Birds along London's quiet streams

It’s been a while since my previous blogpost, however I have lot of new drafts lined up for a series of behind the scenes stories and write ups on a few trips and awesome photography sessions from the past couple of years, starting with this one on a few of the commonly encountered species that can be found along our quiet parkland rivers and brooks within the city.

This blogpost is specifically showcasing a few images captured during the previous winter at my local river, which in most sections is more of a narrow stream that cuts through a few parks and down the side of roads and houses, but it’s filled with lush vegetation and even small clumps of woodland surrounding the banks – a home for a variety of species.

The Kingfisher is the star bird of this location and most certainly the most vibrant and exciting species that can be seen here along these quiet rivers within London. Typically, it’s just a small blue flash darting in a straight line a few feet above the water, as it searches for a new spot to fish from, but occasionally they can be seen perched and diving into the water. They’re skittish birds by nature and will usually fly if disturbed, but there is a male Kingfisher, out of the four or so at this location, that is tamer than most individuals and was always present each time I visited earlier in the year.

Normally I’d hear him calling first – a high pitched peeping sound, followed by the flash of blue, or if I was lucky, he’d already be sitting in one of his usual spots. A slow approach along the path and using the vegetation for a bit of cover was all that was necessary to get a little closer. Many locals walking past also got to appreciate this bird as its not every day non-wildlife enthusiasts get to watch one of these beautiful birds and it was great seeing their excitement and appreciation of the local wildlife that’s on our doorstep!

Just a couple decades ago, Little Egrets were very rare visitors to the UK, but recently colonised the island and are now fairly common to encounter. Although I’ve photographed this species many times, it’s nice to have them locally and I won’t miss out on an opportunity to get a few shots if the conditions are great. This is also an individual that has gotten used to people and will still wade through the shallow water just a couple meters away from the busy path where people are going past. This egret fishes in the same patch of water as the Kingfisher above, so most visits I made here, resulted in shots of both birds. This image was on a clear morning, where the mist had just lifted from the water and the sun was filtering through the canopy onto the dark contrasting stream below.

What is also nice about this spot is how green it is during the winter. Evergreen plants like ivy are abundant, so its nice to have some colour to the background of images and it’s also beneficial to my style of shooting, as I like to utilise the plants in the background and foreground to help frame the image. When the lighting is right and there is a bit of dew from the morning, some bokeh and filtered light from the treetops will make all the difference when mixed in with the ivy.

When photographing Kingfishers, it’s important to take note of their behaviour. If they feel uncomfortable with human presence, they may bob slightly and continue looking straight ahead, but if they keep their eyes focused down on the water whilst you’re nearby or approaching, then they’re probably more used to human activity and a little bit of fieldcraft will help get you into the position for nice images naturally and without the use of a hide or setup.

As early spring was approaching, a pair of Grey Wagtails setup their territory by one of the river pumps, so it was an opportunity to capture some shots in a more urban environment. The steel and contrasting light gave off a brutalist style to the images.

As winter arrives, I’m hoping the Kingfishers return to this spot and I can work with a few new individuals, hopefully with different results. One image I’ve been wanting to capture is a nice portrait with a fish in its beak. Despite seeing them successfully catch fish countless times, its always been in the wrong place for a good shot or too distant.

Isaiah Volacek-RoweOctober 22, 20251 Comment