There is something special about the kingfisher. It is one of the most photographed species of birds. There are so many amazing kingfisher images out there, you might as well give in and realise that there is no more story to tell, no more images to show that has not been shared before. But every time I have the chance to meet one, I get really exited.
The blue jewel
This January, Northern Germany has seen some days of heavy frost. The poor kingfisher had to quit hunting at lakes or ponds since they were mostly frozen. Luckily though, it wasn’t cold enough to freeze the rivers - that would mean near certain death to the local kingfisher population. So the blue jewels resorted to their raised stands along running water. One memorable day, I counted four kingfishers along 800 metres of waterline.
One of those was this particular Ms Kingfisher. She was hunting right next to a local recreation area, only 20 metres from a street, pedestrian crossing, car park and exactly where a tiny stream flows into a larger river. This place being so busy proved a very lucky spot for me.
Ms Kingfisher was well used to all sorts of crowds: humans, dogs, cars, ducks, herons - me. I crouched into the bank and watched her fascinated for more than two hours. Once, she came as close as two metres. Closer than the minimum focussing distance of my telephoto lens. This gave me the goosebumps.
I always try not to disturb the animals I photograph. This often leads to not getting the shot. But to notice that a wild animal tolerates my presence and does not flee me is more than reward.
An exceptional hunter
My Ms Kingfisher proved an exceptional hunter. Within those two hours, she caught as many as eleven sticklebacks. She had chosen her hunting spot perfectly. A lot of branches and twigs provided both platform and ambush to wait and then make the dive, those little birds are so famous for.
“I cheered her for every catch. Because for kingfishers, every catch counts.”
Winter is a particularly hard time for kingfishers. Despite its German name “Eisvogel” (literally: icebird), ice is its deadly enemy. Its little size and weight and very active behaviour means that it needs to succesfully hunt each day. Harsh winters and frozen waters can wipe out local populations within days. Migration is oft not an option either since the little bird can not cover longer distances without eating.
When I finally decided to leave her, I went some 100 metres upstream, where I met another specimen. This time a male. The little guy hadn’t chosen his hunting ground nearly as well as Ms Kingfisher. There were no suitable branches around (directly over the water) and all his attempts to hunt from a grassy river bank proved unsuccessful. Eventually he left a few minutes later. I hope he did better, where ever he went.
Luck and misfortune only a few metres afar. I hope both of them will make it through winter. I really like those little birds.