A Box Finally Ticked

Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis

A number of people have a nemesis bird, some of us more than one. It’s not that I don’t have a Kingfisher image, albeit a rather fortuitous capture beside the River Stour at Blandford while on Otter watch. But I never managed THE shot, until recently. Now I feel like I need never try to get another Kingfisher shot at all. Let's be clear right at the start though, the one above is not THE shot. That will see the light of day sometime later.

We decided to maximize our chances of getting a decent image and booked a day with Nature Photography Hides in Worcestershire. So bright and early on a Sunday morning in late May, we set off for the 8am meet in the car park of a well known takeaway near the hides.

A bit of an inauspicious start awaited us as the guy we were meeting was expecting six photographers and there were eight. Not only that, he wasn’t expecting anyone for the Kingfisher hide and that was us. We needn’t have worried, there was no problem at all and we were soon in the hide, as were the other togs in their respective hides.

In less than 20 minutes, a Kingfisher arrived and posed nicely to get the day off to a great start. It turned out to be superb day with seven or eight visits all told and plenty of super images made. There was a lull of about three hours around the middle of the day with no activity, but who’s complaining about a three-hour lunch break?

Did we see anything else? Yes, a Great Spotted Woodpecker removing a leatherjacket from the bark of a tree for his evening meal. But that was about it. Around 6pm, we decided we would leave after the next bird, or 6:30pm, whichever was the sooner. Funnily enough, they both came together.

As we left the hide to walk back to the car, we paid particular attention to the other hides erected on the site and there are a good few, including reflection pools. Needless to say, ours was the last car in the car park. A short drive to the nearest pub, some dinner followed by the long drive back to Weymouth.

A great day out and we can fully recommend the Nature Photography Hides site in Worcestershire.