The Common Kingfisher/Cruidín (Alcedo atthis) is one of Ireland's most colourful breeding birds. It is a firm favourite of people, who are always thrilled to be shown one on a river, lake, or estuary. The rivers around Ireland typically have Kingfishers on them. However, they are quite shy birds by their nature and can be difficult to see as they skulk in low bushes or keep tight to the river banks. 

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A male Kingfisher, told by its all black bill, perched low in the undergrowth along the edge of the Tolka River, Griffith Park.

Griffith Park is a medium sized park on the north side of inner city Dublin, nestled on the border between the suburbs of Drumcondra and Glasnevin. It is one of my local parks, and the park that I traverse several times a week doing school drop offs/picks ups, and time spent in the playground (and Tram Cafe) with my daughter (the young fella tends to forego the walk for hanging out with his mates online or on the green, which is fair enough). From time to time, one would hear a high ptiched chee chee chee call coming from the river and see a flash of azure speeding around a bend in the river...and the Kingfisher was gone as quickly as it appeared. They repeated the same trick on me a handful of times over several years, but for the last few months, a pair of Kingfisher have become a regular sight and sound on my walks. 

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A male Kingfisher, told by its all black bill, hovering over the Tolka River running through Griffith Park.

They seem to have set up a territory locally, from The Church of the our Lady of Delours in Glasnevin down to the Frank Flood Bridge in Durmcondra. Previously I would have seen them on the Tolka River in the National Botanic Gardens, and along the same river in the Tolka Valley park further west. It was a pleasant and most welcome surprise to see them in the park. They have become such a routine sighting now that one can predict where on the river they will be depending on the flood of the river. It is magic. 

A9_02495Kingfisher Griffith Park

A young female Kingfisher, told by having some orange on the lower mandible perched along the edge of the Tolka River, Griffith Park. A9_02553Kingfisher Griffith Park

The Kingfisher, always on the lookout for food under the surface of the Tolka River.

The birds originally were keeping deep into the riverbank, making clean photographs a pipedream. Couple that to the greyest, darkest, and dreariest of weather over the course of November, December (2024), and January (2025), and the photographs have been average. I am still waiting for a decent bit of light, which I hope will happen.

A9_00336Kingfisher Griffith A male Kingfisher peaking through the undergrowth along the edge of the Tolka River, Griffith Park.

A9_02429Kingfisher Griffith Park  The bright orange of the underwing is very apparent when the Kingfisher was hovering over the Tolka River, Griffith Park.

They favoured one particular corner of the river when the flow is low, meaning that they hide in a riverside willow and sometimes come out of cover and hover in the open. It is amazing to see and they are quite close when they do this. It is amazing to see how many people walk by and not notice these jewels of our rivers. I always try to point the birds out to people so that they know what magic is on their doorstep. The more people that see them, the hope is that people will take an interest to improve and appreciate the park's wildlife habitat more. 

A9_00458Kingfisher Griffith A male Kingfisher on the lookout for food along Tolka River, Griffith Park.

The birds tended to favour an area with a very busy background for photographs. The images tended to be too distracting and either the bill was going over a branch, or a branch was going through the plane of the eye in the background. However, watching them feeding unhindered and uninhibited by people walking by was marvellous. 

A9_00583Kingfisher Griffith A typical view of the Kingfisher along the edge of the Tolka River, Griffith Park.

A9_06142Kingfisher Griffith Parlk A male Kingfisher out in the open along the edge of the Tolka River, Griffith Park.

Every now and then they would perch in one spot that had a better background. I like this shot because the bird is framed by the branches above, below and to the side, narrowing as they flow from right to left. Whether or not they stay in the area and become a regular sight for the next several years remains to be seen. I am hoping they do.