Saturday 11 May 2013

More Kingfishers

Well - I think the Woodgate Valley Kingfisher has gone in search of a mate!! I am no expert and neither might be the person on a forum, who said around this time of year, Kingfishers return or find a suitable breeding ground area. I think this might be where the Woodgate Kingfisher has gone. Not only that one but it looks like the Langdon Meadows lake one and the Leasowes one. The good news is though I found some new ones. I've seen one in Wickford, on the River Crouch. Seen it once, on my first visit. Did not see it on a couple return visits. It was quite a distance when it flew off so could not get a photo. Then I saw another new one at Trittiford lake, Yardley Wood, Birmingham. It was on the River Cole next to the lake. It was a really quick sighting as there were people walking. As I saw it land on a tree over the river, I went to grab the camera but it had flown off. My most successful sighting has been on the River Mardyke, down from North Stifford, where I have seen a kingfisher on three visits. The first two visits I got very bad photo's as this bird flies off well before I get near. On my second visit it was landing about a hundred metres ahead of me and then flying off until it finally flew quite a distance up river. It was then as I walked back it flew past me. Probably back to where I first found it, as it seems to be in relatively the same place each time. It was there last week when it was very windy but I only saw it once as there were a couple runners out who might have made it fly, so I did not see where it went. On that visit I also saw a heron which really struggled to fly with the strong wind and another favourite of mine, the little egret. I can tell this is a good fishing area as the fish jump out and they surface for some time, poking their heads out. As it is the mating season, I'm expecting to find a couple but not seen that. Makes me wonder why some fly off to find a mate and some possibly remain on their own. It could be age I guess but it's all down to nature.