Kingfisher spotting

[comfortably numb]

My wife is obsessed with looking for kingfishers as we cruise along. In the last 30+ years we've been on 15 hire boats, have had a share in a boat for the last 4 years, and now have our own and plan to cruise around every summer. In all that time we have only once seen a kingfisher, and that was on the Mon & Brec canal.

 

So my question is how often do you others spot them and where are they most common? Also are they more common on rivers where the water is clearer (usually)? We've mainly been on canals so perhaps that is the reason.She's become obsessed and although at least it keeps her occupied it's driving me mad! Are they as ilusive as we've found them to be?

[johnmck]

Spotted one at Welford junction a few weeks ago. Was early morning and the streak of blue and piercing call was confirmation. They sometimes are spotted in the most unlikely of locations, the outskirts of Nuneaton being one such!

[Athy]

We have occasionally seen one on the South Oxford. A few years ago, on the middle part of the Grand Union (Weedon/ Bugbrooke sort of area) I recall seeing almost as many kingfishers as herons - indeed we kept a kingfishers v. herons score for a while.

[cheshire~rose]

Kingfishers have a territory so often you will spot one in the same area if that is an area you tend to cruise regularly. They can be hard to spot. Often just a drap little bird flying low along the water ahead of the boat. If the light is right then you glmpse a flash of blue. The kingfisher will land on a brnach some way ahead of the boat. The trick is to keep your eye on the area you last saw it as when you get closer it will often fly off ahead of you again.

 

There is an area around Brewood on the Shropshire Union where we rarely fail to spot a kingfisher. Last weekend I decided I wanted to try and catch a photo of the blue streak as it flashed ahead of us so I got my camera set up for the poor light of the cutting and the zoom lens on with a fast shutter speed and positioned myself on the bow deck and waited. My eye was caught by the historic boat Battersea coming the other way so I was just about to line up a photo of it's bow coming towards us when I heard Dave shout from the stern - he had spotted a kingfisher. I locked my camera onto it and started clicking thinking even if I only got a blurred image I would be happy .... any moment now he would be flying off so with continuous shooting mode my camera was firing off shots in the hope that as we drew closer one of them might be worth looking at.

 

This little chap turned out to be a right poseur and he decided not to fly off and I got this photo:

 

 

Kiwimum and I exchanged notes afterwards and we realised the cracking shot she got of a kingfisher earlier this year was on the same stretch of canal and I have had one sit still as we pass before along there so maybe on that stretch there is one who is not quite so shy

[Batavia]

Kingfishers are very common on the Tring summit level. A couple of weeks ago, I saw 3 at the same time - some kind of territorial dispute, as they seemed quite agitated?

 

Chris G

[Jerra]

You are either having very bad luck or "haven't got your eye in"! I would say we see at least one or two a week while cruising. We had one perch on the boat and then fly ahead perching on successive boats at Great Haywood Junction last year.

 

We find watching from the bow best look for a bright blue flash going along in front of you. Note carefully where it turns into the bank side vegetation, then keep watching as you draw nearer and you should get a reasonable view. We have even had them stay perched as the boat glides past.

 

Good luck with the search.

Kingfishers are very common on the Tring summit level. A couple of weeks ago, I saw 3 at the same time - some kind of territorial dispute, as they seemed quite agitated?

 

Chris G

Probably a pair driving an intruder out of their territory.

[stickleback]

I've seen one (or several at different times - I don't know which) between Gayton and Bugbrooke. Never managed to get a photo though - they don't half move fast! Best I ever saw was in Cambridge, when I parked near the botanic gardens in Trumpington Road. There is parking at the roadside beside a stream, and I sat in the car for perhaps 20 minutes entranced as a kingfisher darted from branch to steam to another branch over and over, quite oblivious to the passing traffic and pedestrians. Magical!!!!

[cheshire~rose]

You could also try a holiday in India - they have the same kingfishers as us but they are no where near as shy and will sit still just a few feet away from you. They also have several other varieties that are bigger but equally as brilliantly coloured. They will often perch on a post by a field as they "fish" for lizards. The largest is the stork billed kingfisher which is 33cm tall! When you see one for the first time you think your eyes are playing tricks on you.

 

[pquinn]

here is some good video of them.it is use full to know what their call sounds like allthough you may not hear it over the engine unless you are at the bow.it is quite distinctive and once you recognise it you will start hearing them when you are in bed.their poo is allso very recognisable and you will know all about it if they crap on your boat.they make alot for such a small bird.you may find examples on google.

 

http://www.waterwaysireland.org/Pages/Video-Secret-life-of-the-Shannon.aspx

http://www.soundboard.com/sb/KingFisher_bird_sounds

[Jigsawged]

I have often seen them on the lower (Congleton) end of the Macclesfield Canal and my Better Half saw one on the Staffs and Worcs close to Great Haywood the other day.

[Alanji]

Fantastic photo Jan

[cotswoldsman]

Quite a few on Shropshire Union over the last 2 weeks

[Athy]

Kingfishers have a territory so often you will spot one in the same area if that is an area you tend to cruise regularly. They can be hard to spot. Often just a drap little bird flying low along the water ahead of the boat. If the light is right then you glmpse a flash of blue. The kingfisher will land on a brnach some way ahead of the boat. The trick is to keep your eye on the area you last saw it as when you get closer it will often fly off ahead of you again.

