Rainy Morning at the Dam: Kingfishers, Ducks and Canada Geese

There’s something quite calming about walking around the local dam, even when the weather isn’t great.

This morning was wet, grey and a little miserable, but it didn’t stop a few photographers and bird watchers from heading down in search of some birdlife.

I’d heard rumours that there were four young kingfishers around the dam. Kingfishers are usually on the top of people's 'to see' list, so it wasn’t surprising to see a couple of other photographers turning up too, hoping to catch a glimpse.

After a short wait, I was lucky enough to spot two of them. Unfortunately, they were keeping their distance and were too far away for any good close-up shots. Still, getting something is always better than getting nothing. Seeing them sitting there and diving into the water was just as good.

The dam had plenty of other birdlife too. I spotted a couple of pretty mandarin ducks.

There were also several Canada geese with their goslings swimming down the dam. It looked like an armada heading towards me. Here they come!

They got out of the water and went to graze on the grass while some of the adult geese kept a watchful eye on them. The little ones looked like tiny dinosaurs waddling around after their parents.

A mallard duck also provided some entertainment, having a wash.

Despite the weather, it turned out to be a good morning chatting with other photographers who had come prepared with some very long lenses.
Sometimes the best walks are the ones where you don’t quite get the shot you hoped for, but you still come home with a few photos and a good story to tell.