kingfisher behaviour for photography

brianiac

Have been seeing this little kingfisher blitzing up a little river close to my house very ferquently over the last few weeks. I presume this little fella might have been evicted from a clutch or else has some chicks of their own. anyway managed to get a pic for the first time other than blurs i usually do - the first time i stumbled on it perching. I would love an 'action' pic of it bursting out of the water with a fish in its beak. does anyone have specific advice re behaviour? ie are they habitual feeders in terms of location or are they opportunistic scooting over prolonged areas? ive read online about them havin territories 3-4km long though i dont think this one does based on the frequency i saw it recently.
i was walking the dogs today when i spotted it. what surprised me was that it didnt seem overly bothered by me as it flew away shortly after me snapping it, but then came back relatively soon (3-4 min) to land in roughly the same place (i was lying flat at this stage). is this normal? i would love to get a pic, but would prioritise not affecting its behaviour by spooking it away from the area. is this likely?

Tiercel Dave

The only bit of help I can give is that I've read of photographers putting up a perch themselves. So, along an occupied stretch, you pick a good spot for taking a pic, good background, good concealment for yourself, whatever, and stick a branch into the bank, overhanging the water. Over time the Kingfisher will begin to accept you at that spot if all goes well. Good luck with your endeavors.....

OpenYourEyes

They will use the same perches within their territory - you might have to wait 5mins or 5 hours for them to come back to it, but they will use the same perches. As Tiercel Dave said above, some people do put up artificial perches for them to use too.

brianiac

thanks for the reponses! i have a little hide i will try set up. good to hear they can become accustomed to setups. as it happens i went back today with the dogs and after 5 min 2 kingfishers zipped by! if i fail to get a shot its my fault.

Featherbeard

I've been trying to get shots of them myself recently too! From what I've heard the best time to capture those shots is during the breeding season when the male is constantly out hunting and bringing fish back to the nestlings. It can be quite difficult to locate the nest but if you do you're in for a good chance of getting those action shots bursting out of the water!

OpenYourEyes

Featherbeard wrote: »

I've been trying to get shots of them myself recently too! From what I've heard the best time to capture those shots is during the breeding season when the male is constantly out hunting and bringing fish back to the nestlings. It can be quite difficult to locate the nest but if you do you're in for a good chance of getting those action shots bursting out of the water!

Do of course note that it's illegal to disturb a species at or near the nest, and many beginner wildlife photographers are unable to identify disturbance when its happening (Great Saltee being the best example). A license from NPWS would be needed if you're anywhere close to the nest.

Featherbeard

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Do of course note that it's illegal to disturb a species at or near the nest, and many beginner wildlife photographers are unable to identify disturbance when its happening (Great Saltee being the best example). A license from NPWS would be needed if you're anywhere close to the nest.

Yes that's a fair point I should've mentioned.

fryup

are kingfisher's all nationwide or just certain parts?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

fryup wrote: »

are kingfisher's all nationwide or just certain parts?

They are widespread and fairly common in suitable habitat.

Rosahane

Some time ago I read an article by a wildlife photographer who set up a perch for kingfishers by pushing a stick into a clay bank above a pool that had minnows or small dace. It was otherwise a bare bank with no trees or other suitable perch for kingfishers. It worked out very well, attracting a kingfisher and allowing the photographer to get some nice shots.

brianiac

thanks for the reponses. i hadnt gone looking for the nest for that reason. Yes i subsequently saw something similar on youtube. where they set it up near a river where kingfisher were known to frequent. they guy who owns it has set it up on a semi professional basis where people pay to utilise it. i wasnt sure what kind of fish were in it. its pretty sneaky! I have herons and egrets on the river too. does anyone know about how they interact? ie if a heron is knocking about will the kingfisher stay away? given the relative size difference i would suspect they do not directly compete for simlar food, but they seem skittish.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

brianiac wrote: »

thanks for the reponses. i hadnt gone looking for the nest for that reason. Yes i subsequently saw something similar on youtube. where they set it up near a river where kingfisher were known to frequent. they guy who owns it has set it up on a semi professional basis where people pay to utilise it. i wasnt sure what kind of fish were in it. its pretty sneaky! I have herons and egrets on the river too. does anyone know about how they interact? ie if a heron is knocking about will the kingfisher stay away? given the relative size difference i would suspect they do not directly compete for simlar food, but they seem skittish.

Herons, egrets and kingfishers don't seem to impact on each other or react to each other.

corks finest

My local river 2 pot curraheen,have had them for years,same perches all along the river,vv territorial,need to be up earliest,though at this time of year not as active as springtime,but one perches identified,patience will prevail