STUNNING pictures from a Herefordshire photographer show kingfishers in the wild near Hereford.
Hereford Times Camera Club member Matt Francis was lucky enough to capture pictures of the kingfishers in Bodenham Lake nature reserve, near Hereford.
The lakes, in the village of Bodenham, between Hereford and Leominster, are the areas in Herefordshire where kingfishers are usually spotted most often.
Mr Lee said he had an amazing morning on Sunday (June 26) watching his favourite bird, the common kingfisher.
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The nature reserve covers 44.5 hectares and includes riverside meadows, orchards, and the lake itself, and is cared for by the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust.
This makes it the perfect place for an array of animals – mostly birds.
The trust's members shared some interesting facts about the kingfisher on the Bodenham Lake nature reserve Facebook page.
"If you see a flash of bright blue and orange darting from one of the lakeside trees into the lake, then you can bet it was a kingfisher," said the spokesperson.
"This diminutive bird is kept busy fishing as it must eat at least its own bodyweight of fish each day.
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"From its fishing perch on a low-hanging branch over a shallow part of the lake, the kingfisher sits patiently waiting for its next meal to arrive."
This is likely to be minnows or sticklebacks, but it will also eat aquatic insects, freshwater shrimps, and tadpoles.
Once spotted, kingfishers dive into the water with its beak open but its eyes closed, capturing their target with immense precision.
This bird prefers slow moving, clear water, like at Bodenham Lake, as fast-moving water creates a bubbling, swirling mass on the surface, preventing the bird from having a clear view of any fish swimming beneath.
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