Every winter a kingfisher takes up residence at the fishery, never in the summer, as there are no suitable nesting sites for the breeding season. Presumably a different one every winter, as they have a short life of one to three years, especially this far north in its distribution in the UK. Until the fishery freezes over, it is a desirable territory as it has shoals of sticklebacks in the margins, where its summer territories, the Dee and Feugh, run high and coloured in the winter with minnows and salmon parr hard to see.

It perches on the fishery casting platforms, about two to four feet or so above the water, or on an overhanging branch, until it sees a stickleback at the right depth, dives on it returning to the perch where it bashes the little fish to relax the spines, then swallows head first.

It must repeat this many times in a day as it is reckoned it needs between 60% to 80% of its own bodyweight daily in fish or insects to survive.

Going back thirty or forty years it was an event to see a kingfisher this far north due to our severe winters. Now that our winters are much milder, their survival rate has allowed them both to spread and increase density. They will never be numerous as our rivers are generally too fast flowing, and the Dee in particular, has very few trees close to the river with overhanging branches from which to dive.

The Feugh tributary however has abundant trees lining the banks for much if its length, therefore the best place to go for a chance of seeing a kingfisher at any time of year. Male and female often hold adjoining territories in winter, and amalgamate them for the breeding season.