Kingfisher locations

LongLensPhotography

LongLensPhotography

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Where do I go for shooting a wild kingfisher? I'm in Worcestershire but a couple of hours drive would be reasonable for a good location with plenty of WL.
 
The best thing to do is spend a few hours over a couple of days down by your local river. They're just becoming more active and this will increase over the next couple of weeks. Do some research on the type of favoured nest location, then try and find where they have set up.

Read up on the schedule 1 status, I won't rehash it here, but once you know where the nest is you can set up a perch along one of their favoured flight paths, set up a little hide and play the waiting game.

Either that or pay £150 and get someone else to do the work! I know what I find more satisfying.

Mike
 
Take a look at any RSPB or wildlife trusts / nature reserves near you online.

Some have good recent sightings pages that will help.

Search for the local nature reserves by name on Flickr etc and see what photos have come from there recently.

Just a few ideas :)

Dave.
 
There are Kingfishers around the basin in stourport on severn, ive seen them frequently, however without my camera.
 
It does depend on what your aspirations are. Most recommendations you'll get publicly or find by googling are going to to general areas or hides on well known reserves. When it comes to the sort of setup where kingfishers will regularly appear six feet in front of a hide on a photogenic perch in front of a photogenic backdrop, people are going to be more tight-lipped; you're going to have to make the right friends, pay a decent sum or put in the time+effort to start your own. The last option isn't necessarily difficult but doesn't require the legwork to find the right location. And as mentioned by pooley, their Schedule 1 status needs to be remembered.
 
Lez325 said:
Is Slimbridge too far for you??

Link- http://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/slimbridge/

Les
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I've been to Slimbridge today. A decent location but apparently they've started incubating so no sightings today... Light was a bit harsh during the daytime as expected then got summarily kicked out as it just started to get better. I'll have to opt for a more open-access place I think.

The W said:
When it comes to the sort of setup where kingfishers will regularly appear six feet in front of a hide on a photogenic perch in front of a photogenic backdrop, people are going to be more tight-lipped; you're going to have to make the right friends, pay a decent sum
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wow. I don't have that crazed attitude about sharing great landscape locations. It's just one of the many little colourful birds at the end of the day and the market is already saturated with KFs perched on the branch so apart from "I too did it" with my big white bazooka I don't see that great "value" in it.

P.S. 5.5m or close is as close as I need :)
 
LongLensPhotography said:
wow. I don't have that crazed attitude about sharing great landscape locations. It's just one of the many little colourful birds at the end of the day and the market is already saturated with KFs perched on the branch so apart from "I too did it" with my big white bazooka I don't see that great "value" in it.
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It does depend. Where it's a case of somebody turning up a location and finding the chance of photographing kingfishers, such as the hide at Slimbridge, people will invariably be happy to share. But a lot of really good kingfisher photography is at setups where individuals have had to put in effort over a period – find just the right kingfisher territory which the right spot with good light, the right backdrop, away from human disturbance, get landowner permission, get the bird habituated to the hide, possibly bait each visit, ... The ongoing viability of the endeavour is best served by keeping it to yourself or a small group. A lot of wildlife, kingfishers very much included, don't like crowds (the land-owner probably won't either)

Wildlife can be hard work, so easy and successful locations can rapidly become a victim of their own success. For the right species/spectacle, hundreds of photographers can and will descend en-mass. Just look at how somewhere like Richmond Park can turn in to a circus during rutting season.
 
The W said:
It does depend. Where it's a case of somebody turning up a location and finding the chance of photographing kingfishers, such as the hide at Slimbridge, people will invariably be happy to share. But a lot of really good kingfisher photography is at setups where individuals have had to put in effort over a period – find just the right kingfisher territory which the right spot with good light, the right backdrop, away from human disturbance, get landowner permission, get the bird habituated to the hide, possibly bait each visit, ... The ongoing viability of the endeavour is best served by keeping it to yourself or a small group. A lot of wildlife, kingfishers very much included, don't like crowds (the land-owner probably won't either)

Wildlife can be hard work, so easy and successful locations can rapidly become a victim of their own success. For the right species/spectacle, hundreds of photographers can and will descend en-mass. Just look at how somewhere like Richmond Park can turn in to a circus during rutting season.
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This ,This, and this ,couldnt agree more ....
 
I guess Kingfishers are not as comfortable as castles and mountains are with crowds of people visiting them.
 
There's a certain breed of photographer that asks for all the best places to get the best pictures of KF's and other such prize specimens, they are the same one's who ask you what the best camera settings they should use when they get there. They sit in hides for as long as possible without offering their place to anyone else who may wish to get a few shots and then when they finally decide they've had enough, leave the hide not caring a toss how much noise they are making. Not saying the OP is like that but folk who have put time into tracking down a viable location get fed up with others who don't put in the time or leg work. You can't blame them for keeping tight lipped.

Just to address @MadWoman post, two years ago Upton warren was a great spot for kingy's, put the time an patience in and you generally were rewarded. Last year was very poor and this year looks to be the same.
 
MadWoman said:
Try Upton Warren.
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Definitely Upton Warren. Go to the Moors Pool and sit in the concrete hide. If I remember it's the one called Water Rail.
Here's a link to a map. Be patient as they do appear regularly there. Map
If your a member of Worcestershire Wildlife Trust no cost but I think you have to pay £3 otherwise. The wardens are quite
notorious for checking if your a member or not

Plenty of parking so no worries there as well .
 
Having just Google Imaged Kingfisher photos from the Water Rail hide at Upton Warren, it appears to be a remarkable good location by the standards of hides-on-nature-reserves. The two things you want as a photographer are close and eye-level-subjects but that runs counter to what most hides provide – grand vistas. The Water Rail hide looks like it actually delivers.

A gallery of KFs from UW: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kingfisherblue/albums/72157628676891469
 
The W said:
Having just Google Imaged Kingfisher photos from the Water Rail hide at Upton Warren, it appears to be a remarkable good location by the standards of hides-on-nature-reserves. The two things you want as a photographer are close and eye-level-subjects but that runs counter to what most hides provide – grand vistas. The Water Rail hide looks like it actually delivers.

A gallery of KFs from UW: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kingfisherblue/albums/72157628676891469
Click to expand...

I have spent many hours sat in the hide, does get busy but there are plenty of other hides. It's good at the flashes at the moment with the avocets and lapwings. Just a few minutes from the car park. I'm lucky as its only 3 miles away ! If your in the area Trench Lane woods for the bluebells
 
Seriously chaps your wasting time at Upton Warren currently. Check the dates on the gallery posted by The W above, none of them are from the last couple of years. As I said in my post earlier there has been very little kingfisher activity recently. I hope this changes soon and if it does my flickr photostream will full of them. But in the mean time don't get your hope up too much.
By all means come and spend a day or two at UW, like chrispp say the flashes is great for avocet and lapwing, also lately we've been visited by Little-ringed plovers, Redshank, Common sandpiper and Oystercatcher :wave:
 
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