I have been trying for a good Kingfisher photograph. I know that a male has a territory along the foreshore at Cockwood. Interesting to see how used to sea water they appear to be. This particular bird, and you can see him in the photos posted on Friday, flies up and down his patch, perching on the newly exposed rocks as the tide recedes. Little pools full of tiny fish are left behind and he has learned to take advantage of this. So its a waiting game. I chose a likely looking rock and positioned my self nearby but hidden in the shadows up against the brick supports of the retaining wall. It certainly is working for other birds because the Little Egrets were totally oblivious to me as well as the Curlew in the photos below. The Little Egrets are such a great bird. This one was performing a dance and kept leaping in to the air and running madly in the shallow water. He was in actual fact trying to capture small mullet which he eventually did. I didn’t mange to get a decent enough photo of the bird with it’s meal but saw it enough to recognise it as a mullet or very small bass.
As far as the Kingfisher is concerned, well he put in an appearance, he hadn’t seen me, but flew on to the wall to my left, as I swung the camera he was spooked by the movement and quickly left and perched further down the line! It’s going to be just a matter of time though! I think we all have a romantic fascination for Kingfishers and you can’t call yourself a wildlife photographer until you have a good portfolio of Kingfisher photos.
Little Egret

………..and a Curlew. All at Cockwood harbour today!

A small flock of Teal this evening at Exminster

These Teal have arrived with us after migrating south from their breeding grounds. There are both males and female here ……. ducks and drakes …….. but the males have lost their smart breeding colours and are in their winter “Eclipse” plumage. The sun was very low in the sky when I took this and it seems to highlight the bright green wing patch which is blue in the Mallard for example and a good way of identification.