Magic Experience....UPDATE 8th JUNE -NEW PICS

ringyneck

ringyneck

Messages
3,151
Name
Keith
Edit My Images
Yes
WARNING...this is a saga........

Had a fantastic experience yesterday.

Our local Kingfisher(s) have not been showing up this year ...only the occasional flypast.WHERE DO THEY GO !!!

While snapping Warblers Kingy flew high over the hedge and off over the fields.....that was it I HAD to end the mystery.
After about 3 hours of walking and exploring over a area of about 2 miles looking at all the usual places...ponds...canals etc I managed to find a little stream that I had not seen before.
I found an idylic spot...little waterfall with a deeper pool below and sat down hiding just to take it all in.Birds were tweeting all around and a pair of Buzzards did a low flypast ,stopping to give me a twirl.I had been there about 1/2 an hour and was thinking of moving on when this showed up in the branches about 50 foot away....

King1low.jpg


I managed few shots and waited for the next move....
He then flew forward and I got this.....


King2jpglow.jpg


For a few minutes he looked around and then dived in and flew back down stream where I could just make out he was bashing the fish before swallowing.He came back and I tried to get the dive but did get a good pic of the water.
He flew away with the next fish and then off down stream not to return.....i waited and then just had to find somewhere closer or at least for another place he might fish.Did some more walking and the stream was too small up stream so got over the other bank and came back to the original place.Found a "seat" and waited again.....he started to show again but seemed to know something was up.Suddenly he was there,right in front of me abour 15 foot away...I just froze but the game was up and even though he made attempts to return he was really spooked before doing a flypast down stream ...and I bet he had a dissaprooving look on his face as he past me.

I decided then to exit and give him some space....while planning my next moves.
Spotted a great branch that was already off the tree as a better perch and am planning to cut up my Camo cloth to suit the cramp place.....I just hope he will return.
This is what size he was at the closest.I hope he will not be too close....

King3jpglow.jpg


Thanks
keith (y)
 
Last edited:
Please keep us updated, really great that you found his spot. Look forward to seeing more shots of this great little bird.
 
I really enjoyed the OP's post, had me picturing the stream etc. Keep the story going please, it's a great read.

Love your last picture, what a brilliant little bird.

Andy

Sent from my iPhone using TP Forums
 
Thanks for looking at my Saga.......
2 views of the Stream in yesterdays sun.The waterfall is all of 6 inches high...the biggest in the West Midlands........
Streamlow.jpg

Stream2low.jpg

Went back today and placed MY perch.It's at a 45 degree angle coming out of the water and leaning against a tree...have to do for now.
He - or could be she - arrived out of nowhere and landed on their usual perch which is about 15 foot away but about 5 foot above my eye level.Once again I froze but he/she saw me and went again.
I looked round for a different vantage place and thought about lying in the grass/stingers and as I was lifting the camera on the monopod out of the water he/she showed up again heading for MY new perch ...saw me and the monopod and panicked flying straight through and over the field to another part of the stream.
In the end I scaled the tree and sat hunched up on the level of their perch but with a view of mine.
I was now in the line of a good north easterly and getting dead legs so after 3/4 hour gave up ...dangled my legs down to get some blood into them and walked off..........knowing I had probably blew it completely.

Yesterdays fish bashing perch ..about 75 feet away in the gloom.

Kingfish.jpg

And then he was off.......
Kingfly.jpg


Thanks again for looking.
Keith (y)
 
loved reading this keith real tom sawyer material crawling an creeping about i hope you keep the saga going
great set of photo,s too
regards ian
 
Update...
Gave him a days rest from my ugly mug but went yesterday and used a Stealth Camo Cloth draped over me and my kit with a hole cut out for the lens.
It's the 1st time I have used this and my technique needs refining.It was only loosely attached to branches and every time I moved it went with me.
It's an art to use properly but I have not mastered it yet.
It has small holes to see through if you get the right angle and I spied Kingy coming but he must have seen this mass of green and landed on a different branch partly obscured by leaves then looked over his shoulder and flew away out through the trees then down stream ...never to return. :bonk:

If anyone knows about the use of this netting and if it makes it worse by scaring them even more I would appreciate some advice. :help:

So no new shots yet.

