Photographing Kingfishers

[Chris_Johnstone]

I've been up and down some stretches of the Wye and the Arrow in Herefordshire for the last month or so. I've had plenty of sightings in both areas but I've never been able to get a shot.

I have a hide but find it a bit frustrating to use. I get in and I can't stop feeling that my view is so limited that it's impossible to know what's about me. Of the people that have successfully taken photos of these birds, can you please PM and let me know what you did to prepare, your equipment and how long you were there? I would be very grateful. I've clocked up about 50 hours in the hide and I'm beginning to wonder whether I'm doing something drastically wrong.

Any tips and ideas are welcome.

Chris

[GME]

Originally Posted by Chris_Johnstone

Of the people that have successfully taken photos of these birds, can you please PM and let me know what you did to prepare, your equipment and how long you were there? I would be very grateful.

Any tips and ideas are welcome.

Chris

I think we'd all like to know Chris! There are some guys who have got some great shots on here. I'm going to have a go tomorrow at a Wildlife Trust site near me where a Kingfisher regularly rests on a perch just in front of one the hides. Well, that's what I've been assured. Whenever I've been before i've seen them but too far away for a decent shot and they didn't use the perch
From what I've been told in the past though, Kingfishers use the same perches a lot of the time, so if you can find one of them, safely setup nearby without disturbing them and then wait it out camera focused on that point, that's maybe your best bet. I know of people who have set up their own perches as well, located their hide close by and had some success. I'm no expert though, unfortunately.

Good luck with it Chris, but if you get some good advice, share

Gareth

[ron1863]

Good luck. We have some on our local river but I only ever see them flashing past.

[sleipnerofasgard]

Went round my local patch,was all set up in the hide when the bird flew in ,hovred over the perch for a couple of seconds then decided to carry on to somewhere else ah well there is always tomorrow

[John D]

Originally Posted by ron1863

Good luck. We have some on our local river but I only ever see them flashing past.

Same here Ron. I never see them on a perch.
John D

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by John D

Same here Ron. I never see them on a perch.
John D

Two Kingfishers sitting on a perch.
One said to the other:
"Can you smell fish"?



I'll get me coat...

[deer boy]

Originally Posted by Chris_Johnstone

Any tips and ideas are welcome.

Chris

Find a nice quiet spot where u won't be disturbed by anyone,then put a perch up.
This can be an old tree branch for example,make sure it overhangs the river then sit back in your hide with your camera focusing on the branch.
If the kingfishers use the stretch of river they will use the perch u put up

[HowlinWolf]

Chris,

If you go the perch set-up route, bear in mind the background it will give you. There's nothing worse than getting the shot you are after, only to have it spoilt by a distracting back drop - however out of focus it is.. If it contains highlights, then the eye will immediately be drawn to it, detracting from the subject (although I suspect you know this, already). Obviously, they could be cloned-out, but at least make sure the colours will compliment the bird.

HW

[Chris_Johnstone]

Thanks for the tips guys, I've been doing most of what you've been telling me but I think it's just my patience running thin.

The very first time I was checking out the area, only to see if Kingfishers were about, I stuck a branch in the water and 3 hours later it was used for about 4 seconds. It was great but the stretch of the river is quite busy.

Need to get my head down some more. Sometimes I think 400mm isn't enough, sometimes it's soft too but that's another story.

Chris

[mh68]

Chris, if the margins where your perch is are shallow, try chucking some angler`s groundbait in to attract small fish such as minnows.If there are prey around the perch theres a good chance the Kingfisher will fish from it giving you more chance of some shots,as opposed to it just using the perch briefly before moving on.

Mark H