Friday 17 January 2020

Kingfishers in Hertfordshire

7th January 2020

Hertfordshire is not on the list of top birding counties. We are miles from the coast so don't get huge flocks of wheeling waders and falls of migrants, even once common breeding birds such as Corn Buntings and Yellow Wagtails are now confined to the north of the county, Willow Tits have long gone, and Tree Sparrows and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are just about hanging on. But at least Hertfordshire is blessed in having more than its fair share of one of the most loved birds in the UK, the Kingfisher.

Just find any stream, river, pond or lake and wait patiently for a while and you stand a chance of that electric flash of blue zipping past and possible landing on an overhanging branch right in front of you. Obviously sitting in a hide such as the one at Rye Meads has its advantages, but some individuals can be very tame and are so engrossed in their fishing that they totally ignore you.

I managed to photograph this adult female at a range of just 6 yards without a hide or a safety net. Enjoy!!


















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