Keith (y)
 
Great sorry Kieth. Made me laugh reading this, it was like reading my own memoirs. Been there done all that.

Give up with the netting, they see it move and they are off. I made my own hide from some como material and tent poles from ebay. It works a treat and when you are waiting for hours on end its great to be able to move.

Good luck with your adventures and keep us all posted.
 
Thanks MARTIN...great info.....I was going to get the poles at the same time from Stealth but the camo net was expensive as it was.E-Bay here I come.

Got another SAGA on the go as well....this time a Green Woodpecker.It's at an urban reserve ....spare/common land between a variety of mansions to council flats.
It's a newish place and so far there's not a lot there but someone did say at last years open day about a Greeny being around.
SO...I have taped the RSPB song calls off their site ....copied it about 3 times and been playing it at various places with no response.This has worked at Lickey Hills,Bittel and Leasowes but they just do fly pasts and don't stick around.
As I gave the Kingies a day to get over me I went for a walk around this place and was about to leave and ............A loud Laughing/mocking call....yippee.
Got the phone out and bingo ...had 2 geenies going mad.
Two people came around the corner and stood staring up a tree and told me one was up there calling.
We got talking and as they live just over the hedge gave me the run down on all the many things around....birds.badger,fox,Muntjac etc.
They even took me to a new section of the reserve I had not been to and showed me 2 large bare trees with hundreds of holes in them.Got the phone out again and he(?) was flying round and landing on the trees and drumming his dislike for me.

Went back yesterday got set up on the monopod (wrong choice as I needed the tripod....almost vertical shots).Played the song and it was only running a tenth of a second and he answered popped his head out of a hole and flew to a tree laughing as he went.
I spent the next 2 hours "playing" with him but it turned out it was the other way around as he never got in a good place to shoot.
This is the best shots so far but as Arnie said "I'll be back"....
Keith (y)
Woody5low.jpg

Woody4low.jpg
 
How surprised would you be when the birds desert the nest and you never see them again?

edit: I just thought you might like to know this from the RSPB site......

Kingfisher Legal status

As a fairly rare, easily disturbed bird, the kingfisher is afforded the highest degree of legal protection under the Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

It is an offence to take, injure or kill a kingfisher or to take, damage or destroy its nest, eggs or young. It is also an offence to intentionally or recklessly disturb the birds close to their nest during the breeding season. Violation of the law can attract fines up to £5,000 per offence and/or a prison sentence of up to six months.
 
Last edited:
Nice one mate...where's the nest.This is a flat area with NO banks and no evidence of a nest.
If this applies then ALL photography must stop during breeding season.


But I do admire your concern in this ...I will do some more checking to see if there's a nest anywhere near.

FOOTNOTE...at the end of my last session one of the reasons I packed up was that a Motor cyclist entered the field and was doing laps about 20 foot from me...I am not sure if they own the field but if I was a Kingy I would not be amused...OR have they been putting up with this for ages.
There is a Country Park in Halesowen where Kingies frequent and it's like "waterlooSunset" at times only noisier with dog walkers doing what only dog walkers CAN do....SHOUTING AT EVERY POSSIBLE MOMENT.


Thanks
keith (y)
 
ringyneck said:
Nice one mate...where's the nest.This is a flat area with NO banks and no evidence of a nest.
If this applies then ALL photography must stop during breeding season.


But I do admire your concern in this ...I will do some more checking to see if there's a nest anywhere near.

FOOTNOTE...at the end of my last session one of the reasons I packed up was that a Motor cyclist entered the field and was doing laps about 20 foot from me...I am not sure if they own the field but if I was a Kingy I would not be amused...OR have they been putting up with this for ages.
There is a Country Park in Halesowen where Kingies frequent and it's like "waterlooSunset" at times only noisier with dog walkers doing what only dog walkers CAN do....SHOUTING AT EVERY POSSIBLE MOMENT.


Thanks
keith (y)
Click to expand...

