picture from a local reserve called Feckenham Wylde
Moor. A reserve owned by the Worcestershire Wildlife
trust.
Looking at the picture it made it look like you could get
pretty close, which is always good.
The Kingfishers a bird I've wanted to photograph for a
while but up until this point thought that I'd probably have
to more or less camp out to get a decent shot of one.
It was too good to pass up. I decided to go the very next
day as the forecast looked pretty good, well the afternoon
did anyway.
I Incorporated it with a trip up to a little place called Venus
pool. This little gem help me see my first Osprey!...That's
what I was hoping for with this visit.
I'd done my homework and had been watching the
news and sightings for quite a while but up until this point
no Ospreys had put in an appearance. I thought if one
was going to show it would be this weekend they've
usually shown by now and time was running out.
I arrived at 06.00am to find some 200 geese over the
pool mostly Greylag with the odd few Canada thrown
in they'd obviously roosted there overnight.
I stayed and watched from the hides for the next couple
of hours but nothing. The skies were empty and the pool
no different, I'd got it wrong...Oh well it was worth a
try, maybe next time.
Before leaving I took a trip around the reserve to see if I
could see anything else but nothing was about, very quiet.
The odd GoldFinch but that was about it, I decided not
to waste anymore time and make my way over to Feckenham.
I arrived at Feckenham with the sun shining, as forecast.
Not being here before I didn't really know where to
start, I made my way through the tall grass and reeds
over to what I thought was a gate way. As I walked
through the reeds I could hear the call of several
Sedge Warblers, always nice.
As I drew closer to the gateway I could see a small hide
in the distance then another, I headed straight for the
closest one hoping this would be the one, It was.
I met up with another photographer that had been there
since 6 O'clock. I asked if he had seen the Kingfisher
and he said "yes, once for about 10 seconds about
8 o'clock".
I set myself up thinking that I'd be here for while, but I
half expected that I would be anyway. I didn't have
to wait long though before a Kingfisher put in it's second
appearance but no sooner had it landed than it was off
again.
We could see it at the other end of the pool fishing off
the reeds, just my luck!
I spent the next hour or so chatting away and looking
for what else was around. I asked what else was
usually seen (as you do) and the one chap said nothing
really apart from the Kingfishers, it's usually quiet.
I set about looking for whatever I could find. In the next
hour or so I managed to spot a Sparrowhawk, a pair of
Buzzard and a Peregrine passing over the woodland with
prey and that was just the Raptors we also see Green
Woodpecker, Great Spotted woodpecker Swallows
skimming the pool, Common Whitethroat around it so
it wasn't that quiet, really!
While looking at all these birds we didn't even notice
that the Kingfisher had made an entrance, landing on
a nearby branch. She stayed for at least 15 minutes
fishing away giving us some exceptionally close views.
That was the only visit she made, but it was enough
for me to get a few decent shots.
Here's just a few of them!...
Since these were taken many people have visited the reserve
in the hope that they too could grab a few shots of this
beautiful little bird making it somewhat of a star!....Oh, and
the Osprey turned up a week later, Typical!
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