![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroMVezCWi2lIv9S9dMI0gGPnaf_AqKMH5xp3kAmT6dOFDGGaJqAjplHhmXa48VQ6N2zoGXU4WnGanUi9yzMIfEey7Sjzigt3fQtJqsKLer925siOV71zb_ndrvMeIdO0zHkDC4UZSNsNk/s320/Kingfisher,+Alcedo+atthis+9303.jpg) |
male Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis |
I have visited Arundel Wildlife and Wetland Trust a lot
recently attempting to obtain a decent photo of a Kingfisher. The Sand Martin
hide has become a second home to me for several hours a day, and although there
has been a shortage of exotic species to see, I have enjoyed the tranquillity and
learnt about the habits of Mute Swans, Black-headed Gulls, Coots, Moorhens and the
Kingfisher.
I had invested 10 hours in the hide over a few days then on Tuesday I saw a Kingfisher fly in from the right and land on the tall roosting branch. It stayed for two seconds during which I managed to squeeze off two shots. The first, above, is the best I have so far. I was pre-focused on the tip of the branch, but as I had an 1.4 extender on the 300mm lens, autofocus was slow which I think is why the shot is not as crisp as I want. The hunt continues, without the extender. The second shot follows.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWUy_Mu_bL6UwliDK5s0xD8glVFQz66YvAIdp4Bcz4HgJ7WU0MDD9JNVsIz37qiUZvJbQRHA0pdSbrYj6PougA2akoWFX4Mq4AwugeaHVXG4FQTjQ9OK49FUyFrtAklJHj6yyVeq_Aq9O/s320/Kingfisher,+Alcedo+atthis+9304.jpg) |
Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBra_B1jB_p79SmYe8ExhZAeGMKo1bOoUZWqmJeRpyPXSEufNgHhDek78g-AOpz-LhOLPu_U4ID6Td1UmsVIjawTNar0yR3VwkgkOVs60-dZX24C-Mts7fgIruwKMZsz3WVcAV2dk_FlX/s320/Great+tit,+Parus+major+9252.jpg) |
Great Tit, Parus major |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGXUwQu-5hZ8uXPJ_XhlfOOnOYjavx_f98HLnv7CiB7gdP22X51_ERtHmgW-fNU8YZZOnqJWLAwXGK_Ys6LcEiFHhTuuIj6xOoytBR_ESJTrAqRqT27GtMe8gvtS05J107rX3ktKnaFDQ/s320/Great+tit,+Parus+major+9260.jpg) |
Great Tit, Parus major |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpr22Hw0dOaY3PY9Qp6LvWVxCUHwKbySOS6E8942a9NV12_EgKCcRQirmNLG80hIy2W5LMsuXtWQMx-v-0Cr6LHQiIBsXNcE-gRpB6z2_ulEZws-SoqUzQMMPIeGPonny0SHcm7yWXLmyL/s320/Kingfisher,+Alcedo+atthis+9316.jpg) |
male Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis |
He landed across the lake on the right, halfway up a tree.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-Fvs6AEbAT1tfUldzOSKgUnjMkcKpklgBCVR95rr4s3SsrkCZ9VIXFRFoEPVEKM1D8eTk2sfSh6Ndu8Ie5cm5XmhCnH773RLx7oCx3gthXgs4oqvEEhrZAAphiRbFq7cry3_9DOi_ixB/s320/Moorhen,+Gallinula+chloropus+9296.jpg) |
Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkSea7yE7071RWGox4W29D1zS_1R1_-zuX0knC2oEnQRfu86a57ErZLYaFbQ-FQkzpUwsaOPtyICt6NYIf3IL6l1fP9doK_JeDCMOjHRlZPiI3pCy_0hyphenhyphen0eX4UTxW8AdH6pqeZAAICoJv/s320/Trumpeter+Swan,+Cygnus+buccinator+9281.jpg) |
