Monday 29th july....After a lot of detective work last year I managed to find the landowners and the owner of the fishing rights over a new stretch of river. A few brief visits last year were not very fruitful, but then the rivers had swollen to ridiculous levels. After this recent dry spell the river levels are very low again and many of the river birds have successfully raised their young.

On Monday evening Rob and I decided to check it out again, we were at the waters edge putting up a couple of temporary perches when we spotted three young Kingfishers, we hastily got into our hides and watched. All three birds flew up and down the river and even landed right opposite us on the river bank, Grey wagtails were in good numbers and one perched on top of Robs hide before posing on the perch we had set up in front of us.

The river was teeming with Minnows and some good sized Trout swam lazily upstream, Mallards and their ducklings were just downstream and a Dipper also put in an appearance. After watching for three hours we put up another temporary perch and left. On our way back over the bridge I stopped the van so we could look back over the river.......there was a Kingfisher sat on the new perch we had just place there 10 minutes ago.

Tuesday 30th July...........Today I drove to the bridge and looked over at the river, as I peered over the wall a Kingfisher landed on the perch just as it had when I left yesterday. A quick drive home to pick up my camera equipment and I was on the river again sat in my hide. Today three birds were present again but one bird spent nearly all day chasing the other and at one point as they flew past my hide chasing one another the one being pursued clattered into the side of my hide. In total I had six landings on the perch but only managed a total of 5 shots as the birds seemed to fly at the slightest movement of the lens, encouraging though that after only two visits I managed some shots. This one was as the bird was about to leave the perch.