Commuting Kingfisher

The great thing about running a Constant Effort Site (CES) is that every ringing session can be compared and analysed. One such CE Site is at Redgrave and Lopham Fen (Suffolk Wildlife Trust).

Catching on the morning of the 19 June was slow but the highlight for new trainee Sue Lawrence was a juvenile Kingfisher. Sue went to help at another CES that evening at Hinderclay Fen (Little Ouse Headwaters Project). Kingfishers are caught on most CE visits to Hinderclay Fen and one was caught that evening. Sue was pleased to see it again - it was the same juvenile she had seen earlier, 3km away!


The next session at Redgrave and Lopham Fen was run last Sunday (26 June) where they caught the same Kingfisher back at the original site. This shows just how much a juvenile Kingfisher moves up and down the river system looking for food. A brood of Kingfishers can eat over 100 fish a day, so this needs a lot of fishing.

Thanks to Dawn Balmer for the photo.