up to 6,000 pairs now living in Britain. However, as few kingfishers live beyond their first breeding season they are incredibly vulnerable to hard winters, which can have a devastating effect on the population as a whole. This makes it all the more reassuring to know they have survived at Moors Valley.

Well known for its rapid flight and astonishing colours, the kingfisher excavates nesting burrows in the banks of lakes and rivers. Egg laying starts in late March, and the average clutch is of six – seven eggs. As each chick then requires at least 12 fish a day to survive, fishing and feeding is very much a full time job, providing good spotting opportunities as they birds feed their growing brood. It takes just over six weeks for the fledglings to leave the nest.