Amazingly, this morning Ian Crawford, who helps us with the garden, came across a fledgling kingfisher far from the river and calling plaintively in the undergrowth of the Shrubbery. At first he let it be, but as the calls continued and with no sign of its parents, eventually he felt obliged to intervene.

With utmost care he scooped up the fledgling bird and carried it down to the edge of the River Teign some 400 metres distant (a descent of about 40 metres). At first the little bird sat stunned where it had been placed, but in minutes it was flying off down-stream. We can only hope that it will quickly learn to fend for itself and perhaps even set up home nearby (but given fledgling mortality is known to be very high for kingfishers it is perhaps enough to know that these beautiful birds are successfully breeding on our stretch of the river).