tiny whirring ball. To this day, it
was one of the greatest birding
moments I've ever experienced.
The paddle-board helped - the
sly way with which it makes
progress on the water didn't
disturb the bird until I was right
on top of it. Normally, I'd be
walking or cycling and the bird
would have been long gone.

Kingfishers nest in burrows
in the river bank, and cleverly
angle them at ten degrees so all
the droppings can drain away.
They are, as the name suggests,
adept at fishing, and the record
for one pair was 115 fish in one
day.

Bonus fact I hate to break it
to you, but the kingfisher's
feathers are not actually that
colourful when examined more
closely. Fascinatingly, the colour
comes from light striking layers
of modified cells in the feather.
Their brilliance is magic - it's
actually a trick of the light.

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