I remeber when I was a teenager (sadly a long time ago now) I used to see kingfishers all the time flying down our local brook. After that I hadnt seen many for years.

This year they're all over the place, I was fishing on sunday and 4 in row came flying past, ten seconds apart. Also seen many more at different locations this summer.

I always thought kingfishers were solatery birds so cant understand why i'm seeing lots of them in one location. Its lovely seeing them all but kinda just wondering why there's so many this year.

Not sure if anyone else has noticed it?

Will be young and parents you are seeing.
Kingfishers really, really strugggle in cold winters and it can knock the numbers back big time.

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Well thats odd then,

Last year here and for most of the country we had -16 for a good few weeks.

Pleased to see them doing so well then. Its a lovely sight to see them

The mortality rate for young Kingfishers is really high, you're obviously seeing plenty of youngsters which means a good breeding season for them. Perhaps minnows have had a good year and the lower water levels mean the Kingfishers have found it easy to catch them.

I saw quiet a few myself last week while on the local chalkstream.

Wow.....that must be it then.

The water levels were very low for quite some time here, the minnows are all over the place too, if you let your fly rest in any slow shallow water you can bet you pull out a minnow.

Think you've answerd my question there, thanks

Any other interesting facts about Kingfishers are welcome as I find it all very interesting.

Also swallows....when a huge number of swallows appear does that mean theres lots of flys hatching even if you cant see them?

Competing Kingfishers will often fight to the death by trying to drown each other! The Females seem to do this the most.

Swallows are a sure sign of insects in the air. Don't ignore nature, it can give you the best signs of where to fish!

Is that competing for food or is that competing for territory, or mates?

I do often see swarms of swallows appear, lots of them even dipping in to the water. It happened last night while fishing, there wasnt anything rising until the swallows came and then there was splish splash splosh all over the place.

I said to my mrs at the time (who is also getting into fishing) i wish I knew what them swallows were after

Either or both, they usually go hand in hand.

We've had a lot of Kingflshers on the Calder is year, as noted about there's loads of minnows, also fingerlings in the river this year. This must help survival rates.

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