Belted Kingfisher
You'll probably hear this bird long before you ever see it.
It announces itself with a loud, rattling call that sounds like a tiny machine gun racing along the shoreline. If you hear that unmistakable chatter, look toward the water-there's a good chance a Belted Kingfisher has just flown by.
Kingfishers spend much of their day perched quietly on branches overlooking the lake. Then, in an instant, they dive head-first into the water after small fish, emerging seconds later with lunch in their beak.
Unlike ospreys, which grab fish with their feet, kingfishers catch them entirely with their bill.
Belted Kingfishers don't nest in trees. They dig tunnels-sometimes over a metre long-into sandy banks along lakes and rivers, where they raise their young safely underground.
Next time you're at the lake...
When you hear that loud rattle echo across the lake, don't just wonder what made the sound.
Look up.
You've just been introduced to one of Ashby's fastest fishermen.