Finders in the Field: Belted Kingfisher, Brockholes, Lancashire
After a few fruitless days birding in North Wales around Anglesey and Conwy (not even a Snow Bunting to be seen) I got up on Monday morning at first light and decided on a day’s Barbel fishing close to home, on the river Ribble in Lancashire.
I’m in a fishing club that controls about 5 stretches of the Ribble over around 10 miles. I decided to head for one of the furthest downstream lengths, just outside Preston on the opposite bank to LWT Brockholes nature reserve.
I arrived at 7.30am and after a quick look at the river, set off up to horseshoe bend, a 40min walk upstream, therefore rarely visited by anglers. The opposite bank of the bend is massively overgrown, with steep woodland literally sliding into the river creating a huge amount of dead trees on the water's edge. I chose an area slightly downstream of where Tun Brook enters the river and settled in for the day.
Angling affords me the opportunity to do some birding whilst waiting for a bite or two. I’d watched all the usual suspects on the river that morning; Mallards, Moorhen, and Kingfishers chased each other about. I’d had good views of Common Sand on the shingle bank downstream from me. Goosanders and Cormorants plus a couple of Little Egrets have also made the area their home over the last 18 months.
The weather had been perfect for angling all morning, rather grey and overcast with very little wind. At 10.45 with only one Chub caught for my efforts and now with the sun starting to break through, I poured a brew and started contemplating a move further downstream. About 5 mins later, whilst scanning a flock of Long Tailed Tits tripping through the dead trees on the far bank, ( hoping for something a bit “ Gucci” to be mixed in with them) I heard a very loud but unfamiliar rattling croaky call... I looked round and watched a slate blue and white bird flying upstream towards me about 10ft above the centre of the river. It proceeded to land in dead trees directly opposite where I was sitting. I got my bins on it and genuinely couldn’t believe the image I was seeing. I thought “it’s a Belted Kingfisher but it can’t possibly be a Belted Kingfisher” . My heart was literally pounding out of my chest. Every scenario was running through my head, this must be a wind up of some sort, how was this possible???? an American species with so few records in the UK... let alone Preston!!
The bird sat partially obscured on a dead branch, directly opposite where I sat for about a minute, bobbing and twitching around before moving even closer to me and in plain sight. It was a stunning Belted Kingfisher. Jet black crest and very heavy sturdy looking black bill, the slate coloured uppers were so brightly contrasted against the white of the body … I just started shaking and tried to breathe.
I then suddenly had that gut wrenching feeling “I need a picture or at least someone else here to confirm I wasn’t actually going insane”
My phone was in my coat pocket and the instant I lent over to unzip it, the bird took flight. It headed slightly upstream and landed high up in a hawthorn bush on my side of the river 40 yards away. I crawled off my chair, phone in hand, and moved into the cover of the high bank behind me. I shuffled about 10 yards closer to the bird. I spent what seemed like forever trying to get the facial recognition on the god damn phone to let me access the camera! The second I stood up to take pics the bird again took off upstream and again landed high up in a lone Hawthorn bush overlooking the river over 60 yards away.
At this point I waited for a bit for the bird to settle but knew I couldn’t really get that close without being seen. I felt totally sick, I’d managed no pics and just seemed to be flushing the bird further away every time I moved.
I dropped down the banking again and set off upstream, trying my best to keep out of sight. The bird started calling repeatedly which made me stop as I became conscious that I was very probably hassling it somewhat, but I just knew I had to at least try and get a record shot.
The bird set off again when I’d not got much more than 10 yards. It flew back across the river and much to my amazement headed downstream to near its original perch directly opposite where I’d been sitting.
I climbed up on the banking and moved back downstream where I managed to get 2 or three very distant shots with full zoom. It started calling again and I thought at least try and video it to record its call ( something I should of thought off from the off!!! ) I started recording, but the bird was barely visible on the screen and I just couldn’t get any closer to it.
The next 30 seconds or so I spent totally still, just watching the bird with the bins, again in the hope it would become more comfortable and settle, enabling me to get better images of it. But no sooner than the thought crossed my mind the bird took off and headed directly away from me downstream. Watching through the binoculars I was convinced it would perch up again, but it continued downstream, round the bend and out of sight towards the nature reserve.
I ran a 100 yards further downstream and round the bend to an area where I could see the entire river, but the bird was nowhere to be seen. I spent a further 15 mins scanning the area with no sign.
I immediately contacted a friend at Brockholes to get the troops on the bank and I got the news out via the birding channels. The rest of the day was spent with the fishing rods wound in, stomping about a mile in either direction until dark with no further sign of the bird. I feel immensely lucky to have sighted this Belted Kingfisher, however gutted that so far, apart from one other sighting on Sunday 14th, it has not been pinned down for many to enjoy.
I’ll be spending the next few days learning how to use this new iPhone camera properly.
George Shannon
15 Nov 2021
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