Got a Photo of a Kingfisher on My Patch!

[Andrew]

16-11-03 Location : Greenway (Grand Western Canal), Devon. ST004135

The sun was out so I returned to Greenway with my scope and camera. As soon as we started walking from Greenway Bridge a Common Kingfisher zoomed past us. The Little Grebe was on the Greenway straight and quite shy. It disappeared underwater regularly and ended up right in the far side growth. I was failed to take a picture. A Common Buzzard perched on a post in a distant hedge near Sellake Bridge. Just past Sellake Bridge a Song Thrush crossed our paths into the field below the canal. I caught a brief glimpse of the female Common Stonechat I saw yesterday and a bit further on a female type Blackcap showed well. As we walked back to Greenway Bridge a second Common Kingfisher zipped by then pulled up sharply into a tree overlooking the canal. In no time I was opposite it and got some fantastic pictures. I was really glad to have successfully captured a Kingfisher in a photograph. I tried again at the Little Grebe on the way back with no luck. A second Common Buzzard glided overhead into the fields.

[Jane Turner]

Smart bird... still need one for the house. Its actually 24 years since I saw one in the vicinity, so it might be a forlorn wait..... unless its a hugely cold winter and one comes to fish in the brackish pools on the beach

[Beverlybaynes]

What a gorgeous fellow! Lucky you to see and photograph him.

[birdman]

Great shot, Andrew!

Kingfisher... jus' love 'em!

[IanF]

Congratulations Andrew :t:

It's great just being able to see one, but to manage a decent photo certainly puts the icing on the cake.

[KCFoggin]

What a breath taking bird this is Andrew. Amazing you were able to get such a good shot of one of these guys. I find them frustrating at best.

[dennis]

Nice shot Andrew. I was lucky enough to see one on a trip to London last March. It was my favorite of the visit.

dennis

[christineredgate]

Well done Andrew.the only glimpse I have ever had of a kingfisher has been a quick flash of purple and blue.We have occasionally seen them here near the sea defences,and when we lived in Nottingham they were regularly seen at a local small wildlife reserve,but I have never seen one actually still and perched.
Christine.

[Andrew]

I am hoping for some more sunny weather to have another crack at a Kingfisher as I feel there was just too much movement. Even with 1/125th second exposures the automatic timer is best. I was in a rush just to get some pictures as two dog walkers were coming from both sides.

[dylan]

Nice one Andrew, good luck with getting more photos!

[jayhunter]

Nice one Andrew, I can only echo Christine, that in this country I have only had a glimpse of bright blue flashing by. For perched Kingfishers the far east is best as the sun and humidity seems to tire them.

[Ruby]

NIce one Andrew - looks like you could almost have reached out and touched it!!

As you may or may not know, I've been having a bit of a summer of Kingfishers and have banged on about the subject on a couple of threads over the last few months.

I've yet to get a really good view of one perched though - that is until I saw one a couple of weeks ago, just perched on a post at Oare Marshes in Kent. Me and my pal got to have a really good look through the scope and then I belatedly thought 'Photo!!'

Halfway through getting the camera out of my pocket it flew off. :C

Doh!!


Ruby

[digi-birder]

Well done, Andrew. I hardly ever see one flying, let alone stood still long enough to get a photo.

[Andrew]

Thanks for all the great compliments. A good tip for photos is to go to a canal. That way you can follow them and see where they perch then try and walk closer for a shot. Can't do that on a lake unless you wanna swim out to where it is.

Hark at me, talking like I think I'm a pro!

[Nina P]

I had noticed your new avatar, but never saw this thread, I must have been asleep or something, but this is the time of year I used to see one on my fathers farm, he had a lake out the back of the house, and huge picture windows overlooking the lake, and by the lake was a willow tree, and each Christmas one would visit, sit in the willow for ages, sometoimes looking in at us, and sometimes just looking into the water, but it used to stay for about an hour. Wonderful bright colours and flight like lighteneing. Love the shot so keep practising now as I feel you will sooon get one really special one!

[steverowe]

True Jayhunter. Had I a scope and camera with me I could have got some excellent pics of Kingfishers on my recent trip to India. They do seem to spend more time on their perches than they do in the UK. I saw Common Kingfishers, White Breasted, and Stork Billed, with White Breasted being the commonest.

Steve