A brief flash of brilliant blue

Tiny it may be but most anglers would agree that the strikingly colored kingfisher is worth a king’s ransom for barely a glimpse

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I cast my eye over the bird I had just finished painting on a tup horn stick I had made for a friend, and I was a little disappointed with myself because I realised I had overlooked it in my Northern Nature Notes list.

The kingfisher, Alcedo atthis, is more than worthy of a mention on this page; indeed, it should have appeared long ago. There are few, if any, sights on the river that will rate much higher. This little bird, only about 6in long with a wingspan of around 9in, is a highlight of a day on the river if it chooses to let me see it.

As often as not the angler is granted a brief flash of brilliant blue as the bird goes about its daily life but, on rare occasions, they will see it in all its stunning glory. A bright blue back and a striking, almost bronze, breast. That gorgeous plumage nearly led to the bird being wiped out by our ancestors as it was pursued for its feathers to adorn hats, as well as for taxidermy during the Victorian era.