II don't know why she held this  fish high before it was turned and swallowed head first as normal. 

I have probably blogged around 50 times about kingfishers on my local brook but I have to say that today was one of the more special days. The resident Kingfisher seems to be really happy with what is on offer around my hide at the moment, some nice perches courtesy of me and evidently lots of prey in the form of small fish to hunt for. I would say that this time of the year is by far the best time to see your own Kingfisher, the day length is short and the Kingfishers need to be fishing almost constantly to get through the long night, roughly two thirds longer than the day. Because they are on the move in their territory looking for food they will come and go more frequently multiplying your chances of seeing one. Kingfisher populations can fluctuate so much, especially in more northerly parts of the UK and Europe where the water ices over with more regularity. I had been in the hide only 8 minutes before she was in front of me today but she left quickly, always a sure sign that she is hunting. They almost seem frantic in their search when they need to catch food. Flying this way and that and only staying on a perch if they see a prey item. Then they will spend minutes judging the dive and waiting for just the right moment to plunge in. She came back to me just a few minutes later and this time I watched her dive in and emerge with the stickleback above. She then settled on the log perch and proceeded to swallow the fish head first as is usual. Imagine those spikes sticking in her throat if she didn't. What is slightly different with this bird, the fourth holder of the territory, is that I have yet to see her actually smash the fish before she swallows it. After it disappeared down her throat she went straight back to fishing and again perched opposite searching the water intently.

If you think you have seen this image before that's because she has her favourite places to fish from and so it can be difficult to get an original shot.

Then off she went down stream, when she couldn't see anymore fish. But she hand't gone far and I watched her diving in and catching more fish but from a distance.
The only thing this photo proves is how hard it is to take good photos of this event which usually happens too quickly and in light that makes it hard to freeze the action.

Then in the afternoon, I returned to the hide and after a wait I again watched her diving in and being successful. That "great" dive, catch and in-flight shot still eludes me but I am working on it and a plan is beginning to emerge.

A mention of the Little Egret that walked past me and then decided to settle on a submerged log just 6 feet in front of me, oh the beauty of a hide. You have to remain as still as possible though when these birds are so close, apart from pressing the camera's shutter of course. The slightest hint of any other movement and Egrets and Herons have gone, they are very wary. The bird seen today is a juvenile and I am sure the same one that I have seen before.