The ‘iridescent flash’ of a kingfisher in flight has been captured by Sidmouth photographer Mark Taylor Hutchinson.

Sidmouth Herald: Kingfisher in flight, by Mark Taylor HutchinsonKingfisher in flight, by Mark Taylor Hutchinson (Image: Mark Taylor Hutchinson)

He has photographed kingfishers many times before, but this time was determined to get some action shots of a bird diving.

He had to wait 90 minutes for this kingfisher to turn up, but was rewarded with stunning pictures.

He said: “Kingfishers like their favourite perches and then scan the water below. They ready themselves and do a little bum shuffle before dropping down like a multi-coloured arrow.

“Then it tends to be over within an iridescent flash.

Sidmouth Herald: Kingfisher in flight, by Mark Taylor HutchinsonKingfisher in flight, by Mark Taylor Hutchinson (Image: Mark Taylor Hutchinson)

“They don’t strike lucky every time, but they simply shake off the excess water and try and try again.

“The trick is good natural light to obtain fast shutter speeds, and I shoot in manual as the autofocus would just not cope with the speed required.

“I tend to pre-focus too and use a reasonable depth of field to try and retain the image in as much focus as possible.”

Sidmouth Herald: Kingfisher in flight, by Mark Taylor HutchinsonKingfisher in flight, by Mark Taylor Hutchinson (Image: Mark Taylor Hutchinson)

Sidmouth Herald: Kingfisher in flight, by Mark Taylor HutchinsonKingfisher in flight, by Mark Taylor Hutchinson (Image: Mark Taylor Hutchinson)

Sidmouth Herald: Kingfisher with fish, by Mark Taylor HutchinsonKingfisher with fish, by Mark Taylor Hutchinson (Image: Mark Taylor Hutchinson)

Sidmouth Herald: Kingfisher in flight, by Mark Taylor HutchinsonKingfisher in flight, by Mark Taylor Hutchinson (Image: Mark Taylor Hutchinson)