My First Encounter with a Kingfisher

So after the school run, I asked my daughter if we should take Simba our dog, for a walk? Days have started to get longer, and we get some day light still, after the kids come home.

So, we got ready and went for a brief walk. We took him half way round the lakes (an area near where I live), when we saw an elderly man trying to control 2 pitbulls by himself. We turned round, knowing that could be a potential problem with Simba's temperament and walked the other way.

From the corner of my eye, I spot this bird take off from a branch. Not a big deal, but I noticed something about this bird. It was still pretty light, and I could make out that this bird had the colouration of an English King Fisher. An astonishing bright blue-green shine. I had no doubt to what I had seen.

So we followed it to where we thought we had seen it perched. Little looking around and I spot it! I could not believe my eyes. Since I was a little boy, I had been wanting to see one up close and personal. And this moment was now right in front of me! There was once this time in Coldecotte, that I saw one fly, just like today, but no way was I getting close to that one, as I couldn't see where it went.

This was a shot I got with the phone, cause I didn’t have my camera. Its like Where’s Wally? I can see its perched on a branch of the tree top half more to the right.

Not a great picture. So I said to my duaghter, lets go home and grab the camera. I did say I had wanted to see this bird since I was a kid and home was 5 minutes away. Wildlife in England isn’t much exciting, so you grab every opportunity you can get.

So we went home, dropped off Simba, and grabbed the camera, and back out we went.

When we got back to the lakes, I said to my daughter, ‘I bet we don’t see it now!’. Sods law, and yes pessimistic, but that how majority of life is. Wait a whole lifetime, and then get a glimpse, then nothing. However, this was not the case today. We slowly walked around the lake with our beady eyes and tried to spot what ever moved, or looked remotely like a nice shiny blue bird. Suddenly, I go ‘There he is!!!’. I guess luck was on my side. Quickly came out the camera and snap, snap, snap.

And there he or she is. What a remarkable specimen of a bird!

So to conclude this most memorable event that I shared with my daughter, which will stay in our hearts forever. I have no doubt she will know exactly where and with whom she was the day she saw her first Kingfisher.