A view of a kingfisher at 'The Ocean'

One of the visits I needed to make today was cancelled, which left me with a few hours of free time. The sun shone all morning and the forecast was mostly fine for the rest of the day so I decided to go looking for a kingfisher.

‘The Ocean’ near Stonehouse is a wide area of open water on the Sroudwater canal, which was originally designed as a place where large canal boats could turn close to a wharf. When the canal closed early in the 20th century the canal silted up and “The Ocean’’s function was lost. Vegetation spread as did canal side shrubs and trees, but the resulting spread of natural vegetation was to the benefit of the wildlife.

The canal is being regenerated and the section, or ‘cut’, by the ‘The Ocean’ has been refreshed and boats can now manoeuvre along the canal again. In a couple of years it will be joined up with the national waterway network when the final section is rebuilt under the M5 motorway linking it to the Sharpness canal at Saul Junction once again.

I go there because kingfishers are often found on this section of the canal. When I arrived it was very quiet with only a few users of the towpath to disturb any wildlife. I sat on a bench and wondered whether I’d be lucky enough to see a kingfisher today. I decided to walk along the towpath past ’The Ocean, and as I reached it, I looked across to the far side and stood there quietly. Then I saw one perched on a tree’s branch, and within a couple of minutes it had dived down into the pond.

I raised my camera and waited for another view of it. I did see it fly and dive and perch several times over the next half an hour, and then it suddenly disappeared. After waiting for a while I walked further on up the canal for a change of scene. When I returned I stood waiting motionless again for a while before I spotted it fly back to a branch, and then it was quite active for a few minutes before flying away.

I managed to get a few pictures but as it was on the far side of the water, It was hard to get a clear and steady shot. I’m quite pleased with this view as it flew back up to its perch after diving into the water for a minnow.