Hi there, I am kingfisher mad, something about them, guess it's the flight, colour and catching fish. I read the other posts and note there's some sightings in Essex. My sightings this week was one on the Mardyke, North Stifford, Wednesday and Thursday evening last week, got some really bad long distance photo's. A couple weeks before spotted one on the Ingrebourne River, Gaynes Parkway, Upminster
Happy Birding. B
There is a pair nesting at Rainham Marshes RSPB which I saw today - a little patience was needed but both eventually showed in view from one of their hides
I live 200 yards from the ingrebourne at the parkway,I used to see at least 2 quite regular there but haven't for a while.
Hi mafu - thanks will have to take a visit to Rainham. Thanks also Sniper, yes that's one of them I've seen then on the Ingrebourne at the Parkway - it's up from the playground, usually on a slow bend or by a concrete culvert.
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Blimey ; Looks like you lot are/were all loitering around my ol' home patch, or near enough !
Stunned to find that there are/were Kingfishers around my old home area....
I moved from Hawny, near the old Boulton Paul Defiant & Spitfire Airfield, to move up here, midst the land of the 'Webbed Feet' folk.
(Yeah, I'm a Londoner, just got kinda self-exiled !)
Used to cycle with my Son along the R.Ingrebourne (or $--- creek, as the pilots called it), to the "Optimist" Pub, in Upminster.
Looks more like a creek, than a river, with the water as muddy as hell.
In 2001 there was some noticable flooding there.... (as there was across the rest of Europe, that year)
We'd cycle along that smallish footpath & pass those spots you'd mentioned.
Also, we found a spot you lads might still like to use ?
It's along "Ferry Lane" (Rainham), as if you're going to the old "Tilda Rice" storage place.
As the road hooks round, there's a small parking area for cars.
It's right by/at the edge of the R.Thames & there are some old June 1944 'Invasion Barges' that were just dumped there, then filled with concrete....
https://londonist.com/london/history/visit-these-concrete-ships-from-wwii
Take note lads, of the lower part of the link (scroll it down), as it mentions RSPB & other bird types.
I lived there for many moons, till someone pointed it out - it's off the beaten track !
Am told that the car park is situated in "Coldharbour Lane", which is off of "Ferry Lane"
...which I used to get to, crossing the Dover Corner roundabout,
..... then bypass Tesco, at Bridge Rd, crossing the old Dagenham-Dock railway line, then into Ferry Lane.
Still reeling that ALL those years I lived there (approx' 17-years), I never knew about those Kingfishers !
Did see a Spitfire tho' (Ray Hanna, in MH.434), doing a loop over Tesco's, in 1990 :king:
(It was the exact same spot as where the RAF Hornchurch hangars used to be, in 1940)
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