Some very exciting news this week at Winnall Moors, the female kingfisher laid her first egg on the 17th April. Since then she has laid a further 5 eggs, all of which have been laid almost exactly 24 hours apart, between 6 and 7 in the morning. The eggs are approximately 22mm long and 18mm in diameter and weigh about 4.5 grams, as they are laid at the end of a dark tunnel they need no markings for camouflage or a heavily tapered shape, as found on sea birds that nest on cliffs, to stop them from rolling out of the nest. However, it is thought that the white colour of the eggs may help the adults find the eggs in the limited light from the entrance tunnel. Most commonly Kingfishers lay 7 eggs, but they have been recorded laying as many as 10, at the time of writing there are 6 eggs in the nest.
The female has been settling on the eggs more regulalrly since yesterday however, she will not brood them (sit on them to keep them warm) until she has finished laying all the eggs so that the young hatch at a similar time giving them the same chance of survival. Recordings from the middle of the night show the eggs alone and exposed in the nest whilst a spider makes a web around them. This is not a problem as the un-brooded eggs will lay dormant waiting for the warmth of the adults to kick start their growth.
Here is the link to the kingfisher laying her first egg:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mywX5wS9LcI
Her third egg:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0cVG5ZnCqU
And her fifth egg:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKPtFUMoHDA
As far as I know only once before has a wild kingfisher has been recorded laying eggs by professional wildlife cameraman Charlie Hamilton James in 2012.
Whilst the kingfishers were busy along the river the volunteers cut the grass in the meadow, it was even warm enough for a Peacock Butterfly to sun itself on a molehill. The cuttings were removed to reduce the fertility of the soil and it is hoped that eventually this will encourage a greater diversity of wild flowers to grow.
Watch this space for more news on the Kingfisher family!
Leave a comment