An Afternoon With Kingfishers

Last week brought some very welcome warm Spring sunshine.The birds  responded with increased activity as another nesting season arrived. I visited Mere Sands Wood Nature Reserve at Rufford to see if the kingfishers had survived the severe Winter we had experienced. On my first visit with Paul Foster we failed to see the kingfishers although we were told they had been seen. We did notice a great crested grebe carrying nesting material in the vicinity of the Rufford Hide.We also failed to see any Red Squirrels which we understand have returned to Mere Sands Wood which was once a former stronghold. We can only hope that they continue to thrive and increase their numbers and halt the decline of this beautiful animal.
I made another visit to Mere Sands on a very pleasant afternoon and was rewarded with splendid sightings of the kingfishers as they fed from bullrush stems and nearby bushes overhanging the water. They rarely came close enough for detailed portrait shots but were delightful to watch over a period of about two hours as they stayed within view. Throughout the afternoon these lovely birds were enjoyed by a string of visitors to the Rufford Hide. I have posted a few images of the kingfishers enjoying the Spring sunshine perching on the heads of bullrushes.