When I arrived at the hide, I found a young birder just leaving after a 3 hour stakeout without any sign of a Kingfisher. He stayed and chatted for a while before leaving to meet his lift home. And within 5 minutes there it was...
I had barely poured a coffee when it crossed from the right and landed on the small sunken bush out on the lake. I watched it for while as it perched and could not believe my luck as it then started diving for fish and returning to the same perch to down its catch. It made 5 dives and caught 4 fish (probably small roach) and returned to the same perch each time, thus giving me the chance of a couple of decent but distant photographs. Well satiated, it flew off right, and I hoped it was returning to feed a clutch of youngsters. Awesome!
Shortly after the sublime, came the almost ridiculous... As a Heron landed in the same bush (they perch so gracefully for such a big bird) and appeared to be stalking the same shoal of fish! No doubt wishing it had the agility of the Kingfisher, it soon realised its limitations and departed.
Now where was I... Oh yes, lunch.
Kingfisher enjoying the result of another successful dive
A hungry Grey Heron contemplates the Kingfisher method!
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