David Element
Wildlife Photography and Digital Video Images
_______________________________________________________________________________________________Birds 248 – Common Kingfishers
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m); COMMON MINNOW Phoxinus phoxinus
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m); COMMON MINNOWS Phoxinus phoxinus
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m); COMMON MINNOWS Phoxinus phoxinus
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m); COMMON MINNOW Phoxinus phoxinus
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m); COMMON MINNOW Phoxinus phoxinus
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m); COMMON MINNOW Phoxinus phoxinus
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m); COMMON MINNOW Phoxinus phoxinus
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis (m)
- Common Kingfishers Alcedo atthis
are shy creatures at the best of times and all that the observer usually
sees is a brilliant metallic blue blur as the bird whizzes past at high
speed. They can be surprisingly difficult to spot, despite their very
bright colours, so it pays to watch one closely if it flies by to
establish where it may have landed. The blue plumage can take on a
different appearance if the birds are viewed in bright sunlight or shade
(when they are perhaps at their most attractive cobalt shade). Opportunities
for photographing them are rare, other than at certain bird reserves at
which artificial nesting banks or feeding stations have been provided, and
where they may be observed from hides. However, the images on this page
were obtained in a small London park using patient
fieldcraft rather than hides. Kingfishers will sometimes hover when
fishing, and after several thwarted attempts to photograph this activity
(dogs or people getting in the way!) the photographer was finally
successful, and he has since managed to capture this activity again
several times, once against a background of snow! Hovering is normally
employed if there isn’t a convenient branch situated above a shoal of
fish. These birds are expert fishermen, specialising on smaller species,
including Three-spined Stickleback Gasterosteus
aculeatus, or Common Minnow Phoxinus
phoxinus, as shown in several of the
photographs above. The equivalent of the bird’s own weight in fish needs
to be consumed daily, so three or four successful fishing forays each day
should suffice. Once enough fish have been taken it is likely that a
Kingfisher will disappear to digest its substantial meal, so waiting for
it to return may prove fruitless! However, it may also be the case that one
may remain in the tree from which it has been fishing if it doesn’t feel
threatened. Sometimes a fish may prove difficult to swallow if the bird is
still in the process of dealing with a previous catch, and it may need to
be held in the bill until enough space becomes available. The photographer
once filmed a Kingfisher catching three Common Minnows in a single strike,
but one wriggled free, another was dropped back into the water and the
third was rather less fortunate! ‘Bycatch’ in the form of leaves or stones
may be taken to a perch (see photographs), whereupon it will be jettisoned
and a previously unseen fish will be swallowed. Observations would suggest
that about one quarter of dives will be successful, and a Kingfisher may
shun apparent fishing opportunities from favoured perches if the water is
too deep. Nine of the above images have been cropped.
- David’s short films of Common Kingfishers may be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4AirIEc0NofO29R6V9Zk247r8O9PW2O1. Not all have been posted yet.
- David has published two books
containing collections of Common Kingfisher photographs. One is a
large-scale photographic quality coffee table book. The other is a small
softcover book, and therefore much more affordable. Each contains a
separate series of images. David’s books may be previewed in full on-line,
and they may be accessed by using this hyperlink: https://www.bobbooks.co.uk/bookshop?page=1&search=david+element.
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