Photographing Kingfishers

[FUDGEY]

Jcurtis, any fishing tackle shop will sell you ground bait for about £2 a bag or you could blend some stale bread ( take crust off first) it's pretty simple. Mixing it can be quite tricky to get the right consistency, but it won't matter too much if your putting it in close to you. Just lightly add water to it in a tub of some description and mix thoroughly. Keep it moving and get the air through it. If you don't add enough water it will be to light and just wash away, if your unsure better to add too much.
Re my post last night, please note this post were on my experiences and may not be the case in other areas. I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has noticed that if using a high perch that if they catch a fish they would rather land on a perch lower down rather than flying back up high? It's definatly the case with the ones I watch, just curious to hear if this is normal behaviour.

[Deer Hunter]

Fully agree with Fudgey regarding the perches. I've filmed countless kingfishers over the past 40 years and yes they do return to a lower perch after catching a fish if one is near-by.

A tip that may be helpful and one that I've used on numerous occasion's for locating a perch. Make a few concrete blocks with a 50mm hole in the centre. These can be located in the water and cut perches fixed into the hole depending on height and depth of water. The advantage of this is you can change your perch with ease thus avoiding all pictures showing the same perch format, plus move them a foot or so and you can create a different background.

[FUDGEY]

Great tips deerhunter

[BillyPilgrim]

Originally Posted by FUDGEY

I've noticed that if a high perch is used (6 to 8ft) they prefer not to expend energy and once they dive they don't usually fly back up to it. A perch that's 3 to 4ft above the water is much prefered IMO.

Mine is probably about 5-6ft high and most of the time (but not always) they do choose a lower perch after catching a fish. I'd not even thought about why they do this but it seems obvious now that you mention it - cheers!

The reason why I made it so high was so that I could get a nicer background, ie. the trees at the far side of the lake instead of the water which is more often than not reflecting a light grey sky which can mean either a 'blown' background or an under-exposed bird.

It would be nice to get down lower and reduce the height of the perch but as I'm sat in a hide this isn't possible.

These two images show the difference. The first bird is on my higher perch and the second is a couple of feet below on the branch of a fallen tree.

I have had shots of a Kingfisher with a fish on the lower perch but because of the brighter background the fish is usually blown so I tend to delete them.

Kingfisher - Alcedo Atthis - Wildlife Photography

Kingfisher - Alcedo Atthis - Wildlife Photography

[RamboMuscles]

I have been taking pictures at Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve nr Bury st Edmunds, i have been using the REED hide and have got some lovelly shots, the best advice is to "Hide" i use camo netting, more like camo veil, there really good. The kingfisher is so "flittish" that if your seen you have missed out. Looks a bit odd when people join you in the hide, but the results i have got, are prove that it works, it helps because the kingfisher can't see you or any movement and means that you don't have to sit perfectly still. But rememeber you need to be patient!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mike Camb]

Are Kingfishers active throughout the year? It's now Nov 2nd and I was thinking of visiting some wildlife reserves and noted Lackford Lakes is a good place for Kings

[NicolaB]

Yes, Kingfishers are definitely active all year I've been watching one regularly for the past few weeks.

[Mike Camb]

Originally Posted by NicolaB

Yes, Kingfishers are definitely active all year I've been watching one regularly for the past few weeks.

Diolch yn fawr NicolaB