David Element

Wildlife Photography

and Digital Video Images

_____________________________ Birds 35 - Kingfishers 1

                                                               COMMON KINGFISHER Alcedo atthis

• Common Kingfishers are particularly shy birds 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. Opportunities to photograph them are rare other than at certain bird reserves at which artificial nesting banks have been provided. However on this occasion the photographer was in the process of taking pictures of a Jay Garrulus glandarius in a tree overhanging a river when he heard the distinctive call of a Kingfisher approaching. Luckily this female bird settled on a branch in clear view and several pictures were taken before the chance was missed. She then flew up to a higher branch and fortunately no further focussing adjustment was required as this single in flight shot was grabbed with a manual 400mm lens. The odds of this bird staying in focus, being well enough lit and having the wings up all at the same time were remote, although the digital camera was already pre-set at quite a high ISO setting to cope with low winter sunshine and the depth of field and fast shutter speed settings were therefore ideal for this photo. The picture has been cropped as the subject's image was too near to the top of the frame. The orange lower mandible is characteristic of female Common Kingfishers and this feature is black in male birds.

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