Belted Kingfisher – River Don, Peterculter, Aberdeenshire, 6th April 2005
On Friday the 1st April I was driving south on the M6 with Ellen and Tessa as we were going to Ryton-on-Dunsmore in Warwickshire to help Elizabeth Lisle finally move into her house with her children. This was a momentous day for her (and for Caspar, Yasmina, Darius and Suroush) as finally they were escaping their previous home at Goodrest Cottage in nearby Brandon and (Medrhad, Elizabeth’s ex-) for their new one. In that sense it was a momentous day for me too (after all I had helped Elizabeth with the purchase both emotionally and financially).
Anyway, the rather stupendous news of a Belted Kingfisher at Tixall, Staffordshire broke as we journeyed south. Less than an hour earlier the girls and I had passed junction 14 on the M6, which would have been the most logical junction at which to leave the M6 to get there.
I pressed on, under the duress of my commitment to Elizabeth who had spent months and months living in hell. Once we arrived in Ryton-on-Dunsmore I did raise the possibility of twitching the Belted Kingfisher with Elizabeth, but very promptly parked it due to being rather fond of my manhood.
It had been April’s Fool Day indeed. But I wasn’t that foolish.
Perhaps playing the long game was the way to go? The next day, there was negative news from Staffordshire, but incredibly, there was news of what was very obviously the same bird from Eastrington in East Yorkshire. However, any hope of possibly being able to twitch this also crashed and burned as it was again a one day bird.
That’s life..... .
However, once back home in Edinburgh, I got a text from Stuart Green on the evening of Tuesday the 5th April (just as I was scrolling through my pager messages) and almost simultaneously realised that the dream was very much still alive. There then followed a manic ‘phone call to Stuart during which he explained that the Belted Kingfisher had, unbelievably, been relocated that evening on the River Don in Aberdeenshire!
We discussed my options and concluded that should it still be there the following morning I should ‘phone work with an excuse and make my way to Peterculter asap!
So it was then, that I got a text from Stuart, bizarrely, at 06:25 on the morning of Wednesday the 6th April. Unbelievably it had been ‘scoped still at roost in the same location where it had been seen the night before! I quickly ‘phoned Stuart for an explanation and discussion of our respective plans, and then hurriedly dressed and packed. 20 minutes later I was on the road and heading for the A90(T). Two hours later I was at the car-park in Peterculter, as per the instructions of Stuart and as on the pager.
I quickly assembled my gear and then walked from the car-park and down around the church-yard into the River Don valley itself. From there a straggle of birders were visible along the river, as well as those along the foot-path I was on. Some of these were ‘scoping up river, and so I binned the same way and picked up my target perched on some overhead power-lines over the river. It was a good way off, but distinctive, and, finally, ON MY LIST (OML)! I therefore quickly made my way down onto the floodplain and then upstream towards the closest group of birders.
Once there I quickly put up my ‘scope and proceeded to enjoy leisurely views of acracking belting bird in good company, primarily Harry Scott, Torquil Grant and Stuart Green. It showed más o menos constantly as I intermittently ‘scoped it and chatted to my colleagues. Harry Scott regaled us with the story of relocating it........ .
However, once back home in Edinburgh, I got a text from Stuart Green on the evening of Tuesday the 5th April (just as I was scrolling through my pager messages) and almost simultaneously realised that the dream was very much still alive. There then followed a manic ‘phone call to Stuart during which he explained that the Belted Kingfisher had, unbelievably, been relocated that evening on the River Don in Aberdeenshire!
We discussed my options and concluded that should it still be there the following morning I should ‘phone work with an excuse and make my way to Peterculter asap!
So it was then, that I got a text from Stuart, bizarrely, at 06:25 on the morning of Wednesday the 6th April. Unbelievably it had been ‘scoped still at roost in the same location where it had been seen the night before! I quickly ‘phoned Stuart for an explanation and discussion of our respective plans, and then hurriedly dressed and packed. 20 minutes later I was on the road and heading for the A90(T). Two hours later I was at the car-park in Peterculter, as per the instructions of Stuart and as on the pager.
I quickly assembled my gear and then walked from the car-park and down around the church-yard into the River Don valley itself. From there a straggle of birders were visible along the river, as well as those along the foot-path I was on. Some of these were ‘scoping up river, and so I binned the same way and picked up my target perched on some overhead power-lines over the river. It was a good way off, but distinctive, and, finally, ON MY LIST (OML)! I therefore quickly made my way down onto the floodplain and then upstream towards the closest group of birders.
Once there I quickly put up my ‘scope and proceeded to enjoy leisurely views of a
I watched it for about 1.5 hours during which it was generally perched on the overhead power-lines (often partially obscured) from a range of c.200 – 300 m. I could have got closer views but .... . I also saw it in flight and with a fish.
Once we had enough, Stuart and I repaired to an Irish bar in Stonehaven for a late brunch, before I returned to work in time to make it to Bathgate for an induction. Phil Allen (my boss on the project I was on at the time) worked out what I had been up to (as the news made the media) but I didn’t care. Belted Kingfisher was on my list!!
As in other such instances, although I had seen this species previously (e.g., in Texas April1992) I actually looked at this one properly....... .
It was a large kingfisher with a large head and bill. Basically, it had bright white under-parts and collar, and steel blue grey upper-parts and chest band. The clearly defined white collar separated the darker blue of the head from that of the back and wings. The plumage of the head was spiky at the rear and on the crown. There was a small white spot in front of the eye above the base of the bill. The primaries were darker than the rest of the wing when the bird was at rest. There were small areas of blue-ish grey feathering on the side of the breast and the thigh. The feathers of the wing and tail had very small white tips suggesting the bird was a first summer. The dark, dagger-like bill was heavy and pointed and the legs were dark.
Once we had enough, Stuart and I repaired to an Irish bar in Stonehaven for a late brunch, before I returned to work in time to make it to Bathgate for an induction. Phil Allen (my boss on the project I was on at the time) worked out what I had been up to (as the news made the media) but I didn’t care. Belted Kingfisher was on my list!!
As in other such instances, although I had seen this species previously (e.g., in Texas April1992) I actually looked at this one properly....... .
It was a large kingfisher with a large head and bill. Basically, it had bright white under-parts and collar, and steel blue grey upper-parts and chest band. The clearly defined white collar separated the darker blue of the head from that of the back and wings. The plumage of the head was spiky at the rear and on the crown. There was a small white spot in front of the eye above the base of the bill. The primaries were darker than the rest of the wing when the bird was at rest. There were small areas of blue-ish grey feathering on the side of the breast and the thigh. The feathers of the wing and tail had very small white tips suggesting the bird was a first summer. The dark, dagger-like bill was heavy and pointed and the legs were dark.
Belted Kingfisher near Peterculter, Aberdeenshire, April 2005 (photograph credited to Darren Robson).
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