Swarovski 80HD Nikon CP995 & Kyocera SL400

Location

Kingfisher

Alcedo atthis 16.5cm

The first thing you notice about a Kingfisher is it's colour. Most of my Kingfisher sightings have consisted of a flash of blue darting across my field of vision, usually low and over water.

I'm lucky enough to live near a stretch of the River Trent that has a healthy population of Kingfishers.

Some of the images here were taken in 2003 at the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust HQ at Wolseley Bridge. Most of the close up shots were taken in 2004, from a hide on a stretch of riverbank, within the Shugborough Estate.

The main images here was taken within a few yards of the Essex Bridge at Great Haywood. An ornamental lake at the rear of Shugborough Hall diverts water from the River Sow and returns it where the River Sow joins the Trent at Essex Bridge. A weir with a sluice gate controls the water level and after a little observation I noticed that the Kingfishers were using the sluice gate as a regular perch.