kingfishers

[bazzaboy09]

hi guys i have been trying to get kingfishers on camera for a while now and have had no luck. is there anywhere in Essex you know of that i have the opportunity to get one many thanks in advance.

[Picidae]

Hi welcome to WAB.

You may not know that Kingfishers are Schedule 1 protected birds under the Wildlife & Countryside Act and any specific information about where there might be breeding Kingfishers should not be posted on public forums. Kingfishers are very vulnerable to human disturbance especially during the breeding season. A licence is needed to take photos in the vicinity of any nests sites. I'm sure you'd be very careful, but it's worth bearing in mind that if you do come across any Kingfishers, it's likely you are in the general vicinity of a nest site since we are in the middle of the breeding season!

It's particularly important this Spring as the harsh winter will make any breeding successes that much more crucial for populations to recover from winter fatalities.

Try one of the Essex Wildlife Trust reservoirs (eg Hanningfield Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor Centre Events - view by all ) or perhaps just try at the end of July when any breeding birds will be much more visible and dispersing from the nest sites?

[bazzaboy09]

thank for the reply. Yes i know about the rules of photographing Schedule 1 wildlife and would not be in any area that a nest is. But i am more looking for where it would be fishing and also i would be setting a hide up to stop disturbance.