River Mersey - Kingfisher Encounter

16th October 2009. between princess parkway bridge and northenden, playing fields

kingfisher on large rocks at edge of river, casting shadow onto rocks behind

08:52:20 i'm looking for goosander on their winter arrival to this part of the river. on my approach, five fly off. i decide to sit on the bank of the river. when I look up, fifteen metres in front of me, on the opposite bank, is this female kingfisher.

08:52:32 she knows I'm there and bobs her head up and down, opening her beak, but making no noise at all, probably protesting at my presence.

08:53:25 The bottom part of the beak has some red, making this one a female. Male beaks are all black.

kingfisher lurching its whole body forward as it opens its beak

08:53:42 she hasn't moved off the same stone and is still 'shouting' at me.

08:54:18 she makes a move to the next stone.

kingfisher just after having launched off stone with wings stretched out and in flight

08:54:21 a short flight to the next group of stones.

kingfisher braking with wings out, legs out in front, about to land on new stone

08:54:25

kingfisher front view, beak slightly open

08:54:25 gesticulating.

kingfisher just about to land after a hop

08:54:38 hop again.

kingfisher showing orange-coloured breast nicely

08:54:39 she isn't fishing, just keeping her eye on me.

kingfisher just landing after another hope showing orange under-wing

08:54:40

kingfisher stationary, slightly angled away

08:54:42

kingfisher just after launch from stone, wings on down stroke

08:54:44

kingfisher, front view, looking down into river

08:55:06 looks like she is fishing now.

08:56:46

08:56:49 she finally flies off upstream, about one hundred metres away. end of a five minute encounter? six minutes later she comes back, and stays about a minute...

09:03:59 ...then disappears off downstream.