Behind the image — Kingfisher pair
I was shadowing a local wildlife photographer at the time, who was getting information on the number of possible kingfisher pairs near a local village. A one man photo hide was set up between two deep ditches, which had a small stream running through the middle of it. This hide, and the branches stuck in the ground providing a perch, had been set up for a few weeks prior, so any birds visiting the area were used to the hide being there. I got set up in the hide with my camera and zoom lens, with my shutter speed set to 1/400th of a second and a small aperture number to blur out the background, and I prepared myself for what could potentially be a long afternoon.
I remember it being a humid day, and a couple of hours of sitting in the hide certainly made me feel sleepy! But I continued to be patient, listening out for the high-pitched call that the kingfisher makes when it flies across water. Finally, after a near 3 hour wait, a female kingfisher landed on one of the perches. I got my first few shots as I didn’t know how long she would stay for. But then, a male kingfisher closely followed behind, and I then had two of them sitting in front of me! It was a wonderful first time experience to see not just one kingfisher, but two kingfishers up close, and will remain as one of my favourite images to date.
