Harriers and Halcyon - 27 September 2012

Good to get out today after a few days of heavy rain flooding the north-west. I set off to Frodsham Marsh and was not surprised to see #3 Tank had risen and was now 100m further up the marsh. The water in front of my usual north side viewing point was thick with Mallard and Teal, and the right shoreline held 300 very flighty Lapwing plus a mixture of waders including Redshank, Dunlin, Ruff and Curlew.

I spotted the female Marsh Harrier the moment it appeared and managed to quickly get the scope on it. Brilliant, but it got better as the male suddenly appeared behind it and I had both in view, if only for a few seconds. Then the rain came again.

I decided to chance a look at Moore on the way home and as it was still raining when I arrived, I headed for the near shelter of Lapwing Hide. It was grim and the rain hardly abated but I had coffee and a view, and the noise of a few excitable Mallards lifted the gloom a little. Cheered by the fact that this was a lucky hide for me, an hour passed by and I almost hadn't noticed the rain stop. What I did notice was the colourful flash of a Kingfisher speeding by in a split second that revived my senses. Or so I thought, as a few minutes later I had neither seen or heard it come in, but I looked up and there it was, perched in front of me. Amazing.

Earlier in the year I couldn't buy a Kingfisher, yet I seem to attract them now. I wonder if PK has had that spell book out again!

A sight for sore eyes on a rainy day.

My Kingfisher Lunch Buddy - 4 July 2012

Following a disappointing morning elsewhere, I was heading home when the weather improved, so I decided to take a short detour to Moore Nature Reserve. I parked up and headed for the Lapwing lane hide, where I could resume my kingfisher watch for an hour and enjoy my lunch.

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!