Rye Meads’ kingfishers kept busy with latest brood

HUNGRY MOUTHS: Each chick will demand up to 18 fish a day

Each chick can demand up to 18 fish a day
July 2010: The kingfishers at RSPB Rye Meads nature reserve in Hertfordshire have hatched their second lot of young this year! Two kingfishers at the RSPB Rye Meads nature reserve are being kept more than usually busy, after their second brood of the year hatched earlier this month.

The adult birds have been taking fish into the nesting bank every ten minutes or so to keep their hungry chicks happy. They could have up to seven young, each one demanding 12 to 18 fish each day.

It's an unbelievable chance to see these colourful birds. They are at their most active when feeding, so now is the time to see them. Rye Meads Information Officer Louise Moss said: ‘We'll get amazing views while they are feeding the young, which they will do for about 25 days - so visit soon! We're lucky to have them here but have worked hard to create the right conditions and our reward is seeing them safely multiply.'