There are shepherd’s huts to rent for a few days just outside the village of West Tanfield in North Yorkshire. They’re all beside the River Ure but ‘Bluebell’ has the best spot on the bend with uninterrupted views up and down. Our host told me there was a resident kingfisher which one of her clients had only just got to photograph after three visits. The answer is to find a stick and place it in the river at a nice calm fishing spot, and that’s what I did. An hour later as I was eating my tea on the balcony, a kingfisher arrived. I thought I was seeing the same bird every time but now I’m not so sure. The female has red on her lower mandible and when I examine my pics closely, I think I might have two different birds, one definitely male and the other, maybe, female. Whatever, they’re always a joy to see.
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