A female kingfisher at The Ocean

I hadn’t planned to got to the canal today but the beautiful sun and clear blue sky focused me. Helena called late in the morning and asked me to find something she’d left at home which she needed for work. I decided I’d go on the couple of miles to the canal near Stonehouse after visiting her. I had an idea that I might see one of the pair of kingfishers which have been sighted near The Ocean in recent weeks. I last went there in mid-summer and on one occasion did get some pictures of a kingfisher diving from trees and bulrushes for food which I blipped. I’ve also returned empty handed several times.

I parked at St Cyr’s church and strolled past Stonehouse Court hotel, which has a back garden overlooking the canal, onto the towpath and beyond the new railway bridge at The Ocean. The towpath was busy with walkers and cyclists so I wasn’t expecting the kingfishers to be present as I normally find they are quite shy and retiring birds. I met a man who was also a photographer, but after coming especially to look for the kingfishers he found his Nikon batteries were flat. Instead he was happy to walk along, chat and just watch the wildlife. 

Eventually we both separately saw kingfishers flying. I caught glimpses of them flying and snatched a few  blurred shots. I did see a few steep dives into the canal from branches of trees but always followed by a flight away from where I was standing. When I returned to The Ocean to head home I met Dave again who had by this time been watching this female kingfisher flying between perches on a wider stretch of the canal, where long narrowboats would be able to turn. 

In the water there were several wooden stakes on which it could perch as well as some trees on the far shore from which it could dive to fish. Eventually this female flew onto the railings that had been erected beside the canal when the railway bridge was replaced a couple of years ago. I managed a few rather distant shots and then it flew away from the canal seemingly heading for the nearby river Frome about fifty yards away down a slope. 

I’ve added an extra of it just after it took off to fly away.