KINGFISHER

I work in a top-floor office (presently) that overlooks the River Thames (at Caversham lock, Reading). Before work yesterday (as in the changed time and date of this post) I took a little wander along the river. I often do!
I was treated to a (very brief) site of a Kingfisher, flying very low, straight and fast (typical ) from the lock to the river proper.
I always enjoy seeing these wonderfully-coloured little birds.

The Kingfisher is steeped in Greek mythology. In case you don't know the legend - I'll give it to you in a nutshell below...
The Kingfisher is sometimes known as the "HALCYON", its latin name is "Alcedinidae".
Alcyone was the daughter of the wind in Greek mythology. She was distraught when she found out that her husband has been killed in a shipwreck, so she threw herself into the sea.
Both her and her husband were transformed into kingfishers, and they roamed the oceans together.
When they nested on open waters, the sea was smooth and calm - "HALCYON DAYS", the 7 days before and the 7 days after the Winter Solstice - when the Kingfishers (Halcyons) nested.

Very often you will hear a Kingfisher before you see it. They very often give a small, highly-pitched "PEEP" as they are flying low and fast up a river or stream. Listen out for this very distinctive call, then immediately train your eyes no more than 6' higher than the body of water and scan quickly - invariably you'll see (if nothing else), the cobalt-blue flash down the Kingfisher's back, disappearing at speed, low over the water.
If you possess a very keen set of eyes and a high-powered set of binoculars or telescope, it IS possible to differentiate between the sexes of the Kingfisher.
The male Kingfisher has a dull brown beak, whereas the female displays an orange lower mandible. (I used to remember this by thinking she'd gone and put some orange lippy on, and only done her lower lip!)

I've posted three photos ( the bottom two again from the Birds of Berkshire website). You will see one photo of each sex, male top, female bottom. The top photo is courtesy of Arthur Grosset once more. I've included it because I think the Kingfisher is a "niblet" in it. (Family "in" joke).