Kingfisher

A couple of weeks ago I spent a day in a Kingfisher hide. Yes, a hide set up specifically to photograph these wonderful but hard to spot birds. I arrived at the site in Shropshire and was in place by 8:30am. After that it was a case of getting comfortable and being ready for the bird when it turned up. It wasn't a long wait, and within just 15 minutes a male had been in and landed on the perch before diving to catch a fish. After that he can every hour, before tailing off the visits in the afternoon. 

It was a very special day and a very special bird, one of my favourites, and I managed to get my best every shots too. Normally there are branches in the way, or it is a long way in the distance. That day was just magical.

Come and relive my day here:

A Lovely Winters Day

Just after Christmas we had a nice amount of snowfall. By nice, I mean not enough to keep you indoors for days or the roads clogged up. It was just enough to enjoy a nice morning walk before it started to melt. So I was out early to see what birds it would bring out to play. I headed to Lapwing Lane pool, which has a really nice perimeter walk and a good variety of habitat, and then just down the road to Redesemere lake. First thing I noticed was how nicely the snow reflects light onto the underside of birds in flight. Buzzards and Geese looked very good in particular. 

Where the snow didn't reach, the frost took hold.

There was a lot of activity, as is always the case on a cold day. The birds seem to take more risks to find food. They will stay around longer as you walk by them rather than dash off at the first sign of a human form. This makes photographing them a little easier when utilised with fieldcraft.

Blue Tit

A Dunnock trying to find a patch where there is no snow.

Greylag geese were particularly busy on this morning, but looked fantastic with the snow reflecting.

The Kingfishers perch was well protected from the snow, and again, she was very active.

A Robin in snowy wintery conditions. One of those moments that looks like a classic Christmas Card.

Kingfisher

I've been watching a Kingfisher recently, having discovered an area that one likes to frequent. It gives a bit of cover, so I am not too visible to the bird. It happily flies in to perch and then does a spot of fishing. Now obviously, with a bit of cover it was quite difficult to get clean shots without branches in the way, but that still beats watching it fly off to the other side of the universe before you've even caught sight of it.

This was my best effort on a very grey day. Can't wait to get back after lockdown in better light.

 These are what you usually get to see, if you're lucky. Very twiggy but such a lovely bird.

Hollingworth Lake

I had a couple of hours spare last weekend and went for a walk around Hollingworth lake in Rochdale. The weather has been truly dreadful of late, so I was just glad to get out without a howling wind or heavy rain. 

It was a leisurely stroll and not a great deal on the water, but enjoyable all the same as the sun began to set. 

I can't wait for Spring and some potentially drier, less windy spells of weather. Not a guarantee in this part of the world though.

Coot

A Cormorant in with some Lapwings.

A distant Kingfisher watching a Great Crested Grebe. 

Kingfisher

One of the best places that I can almost guarantee seeing a Kingfisher (and it's not a particularly easy bird to pin down) is back at my Mum and Dad's in Loughton, Essex. I spent my childhood, youth and young adulthood here. I spent a lot of time on the Roding Valley Nature Reserve, but at that time it was usually spent playing football or riding a bike. Now when I go back to visit, I go on foot and seek out all the delights that nature has to show me. There is plenty to be seen, and knowing the site so well, I have an advantage in understanding what will be where.
There are several spots that I concentrate on for the Kingfishers, and at this time of year they are a bit more active. My first sighting was just a brief one as it called and then flew in front of me and into the sun. Not very helpful. The next was a whole lot better.
An early morning walk before disturbance by too many other people, and I caught sight of a red flash banking right towards the river. Having crept to a vantage point where I could see the bank, I put my binoculars up. Sat on a branch looking back at me was a cracking little bird. I think it was a juvenile.
I was able to watch for a good five minutes or so before the first dog walker of the day shouted 'Good morning' and scared it off. Great views all the same and at quite close quarters. One of my favourite birds.

Regurgitating a pellet.

Someone stole my Sunshine.

Well the weather has really turned in the last couple of weeks and Autumn is well and truly with us. The sun has been replaced by wind and rain. The evenings are drawing in and this makes me sad. It means I can't get out after work with the camera, and so it's a long wait for the weekend and then praying that it is dry and sunny.
A few weeks back; when we were still enjoying good sunshine, I visited Pennington Flash and Elton Reservoir. Plenty of birds were around and lots of them seemed to perform nicely for me. Hurry up the Spring please!

Lapwing enjoying the warm sun.

A Grey Wagtail having a little skip and a jump.

Kingfisher also soaking up the sun.



A Nuthatch having a feed.

A Sedge Warbler do its best to give me a rubbish short by hiding behind the twigs.

Once in a lifetime moment.

I've always loved the Kingfisher. Seeing one when I'm out is always a huge bonus and without doubt the highlight of any birding day. Unfortunately they can be quite elusive and more often than not I've only been alerted to them as them shoot past me, flashing that unmistakable blue back at me.
However, that all said, I had something happen the other day that will probably never happen to me again. I had 6 Kingfishers in front of me on perches and posts not more than 15 feet away, as I sat in a hide. It was like my Birthday and Christmas coming all at once, and I had my camera with me and ready too. I still can't quite believe what I did witness. I will instead allow to see what I saw with just some of the photos I was able to take.