The Throne Of Halcyon (Kingfisher) by Angus Gardner *NEW*

Although considered a relatively common UK resident bird, Kingfishers are shy and incredibly elusive. I’ve only ever seen one and that was nothing more than a flash of that trademark orange and iridescent electric blue/turquoise as it flitted off further along the river bank and out of sight. 

It left me questioning if I’d actually seen one or not (there’s a saying that ‘only the righteous see the Kingfisher’ - tip, in the Spring, at dawn and near a waterway helps). It was a magical moment - I think the fact that they look so unlike any other UK bird and are one of the few UK species that paradoxically everyone knows what they look like and with their vivid colouring they should be super easy to spot against almost any backdrop and yet very few people have actually seen one.

They are the absolute masters of their craft - their beak for example is designed in such a unique way that it doesn't create a ripple as it hurtles dart-like into the water - giving it a millisecond advantage over it’s prey. They are also prolific hunters - taking up to 5,000 fish in a season. 

The Greek name for Kingfisher is Halcyon - the king of fishers and Halcyon is also a Greek God (the god of wind who lived by the sea). The truly astonishing fact that Kingfishers aren't actually vividly coloured at all (they are brown - the feathers are structured in such a way that they reflect only blues and greens from our visible spectrum, so we see isn't actually real), that elevates them to mythical status for me. I imagined my Kingfisher as a regal master of its craft. Its throne made out of the bones of its prey, it’s crown hallmarked with icons symbolising it’s hunting prowess.