Where are all the kingfishers?

I have fished my local waters regularly since the big freeze and haven't seen a single kingfisher.I have also walked along my local rivers during the close season and again not seen a one.
All these venues could be relied upon to provide sightings on most visits. Is it just north west Lancs that is devoid of these birds or is it nationwide?

John, quite agree. I walk regularly along the banks of the Mersey, below Stockport . This year is the first, for goodness knows how long, that I have't, as yet, heard let alone seen a Kingfisher. The sandmartins are back...but I haven't seen or heard the blackcaps either this year in their usual location.

Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC) said:

John, quite agree. I walk regularly along the banks of the Mersey, below Stockport . This year is the first, for goodness knows how long, that I have't, as yet, heard let alone seen a Kingfisher. The sandmartins are back...but I haven't seen or heard the blackcaps either this year in their usual location.

Click to expand...

Kingfishers, dippers, grebes the black death all took a real hammering this last winter. With rivers and stills frozen solid for over 3 weeks means the numbers will have crashed nationally and will take a few years to get back to the numbers they were.

Plenty of Blackcaps this side of the city Paul. In fact I've never known our local park to have as many as it has over the last month.

They will come back

Kingfishers always take a hammering in cold winters especially if the rivers freeze over. 1963 narly wiped them all out but, they came back although it took a long time. This winter was not as bad as that one so, I expect that although they have had a knocking they will come back quicker than then. Hope so. I once had one land on my rod tip and sat there for 5 minutes. No photo or painting does them quite the justice they deserve when you see one that close. They have many hues of blues though black, metallic and turqouise. Truely magnificent.

This end of the country doesnt seem to be affected by the cold,as ive seen plenty since Christmas.

I'll have to come lurking your neck of the woods Bad One

I was in a cafe in Leather Lane, central London a couple of weeks ago when a blue flash caught my attention. A kingfisher landed on the windowsill for one second then took off again. It must have got lost! The nearest river is the Fleet, and that's buried ten foot under Farringdon Road! Never seen one away from water before.

I saw two on a short stretch of the Aire yesterday and the mayfly are on happy days!

geoffmaynard said:

I was in a cafe in Leather Lane..... nearest river is the Fleet, and that's buried ten foot under Farringdon Road! Never seen one away from water before.

Click to expand...

To the point:

Um. Geoff old lad, don't want to seem to be contradicting you but go more than three quarters of a mile south from Leather Lane and expect to get your feet wet. Little thing called the Thames

Don't ever remember seeing any Kingfishers there or thereabouts tho. Although the banks are confined by the embankment and lots of metal pilings I am sure there are enough little chinks and holes for a nest or two. Hope so. 'twould be nice to think of them in Temple gardens and thereabouts.

And now Windy rambles on....

And although the last time I fished it is now more than 15 years ago the Thames at Blackfriars bridge was very very well populated by all sorts of fish ! When the tide is going out you get freshwater coarse fish in abundance, Roach, dace, Perch etc. When it starts coming back in you get flatfish and eels added in to the equation.

Anyone wanting to try it then there are old water steps down to the gravel just past the Founders Arms pub on the south bank, and on the north bank hidden under south side of the bridge behind the Mermaid theatre. Hard to find but they are there !

Just two words of warning: the fine mud down there is very very intrusive and adhesive. Wellies at least, thigh waders better, and a nice clean box to sit on all help.

Secondly DON'T get caught out by the tide. Once it turns and starts to rise it does so deceptively quickly. And very dangerously.

The power of the flow of the Thames at that point is not something to take lightly at all. If you walk any distance away from the bottom of the water steps keep an eye on the bank between you and there. It is easy to find yourself on a rapidly shrinking piece of shingle with water in between you and the steps.

It is at this point that the choice of thigh waders over wellies make even more sense and secondly you will have a real chance to appreciate the strength of the current as you try and walk back against it.... Not good, I had a nasty and uncomfortably close to my maker moment there once - and once only. Thereafter tide tables carefully consulted at all material times. Start just after high tide as it turns and finish no later than an hour after low tide has turned....

We ought to have a fish-in there one day Windy, just to "test the water" I've never seen a kingfisher on that part of the Thames and I've walked over Waterloo bridge a couple of times a week for the last 40 years.