We are extremely privileged where we live to have a small stream that runs past our street, which plays host to kingfishers, probably the UK’s most colourful bird. They are extremely shy birds, however, so a bit of stealth was required to capture this beautiful winged hunter on camera.

There is a branch extending over the stream which is covered in bird excrement, a clue to the bird’s favoured vantage point. Almost every time I go out to the car, I see him perched on the same spot, and as soon as he spots me he shoots off down the river, a streak of orange and blue.

Over the last two days I’ve been using the car as a hide from which to trigger the camera remotely in order to get a closer look at him. Initially I had the camera perched on the bank, which is about four feet above water level, and was able to get three pictures of him in varying poses as he sat on the branch, looking for food. Today, however, I set the camera up in the water itself, so was able to get down to his level, and the final picture of this quartet was taken from this angle, showing him in glorious profile.