Well… Kingfishers are a tricky bunch. And it doesnt help when the photographer is hellbent on getting only wild shots, refusing to go to well established hides where things are easy or even local reserves where community has made a little paradise for the suckers.

This little young gem was nesting in one of the Royal Parks, not long ago just hatched and still kept hanging around the nest. I was monitoring the local forums like a hawk and all of a sudden kingfisher sightings were solid for two weeks in one of the places not that far from me that I knew quite well. One day I had a feeling - I should push it and after work just get to that place, do the hour walk to the place and wait it out.

I came there and there were couple of photogs with lenses like traffic cones. They said that soul squeezing “Just been here half an hour ago”. That kicked off all the feelings of regret and gamble at the same time…

One thing you should know - it’s been about 10 years I was trying to get a postcard shot of this bird. I had a lot of sightings and few shots that I refuse to show as a wildlife photographer that teaches other people. To be honest - all the bank species shots dont come to me easy for a lot of silly reasons that I own up to. But Kingfishers - stung painful and deep.

Just when I started chatting with photogs - this sucked landed on an abandoned coots nest. We jumped like the armies in the the Marvel’s End Game to get the snap and it… It was too far again.

You see - that decade taught me a lot. I noted where it liked to land and I spotted few places along the shore to reposition to get better chances. Photogs left with the kingfisher. I knew these birds come back and that old nest is his spot. He’s coming back. About half an hour - that’s what I had. So I did. Explored the area, spotted few places and paced it like chameleon.

I was taking shots of mallard out of boredom and this little fella landed right there. And I was in the right place.

Rest is history right below. I know this is not the last time we see each other. But this is the first time and a lot of lessons I learned out there got me here. I still wear this grin every time I look at these shots.