If fate is kind to you, you will see a Kingfisher
Spotting a Kingfisher
With a little patience, you can spot Kingfishers at the natural park de Ruige Hof. One of my wishes is to see a Kingfisher in real life. But like the hummingbird, you can only see a Kingfisher if fate is in your favor. A Kingfisher flies, as small as it is, very fast, it can reach 80 km per hour. A Kingfisher is therefore also called the blue flash or a blue bolt.
During walks through woods and wetlands, I always look out for the bird of birds! The Kingfisher, to me, is a flying gem with beautiful cobalt blue wings and light blue flecks like diamonds accentuating the orange lower body. A bright blue track runs from neck to tail. An indescribable, almost fluorescent azure blue that, when the sun shines on it, cannot be reproduced by print, ink, or oil paint. A beautiful bird that you really have to see with your own eyes.
Lucky for me I have a sister who is a professional photographer at “Kleurrijkontwerp“. In addition to her specialty in portrait, pregnant, newborn, baby, and family photography, she cannot resist photographing nature. Recently she had the opportunity to visit the Kingfisher viewing Hut “De Ruige Hof”. The Kingfisher hut is a hidden treasure, near Amsterdam, located on the grounds of the nature conservation association De Ruige Hof.
Natural park De Ruige Hof
For years Kingfishers nest around the grounds of the Ruige Hof. The owners of de Ruige Hof wanted to give these beautiful birds the opportunity to breed. That is why they built, some years ago, a breeding wall with a viewing hut next to it. The Kingfishers hut is located in the protected area of the Ruige Hof, which is beautifully situated on the water side of a lake. From the Kingfisher hut, it is possible to observe and photograph the kingfishers during the breeding periods, without disturbance. In recent years the Kingfishers nested in the breeding wall and many young kingfishers have fledged. On Wednesdays the hut is free to visit by members of the Ruige Hof, the other days the hut is rented out to photographers. The proceeds of the hut will fully benefit the nature association De Ruige Hof and will be used for the maintenance of the breeding wall
The population of Kingfishers in the Netherlands
In June the young Kingfishers fledge. The number of Kingfishers in the Netherlands changes every year. After a severe winter, there are always a lot less, while the population grows considerably after a number of frost-free years. The bright blue bird is popular with many nature lovers. If you’ve ever seen one fly by, you’ll never walk past water without looking around for a tiny blue bird perched on a branch.
Pictures of a kingfisher
So for me at this moment, I am very happy with the beautiful photos that Kleurrijkontwerp has made of the Kingfisher, and is so sweet to share them with us. You would like to see these birds in real life, but to see the Kingfisher in these awesome photos can at least be called second best.
The Latin name of the Kingfisher
The kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is a bird in the Kingfisher family (Alcedinidae). Alcode Atthis stands for: A new plunge into your life will bring sunshine, love, and prosperity.
European protection of the Kingfisher
The Kingfisher is a protected endemic species. Like all other birds that occur naturally in the wild in the Netherlands, Kingfishers are protected under the European Birds Directive. The protection of the Kingfisher is regulated in the Netherlands in the Nature Conservation Act.
Where to find Nature park De Ruige Hof
De Ruige Hof includes a number of gardens, 2 nature reserves, and a nature center, where various activities, including bird walks and plant excursions, are organized. Take a look at the website to see what’s happening.
Address: Abcouderstraatweg 77, 1105 AA Amsterdam
Photography
The pictures of the Kingfisher were taken by photographer Marijke Trienekens. Marijke is a professional photographer, trained at the Fotovakschool, University of Applied Photography, Amsterdam. If you are interested in her beautiful photographic work, check out her website to see more of her work.
I myself am a big fan of her awesome Fine Art Portraits.
Kleurrijk Fotografeert
Kleurrijk Ontwerp
