A Kingfisher and a Hobby!

Took three and a half hours and a numb bum (and strangely enough just as it appeared a member of the SRS team turned up!), but I finally got a shot of a Kingfisher today! As a bonus there were also a couple of Hobbies flying around.

Unfortunately, too far away for a decent shot, but my first and therefore best of each!

Have included a master and edit of each to give an idea of how cropped they are. Sometimes 600m on a crop sensor just isn't enough!

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PS sorry about the watermark, it seems to get bigger the smaller the crop is!

900mm not enough?!

My heart bleeds for you Danny .... lol. Best get a convertor. You know where the kingfisher is now though I'm still looking.

great shots Danny i got my first Kingfisher shot this year and whilst it is ok it's not as good as your...and i have never seen a hobby in the flesh...lucky you.

It's a work in progress and these were taken from a hide on a steep bank in a reserve, so not much chance of getting closer without permission! Knowing where it's nest is now helps a lot!

Have a very cheap (read poor) 2x converter that came with the lens so now I know where it is, will give that a try another day. Still on the lookout for better locations though!

Go on then, post it up.

This I have got to see ...

There's a chap on the TP forum shooting Kingfishers with a 200mm and getting them full in the frame ... git (never seen one myself).

I did Mike..

here

it was about 30-40 feet away....

Had another go today, really need to find a closer one!

Kingfishers are such nervous birds it is SO tough to get close to them. The ones I've encountered here rarely let you get within 30 yds. Did the Damsel get away ?

The best I've managed so far is here link with the Tamron BB 500 mirror (before I got the *300), however it seems at least I get more opportunities than you do over there.

Not here in the NE. Exif shows 47mm LINK

John

I am convinced that most kingfishers have a sixth sense for cameras and hide form them

Unlocker, you are many steps ahead of me when it comes to obtaining a kingfisher shot

If you want to lend the 250 - 600 to me for a few years I may just manage to find the patience, preparation and the luck that you need to get a picture of one of these -

Is this the guy that has a hide up in his garden and a blog diary going ? Kingfishers are protected birds in the UK and I know there are lots of things that you can not do in breeding season with regard to getting too close and photographing them.

Now that I actually have a shot of one and ticked that box, the next project is to try and get something a bit closer, which I know is easier said than done!

Have found a decent and cheap camo tent that I can use as a hide and if I can verify a definate location will try the 'get setup before dawn and sit there all day' approach. Knowing what the call sounds like now will hopefully make that a bit easier as well. Maybe rig up a remote camera?

@ Frogfish

Only noticed the Damsel when I got home! Wasn't a target though!

@ Stuey

Sorry, but the big gun stays with me! Should we ever meet up though, of course I'll let you have a go for 5 minutes!

PS. Should anyone find a hide close enough to get decent shots, or finds a good definate location fairly local, please PM me, will appreciate it!

You not got any hides locally Danny with sticks pushed into the water in front of them? These are put there for the kingfishers. Some guys sit staring at sticks for 8 hours a day

You need to find how close to the nest you are allowed to go without a license. I think it's either 50m or 100m.

You don't need to go close anyway. Shots are better from where they dive for fish, perch etc.