Meet one of the baby Kingfishers!  I went to the nest site at 7 this morning in the hope that, at last the babies would have left the nest.  I made my way to the hide and immediately I saw two Kingfishers…… there are babies at last!  They flew just to the right and I could see one perched right out in the open, low on a willow branch.  I was elated, its been quite a journey. I took a few photos and sat watching him, yes it was a male.  He was gorgeous, completely fully feathered and he looked very strong. Suddenly another  joined this one, and then just behind some branches, there was a third.  So it looks like there is three, the first mystery solved and I am pleased because that is what I had predicted over the last few days. I sat quietly watching them, they were nervy and constantly changing their positions on the perch, one second facing me, the next, looking the other way. They bobbed up and down constantly.  Suddenly, the male arrived to feed them, I could clearly see that he had a fish and there was excited calling from him and a kind of chirping from the babies.  Unfortunately he didn't feed them on this perch but flew further up stream and the three babies followed him and disappeared out of sight. I had waited and waited for weeks to try and get a photo of this and I came very close!  After an hour they still hadn't returned to the original perch and I rushed home to have a look at the pictures, planning to return later in the morning for another chance to see the male feeding them while they are still dependant on him.  So there it is, after a long wait just like an expectant father, the babies have eventually arrived and three more babies are out there for us all to enjoy whenever anyone is lucky enough to grab a glimpse of them.

This shows the colours and plumage that indicate a juvenile. A white tip to th end of the beak, dark feet rather than red and smokey dark on the breast .