It's now 15 consecutive years that I have photographed a Kingfisher on my local brook which is literally 5 minutes walk from my house, very close to Lidl and next to a bike dealership! The brook is now part of flood relief and passes through one of the biggest trading estates in Europe. Yet, it is teeming with life and under explored and a haven for Kingfishers who easily find enough to eat. Yesterday was very different, just when you think you understand the behaviour of your subject then something new and different will happen. I have learned over the years that a couple of hours before sunset is a good time to photograph Kingfishers hunting. So at 5 last night I made my way down to the brook and slipped down the very overgrown bank and in to the shallow knee deep water. I could immediately see that there was a kingfisher on my perch! This is always a problem because there is bound to be some disturbance. I inched in to the middle of the brook to give my lens a clear view and snapped off a few shots. Then the bird actually flew upstream towards me and landed very close - probably about 10 feet? It had either seen me or couldn't care less and stayed there for a couple of minutes as I snapped away. A great encounter.
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