If I jumped the gun then I apologise. But any bird showing repeated interest in any site at this time of year is likely to have a nest nearby, or it is a particularly favoured feeding spot. Would you want to jeopardise their nesting attempt either way?

Agree with you about dog walkers......
 
Yes the last thing I want is to jeopardise anything and have not been a constant there....only a few visits for a short time and as soon as he aborted an attempt I was off.
My plan now is to stick with the Green Woodpeckers and try again with the Kingy from a bit further away...possibly even in the field.....after a break.
People DO walk past this place with their dogs so they are familiar with odd things.

Keith

p.s. Obviously ..I suppose...they must have a nest so as I say I will have quiet walk around the area with bins to see if I can locate them or a nesting area.
 
Best to give the kingfisher(s) time to do their thing at this time of year....unless you are absolutely SURE the nest is not nearby. They'll tolerate random disturbance better than a concerted attempt at nest photography.

I'm not sure how ethical tape lures are either.......
 
jerry12953 said:
Best to give the kingfisher(s) time to do their thing at this time of year....unless you are absolutely SURE the nest is not nearby. They'll tolerate random disturbance better than a concerted attempt at nest photography.

I'm not sure how ethical tape lures are either.......
Click to expand...

No nest shots have been or will be taken ................

What's tape lures ???

Keith (y)
 
Tape lures = using recordings of birds songs/calls to attract them to you. I found this on the Internet from the British Trust for Ornithology -

Begins-

This is the view of the collective within BTO around this matter and makes interesting reading.......

Attracting birds by playing recordings in the field

Playing recordings of bird songs or calls in the field has been used widely as a means of encouraging birds to reveal themselves (either by coming into view, or by responding vocally to the recording). The practice can be controversial, and although it appears it is not used as widely within the UK as elsewhere in the world, the increasing proportion of birders carrying a wide range of bird vocalisations in their pockets, on mobile phones or other convenient devices, means that it is likely to increase.

The BTO was part of a partnership of organisations that drew up “The Birdwatchers’ Code”, which can be viewed at

http://www.bto.org/notices/birdwatchers_code/bwc.pdf

Within this, the key points relating to tape-luring are:

• “Repeatedly playing a recording of bird song or calls to encourage a bird to respond can divert a territorial bird from other important duties, such as feeding its young. Never use playback to attract a species during its breeding season.”

• “In England, Scotland and Wales, it is a criminal offence to disturb, intentionally or recklessly, at or near the nest, a species listed on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (see www.rspb.org.uk/policy/wildbirdslaw for a full list). Disturbance could include playback of songs and calls. The courts can impose fines of up to £5,000 and/or a prison sentence of up to six months for each offence.”

Although it would appear that attracting non Schedule 1 birds with recordings is not illegal, the code we’ve helped create strongly suggests that birders should not use playback in the breeding season. There are exceptions, however. There are some species which are essentially impossible to monitor without the use of play-back (Water Rail and Storm Petrel are examples). Use of playback for such surveys should only be under carefully controlled conditions, both for the sake of minimising disturbance and also in ensuring that the results of the survey are scientifically valid. Some ringing studies in the breeding season also make use of playback, but any ringers wishing to do so have to get special permission which is linked to a particular project.

Clearly, it can be argued that in many cases, the occasional use of a recording would have a fairly negligible effect on a bird’s well-being or reproductive success. However, the UK has a much higher density of birdwatchers than elsewhere. Especially where particular rare breeding birds are concerned (Golden Orioles, Savi’s Warblers, etc), this could lead to very high levels of disturbance directed at a small number of individual birds.

In the specific example of a beginner birdwatcher trying to develop a greater understanding of Blackcap and Garden Warbler song, patience should afford just as much (or more) training experience. It can take time, and can be frustrating, but it is usually possible to see a bird with a little bit of effort, and this also helps improve the observer’s field skills. This would probably help the person become a better observer in the long run than in resorting to attracting the bird with a recording.

-Ends

It specifically says not to use tape lures during the breeding season. Your post includes the phrase "Got the phone out and bingo!....had two greenies going mad...."

