Love is in the air for a pair of kingfishers at Weymouth Wetlands. The unmistakable bright blue and orange birds have been seen displaying signs of courtship in full view of the birdwatchers’ hide at the north end of the reserve at Radipole Lake.

We always knew there were quite a few kingfishers around on the Weymouth reserve but the fact that one pair has chosen to breed here is very special and rewards the team’s hard work at restoring and managing the local habitat.

The population of kingfishers has been on the decline over the last 30 years or so, mainly due to pollution but Radipole Lake offers the perfect residence – really clean water full of lots and lots of fish. So, after a busy day excavating a nesting tunnel our kingfishers can settle down to a culinary feast of minnows and sticklebacks.

Despite typically being shy birds and often hard to spot, our courting pair has chosen to nest right next to the artificial sand martin wall that was built last year.

This means that to the delight of the reserve team and everyone who visits, this is a fantastic opportunity to get up close and personal with these exquisite birds as they go about their routine of fishing, feeding and raising their young.

In fact it’s a wildlife spectacle that could last well into the summer as kingfishers can have up to three broods a year. Sounds exhausting...

You can find out more about the kingfishers and all the other goings on at our Weymouth Wetlands blog or on Twitter @RSPBWeymouth Based on information supplied by Katharine Teed.