Does anyone know where a kingfisher hangs out?

Sammysmiths

Sammysmiths

Well-known member
I have a photography bucket list and spotting a kingfisher is the first on the list. Does anyone know where I can find one? They tend to be quite habitual so will follow the same patch of water. I’ve heard of one at Grey Towers lake which is nice and handy for me.
 
How far are you willing to travel?

I saw one on the river Don in Jarrow a few weeks ago and then talking to a local photographer he told me the best spot for seeing it.

There is also a black Swan on the river living among a large flock of white swans.
 
When things get back to normal, probably weardale, Durham. I know of a couple of spots in Darlo but don’t want to travel further than local Tees spots and incorporate it into a nice walk and daily exercise.
 
I can't help you with a location in the UK but I see them often where I live. Like a lot of birds you're likely to hear them before you see them, so you can then be more discreet knowing they're around. Get used to their call which is a high pitched note. Use videos like this:

Kingfisher song identification at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.
duckduckgo.com duckduckgo.com
 
Either Cowpen Bewley woodland park or Billingham beck can’t remember which one it was but remember reading last year that they were spotted there
 
I've seen them by Billingham Beck and the pond in the little reserve there. Talking to some friends last night on our zoom virtual boozer and at the moment there's one a regular visitor at the village pond in Wolviston, a couple of the guys had seen it a few times. A great sight especially when they're flying in the sunshine, like a blue light flashing over the water. Mrs Gnome has also seen them along the Tees path between Newport Bridge and Stockton. And when I was a kid the first ever A4 I ever saw going through Billingham Station was No 60024. Had a picture on the side of the engine. Does that count?
 
I know a couple of spots in Darlington you can see them.

1. The Tees downstream from Broken Scar, further down near Blackwell you can see otters (though being usually accompanied by muh dog, I never have)
2. Baydale Beck at the back of Mowden housing estate, often so close you could photograph it with a mobile phone!

However whenever I have taken a camera with me, the little bugggers go into stealth mode.
 
I saw one up in Durham near where I work last year (or maybe the year before - been WFH since last March). Near the botanical gardens on the Uni site.

There used to always be a couple flitting round along the beck running up by the Riverside Stadium too (parallel to Dockside Road). I've changed my route slightly so haven't walked that way for a few years.
 
Only one I've ever seen was on the Tees, right outside the Svitzer offices, really close to the stadium.
 
Theres one in Dormanstown.... coincidently its owned by Sammy Smiths
 
The vomiting vicar said:
Either Cowpen Bewley woodland park or Billingham beck can’t remember which one it was but remember reading last year that they were spotted there
Click to expand...


It'll be the Woodland Park. I've seen a few flitting about while walking my dog there, a tiny flash of blue amongst the reeds. A few years since I've seen one though. It's where the beck runs away from the hill and back to the path where I saw them. There's a little dam thing.
 
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