Sounds like a nesting pair that are being disturbed by your activities.

Be careful.

jerry

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Thanks ..noted and will end now.

I thought it was O.K. as I saw it on an Official field trip (It was years ago) to entice a Warbler into view.

Keith (y)
 
ringyneck said:
Thanks ..noted and will end now.

I thought it was O.K. as I saw it on an Official field trip (It was years ago) to entice a Warbler into view.

Keith (y)
Click to expand...

Good man.(y)

This is not personal but I'm often surprised at how little bird photographers know about birds. Their behaviour may appear random, but just about everything they do will have a reason, and at this time of year that reason is rearing young. It's particularly important to put THEM first at this time of year.:)
 
This in no way "gets me off the hook" but I can remember on that Halcyon Diaries prog they played bird calls across the river...probably not in breeding time though.

Also There's a lot on T.V. of us being advised to do the same with Cuckoos and Woodpeckers.
Heres a few comments off BBC springwatch thingie......

King2copy.jpg


KIng1copy.jpg


I think someone came back and said they asked people to use these methods sparingly.
Thanks again

keith (y)
 
Last edited:
Have been giving my sites a rest since I last updated this.....BUT.....
Went on a "dawn chorus" walk at 5.30 with fellow members of the Reserve and amongst the usual Warblers,finches etc up popped the Green Woodpecker.so he seems not to be traumatised.

Only been a frequent visitor to the Kingfisher site and only for short periods...BUT...today was there for an hour and 1/2.
A Kingy started to come through the branches and just as it landed quite close
THIS came over and put everything up.........
Helilow.jpg


Yes it's a Chinook and what's the odds on it passing directly over me and Kingy (just over the tree tops) just at that moment....the result was Kingy had gone.And I went as well,without managing to sex the Kingy.

Keith (y)
 
Only had 1/2 an hour to spare today and as it was overcast even if Kingy was to show it would have been useless for pics.
In the field next to the stream I met this beauty...a Female Broad Bodied Chaser.....hope she will still be around after all the rain so i can get a better shot.Hope her mate shows up as well.

BBCFem1lowcrop_filtered.jpg
 
Last edited:
Joe T said:
Hi, if you want to edit the title of the thread, edit your original post and "go advanced", you can do it there. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Joe....I was trying to do it on the last page...Doh.

Keith (y)
 
Returned to the stream Sunday afternoon after all the rain and it was not as I left it.......there was twice as much water and a bit wider.
I did not think I would see anything as the water was quite cloudy.
For the first 2 hours all I managed to see was very scary.......my only view is through a screen of willow branches I have arranged next to a trunk and all I could see in the shallows was a face coming toward me.Thought it was a ...MINK....then OTTER....then as it came out of the water...an EEL.....it was in fact a 5-6 lb fish.It must have "escaped" from the fishery where the stream comes from...must be the high water.It continued down stream over the shallow water but was mostly out of the water....weird.
FISHa.jpg


Shortly after I noticed the water was returning to a better level and colour which at last brought out a Kingy.At 1st it was a couple of fly ins and outs and I think there may have been 2 different ones as it returned so quickly after passing through.
At this stage I had an even scarier thing....I just about heard something next to me and looked 1/2 back and a bloody great face was there with a big black nose......a German Shepard dog.....the owner came the and called it away but I am sure it was ready to have me!!!.
Then a horse rider crossed the stream a couple of yards downstream and I was ready to give up.....BUT this appeared on the end of my new branch I had put in.......just got to get it to use a lower section and the 3 hours will be worthwhile. ;)
Lucky to get a focus through the rubbish and settings of 5.6, 1/80, iso400 and 250mm with -0.7 ex comp it came out quite good....for me.
KING8thMaylow.jpg

I'm sure this is still a Male.....
Had to leave just after and was about to return after Tea but the rain returned. :crying:

Cheer
Keith (y)
 
Last edited:
How do I delete this......
Keith :bonk: :bonk: :bonk: :bonk:
 
Last edited:
Not been popping down to the stream much this week due to shifts and weather.
Managed a couple of hours at Saturday lunchtime and just as I was getting ready to go A Kingy turned up.Up being the word as it was on a branch about 25 feet up.I managed to get even lower and get the lens pointing up to get a couple of shots.This one was as it was just about to dive.....a tremendous splash and nothing ...lost it completely.
But then it shot up stream from almost beside me.I waited another 1/2 an hour but had to go.
As you can see it's a Female ...1st sighting as all the others were Male.

FEMKING_filtered.jpg


Did a 7-10 stint this morning ...started lovely and bright (warm) but soon went dark..cold and crap.
All I really saw was the GSW that I had a close encounter with on Saturday.
Weather forecast for more of the same so that will be it today I think.
Cheers
Keith (y)

p.s. Has anyone had a pair of Kingies that LOVE to keep to trees..high up or then low down in vegetation after a dive......this pair do it and think they are the same ones as last year at the nearby Reservoir.
 
Last edited:
This is a really good read i look foeward to the next chapter (y)

Regards

Richard
 
Been some nasty weather during the last month - mostly wet and windy.
Had another couple of close encounters with Kingies but have not gone looking for a fortnight.
I felt they were spotting me so another re- think was needed.The problem was with my FACE.....obviously they don't appreciate perfection! Even though I had a hat on and hiding behind branches a flash of white amongst all the greens was a give away.

Went to the Birdwatchers Fair at Middleton RSPB a couple of Sundays ago mainly to see what Stealth had on their stand for Camo.
Bought a pair of "leafy" gloves and a Balaclava with a mesh all over the front but also had a word to the owner of Stealth and he advised me the best thing for Kingies was their little hide.Dipped on that for the time being but might HAVE to get one.

Went along today about 10am and used the new gloves and hat.Sat in the furtherest place in front of a large willow with a large branch to lean against.

I sit on ground against tree to left of monopod with large fallen branch in front and to my left
VIEW2.jpg


More or less my view up stream - as you can see not much of a view but you can see the dark "tunnel" up stream.
VIEW1.jpg


The tunnel is above the little pool and where the trees are really low and the stream turns to the right then left so really dark.

After 1 and a 1/2 hours this suddenly appeared on MY branch (1st time a bird has used it) and gave me an idea if the Kingy will fit in the frame @ 400mm.
JuvRobinlow.jpg

It then flew to Pos 3 below.

All quiet again for 1/2 hour with me dreaming how good it would be if a Kingy could land there, then suddenly an arrow shot across me from the right ...big arrow below.....it was a rocket kingy and I waited a couple of mins and slowly turned around expecting to see one watching me...no such luck.
Back to dreaming and I was only 1/2 facing the right way when "OH S***" a Kingy did land on the Pos 1...I slowly turned my head and it seemed to look at me from about 10 foot away and stayed.I even slower placed finger over shutter and it hopped to Pos 2
VIEW2B.jpg

then as I pulled the lens back to about 300mm it flew away...DAMN.....but only to the branch the Robin was on ......Pos 4...YIPPEE...
VIEW1A.jpg

AND HERE IT IS !!!!
BabyKinglow.jpg

Got some shots off and I was glad I had cranked up the Ex comp to -1.3 and caught some detail BUT think I will need -20 to get that white on the neck...lol....
All these shots are Full Frame.
 
Last edited:
After it had a couple of fishing dives it went off into the tunnel so I waited for a reprise and I could just about see some movement in the thicket of branches when this appeared low down in the tunnel.....
ViewKing-1.jpg
.
More waiting and suddenly 1st one arrow and then another shot past my face from the tunnel down stream ...2 kingies chasing/playing.
Had to go shortly after and it was only when in car I looked at images and could see the 1st one was a baby and the other Mom.
Rain due tomorrow but if I do go I will try my forward position a bit to the right for a better view.
Cheers.........(y)
p.s.One for the Kingy folk....when it was on pos 1 and 2 is was doing that bobbing up and down with tail bent up and I thought that was the Anxious position...but he was also calmly looking around for a dive ...a bit confusing !!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top