:

 

What a superb photo - greeno (should be blueo?) awarded. But surely your "Indian" photo is the result of computer trickery?

[MtB]

Two gorgeous Kingfishers here:

 

 

[PaulG]

My wife is obsessed with looking for kingfishers as we cruise along. In the last 30+ years we've been on 15 hire boats, have had a share in a boat for the last 4 years, and now have our own and plan to cruise around every summer. In all that time we have only once seen a kingfisher, and that was on the Mon & Brec canal.

 

So my question is how often do you others spot them and where are they most common? Also are they more common on rivers where the water is clearer (usually)? We've mainly been on canals so perhaps that is the reason.She's become obsessed and although at least it keeps her occupied it's driving me mad! Are they as ilusive as we've found them to be?

We usually see quite a few on the Severn and Avon. It's difficult to spot them unless they are flying, in which case they are very fast and low over the water. Their usual call is a high-pitched cheep.

There was one bird a few years ago that was in the habit of perching on one of my mooring lines in the marina.

[Jerra]

As has been said knowing the call helps. This page

 

http://www.xeno-canto.org/browse.php?species_nr=&query=Alcedo+atthis

 

has a number of recordings. To play click the triangle at the start of the line (a bit like the "blob" on the forum lines).

[koukouvagia]

Kingfishers are very common on the Tring summit level. A couple of weeks ago, I saw 3 at the same time - some kind of territorial dispute, as they seemed quite agitated?

 

Chris G

There was a chap a few years ago who boated around the Tring area. He was a wild life photographer. He'd sit in his back cabin for days on end, camera at the ready, to capture a shot of a kingfisher, waiting for it to dive into a fish tank which he'd placed on his back deck.

 

I've never been able to photograph the Tring kingfishers - they dart off as soon as they hear the Kelvin approaching.

[Jerra]

I've never been able to photograph the Tring kingfishers - they dart off as soon as they hear the Kelvin approaching.

Being territorial Kingfishers will return to the same area if you moor turn off the engine and stay out of sight. Gustav Kiburg (a renowned Kingfisher photographer) places perches for them. He says they can't resist using a new perch.

 

Edit: To close brackets

Edited May 31, 2013 by Jerra

[cheshire~rose]

What a superb photo - greeno (should be blueo?) awarded. But surely your "Indian" photo is the result of computer trickery?

 

Thank you - I must say it made my day, weekend, month to get that photo! It was all about being in the right place at the right time with the camera ready though so I think anyone could get a shot in that area.

 

The photo os the Stork Billed Kingfisher is not mine, I grabbed it off the net somewhere but I have no reason to believe it has been messed about with. These critters are 33cm tall (that is over a foot in old money) so if you spot one you really do think your eyes are playing tricks on you.I have seen several in India but I only recently got my posh new camera that enabled me to get the pic of the one on The Shroppie so as you can imagine I cannot wait for my next trip to Goa so I can take some decent photo's of the birds out there.

 

Here is another photo from the internet of the Stork Billed version. I would love it if Kiwimum would share her photo of a kingfisher with you all - it is much better than mine

 

[NB Lola]

Tixhall Wide at the weekend just gone

[Alanji]

Is this the one you mean Jan?

 

 

Some fatastic photos on their blog http://michele-andrew.blogspot.co.uk

[cheshire~rose]

Oh yes! That is the one

 

Such an amazing photo but - do forumites think this is the same bird as the one in my pic? I wonder if he wears a name tag somewhere

[snailspace]

On Valhalla we have seen quite a few kingfishers (didn't manage to photograph any successfully though). This year one I spotted flying one over the south Oxford canal near the Wolvercote junction waterpoint before going down the Dukes Lock - guy sitting on his boat on the agenda 21 moorings had been watching it all day.

 

Again travelling south down the South Oxford, last September there was lots of kingfisher activity before Kingsground / Enslow winding hole and there was another place I got told off for travelling at tickover to watch kingfishers, but I can't remember exactly which stretch it was.

 

Caught a few pixels of turquoise on camera as we travelled down the Macclesfield canal in the summer as well. I think it is just a matter of getting your eye in. Good luck and I hope you both see kingfishers this summer (because its annoying when just one of you glimpses it).

[Batavia]

I've never been able to photograph the Tring kingfishers - they dart off as soon as they hear the Kelvin approaching.

That surprises me. I would have thought that they would be flying round in dazed circles, suffering from concussion from the Kelvin.

 

Chris G

[comfortably numb]

Firstly my wife has objected to me saying in my OP that she is obsessed with them! Thanks for the advice regarding locations, the infuriating thing is that we've cruised many of those places without seeing any. My wife does look from the bow and I even slow down when we reach parts that look like typical kingfisher territory. She also looks ahead knowing that they're likely to take flight when we got too near. Perhaps she's been looking too far ahead.

 

Wonderful photo Jan, the kind you dream about managing to get. We were lucky with that one and only sighting on the Mon & Brec I mentioned.I happened to have my video camera ready and each time we got level it would fly off and perch a bit further ahead so we were able to see and film it for a good few minutes.

 

Being able to identify those sounds of them will help, as will the other advice including about looking out for them flying over the water, so thanks to you all for your help. Also , now that we are about to embark on CC'ing for a few months rather than just the 3-4 weeks a year we've been used to then I'm sure we will see some more.