We saw a flash of azure blue dart past us yesterday, though it was over in a trice it was of course an elusive Kingfisher. The Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is a very rare sight here at Nethergill and the first sighting we have ever seen, what a privilege!

The experts have informed us that this kingfisher was probably part of a nest dispersal, a newly fledged kingfisher.

 

Kingfishers are more suited to lowland rivers, with plentiful cover along the river banks and large fish stocks. Here at Nethergill we are 1200 feet above sea level and at the head waters of the River Wharfe the fish, though present, provide very challenging waters for kingfisher. A pair of Kingfishers with a hungry brood can catch115 fish per day.

 

The colours of the Kingfisher are best displayed in flight, when the rich azure blue running along the back and the bright orange underbelly are exposed and light is reflected off them. When the bird is sitting so characteristically on a branch overhanging the river the streak of blue is often hidden.