Trumpeter Swan, Cygnus buccinator |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDewLxbuzcxiqjcm33hbNyVPCW1Hqc98m8hMO6v7cJrpAyMVOi_HAvq901ezyAgtdaS02jLA-9QxuLfyZwRf0kXBXRRLYhekv3j24W_AYuuoCGG8l3NaKKbPsN_HUfom1M-IwhJ6WXF45/s320/Trumpeter+Swan,+Cygnus+buccinator+9286.jpg) |
Trumpeter cygnet, Cygnus buccinator |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bdBcqG20I0p7Mk8cgvRi5GIgDp9cBYIYoUiDQx6dCAAtdoRLkKXrZi2ymkm2z6IPIdzPnCVs3lLXTfgzKyA6GJTVMiInsWdKs6rWivwO6ki8Pd_uTGFRua2KKfQLW9RMegAdELr6MlPJ/s320/Arundel+WWT+Sand+Martin+hide+4748.jpg) |
view from the Sand Martin hide |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRfeOX86qiVS5ESF62dsKVjuM7j7f7UQMgQ2peo3qudIPe_caQf84vhCIKOFTHw_pORCnSktWjrlXI2rj86tCrpH9BqSOS6s7OMzoyFU9J3h_xS0PtKabMS1BAoh85H0h5fhOMa_PbLTc/s320/Black-headed+Gull,+Chroicocephalus+ridibundus+9620.jpg) |
Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGO9SCT1_pGRokWR3r7RAz9bKZj6hG9_UCsCU0DfYZ9AJu2L9Iy-mXg3CbxJ96wIMD3jGdIjZnrrSTyq_tWZDoTs_J3ee0r2cbjQqbxV5V3sQk6gMv9MAqIk0JXbJ_8zvBRhVjFTDKtCZN/s320/Black-headed+Gull,+Chroicocephalus+ridibundus+9825.jpg) |
Black-headed Gulls - reflection |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5eQtaq52hndHR9r-DhVNajVentYCUasmOaPBEHoI7Th4MgNGzRoeNjgVOpQmbgYiX7RskTZTTa5Qp7Z4xRssG2YCcrxREKNGHJNeDZvrCvme5FRXIC4YL6NSFA7jJCB8l8wyb6yklLaQ/s320/Canada+Goose,+Branta+canadensis+9583.jpg) |
Canada Geese, Branta canadensis |
A flock of thirteen flew in
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbXnsngW3EkjiIxNlpzuGEba9D6eSItolgkt6JshMcNHwY6oKJGRpNFwZr2XDGjncyAlGVQ-V2FDm7HC4V3q_CKBpQKn41vhmQlRewH1tIiVwAwYfvxVXIA77rVuXEdd8JKg2MOLJNJeGE/s320/Grey+Wagtail,+Motacilla+cinerea+9672.jpg) |
Grey Wagtail, Motacilla cinerea |
On Wednesday I attended a work party at Heyshott where we cleared two years worth of growth from a bowl.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3WvAkfCoby-fJdWt8m5ZcDqmCK5F0cp1j1Fgl_BV1AdiqGyFlZqzNc57hikLpDN7cFyJJ2h9HP5WmwIAvRVCbcFdS4OX8dd-T0NJh4l0oLShkpkl6R2qeIsfLRL5VAbAREOQh0mDoMCR/s320/Heyshott+4746.jpg) |
the finished job |
I called in at Arundel WWT on the way home:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH_qPhQD4mjOiTUHwlqLoMmKjHIYWPIUVu9eaTzqIYL0Ob47ifafL7xQUItzlyrW5nLWza067NtoVDkiVHZRHr2b_kFvIapxOh4UWfAY67l0BBXLTuTIBPn96c5oFSOxJ4fUgUIb0Av6NF/s320/Mallard,+Anas+platyrhynchos+9550.jpg) |
Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2gOsepNfLefu1bhpLqmYai1Uwp8zPaxhOViutQf-XGhmEJf2bkNFL1yUOy56evEHH8-ZE8lEkv0MTrF82C_hWs4WWOt9-toUdqtA8RFfV0WSgy8TTRkXeRI5JNPmt-zB4uL_1pEdeA8LR/s320/Moorhen,+Gallinula+chloropus+9760.jpg) |
Moorhen, Gallinula chloropus |
I enjoyed watching the antics of the swans, especially their washing technique:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVZbloHt_NJ3Um37FEz0la9Dp9DHGuxdg9PyMY703RYNg6rpDyjfjne8DZ9RHVSNPVtDV9g6zJgI_Tw8V0xEFkx7-Vd76FgtawxdqwfIZRTgUuYNODdCgor4QgwS2_TriuhqEHRfYpL2T/s320/Mute+Swan,+Cygnus+olor+9343.jpg) |
Mute Swan, Cygnus olor |
reflections in nature: