Can't you read? Kingfisher catches a fish and cheekily eats it on a 'no fishing' sign


This cheeky kingfisher showed a blatant disregard for the rules when it was caught on camera reading a ‘no fishing’ sign with a fish in its beak.

The rebellious bird swooped down to perch on the sign with a mouth full of fish and appeared to be reading the obvious warning beneath her.

But the bold kingfisher clearly wasn’t worried about flouting the rules and was left unflappable at the sight of the instructions brazenly holding her catch in her beak.

It's a mocking-bird! This cheeky kingfisher lands on a sign with a fish in its beak - but hasn't noticed he is not supposed to be fishing

The funny moment was captured by keen photographer Dean Mason, from Bournemouth, Dorset, who couldn’t believe his eyes as the unruly bird landed on the sign.

Mr Mason, 46, said: 'I spend most of my time down by the River Stour in Wimborne as I’m a bit of a kingfisher fanatic.

'For about five or six years I’ve been coming down here but this is the first time I’ve seen a kingfisher land on a sign with a fish in its mouth - it was really funny.

Whoops! The colourful bird appears to glance down at the sign and appears to be slowly taking in the words 'No Fishing'

Disregard: But the bold kingfisher clearly wasn't worried about flouting the rules seems to have been left unflappable at the sight of the instructions

'I have to cover myself with a hide because even the slightest movement means she wouldn’t have landed near me.

'They’re very skittish, don’t like movement and especially don’t like people. So because it was a public walkway I got a bit lucky.

'I saw the sign and sat there for two hours hoping one would land. Then when it did it quickly flew towards the water to catch a fish then came back and read the sign.

'She obviously didn’t care because she then started clobbering the fish against the sign.

Rebel: The bird now seems to be knocking the fish against the wooden sign on the banks of the River Stour in Wimborne in Dorset - clearly he thinks fishing should be allowed

'Because I’ve been coming here so long I know what time to expect of them, how they move and where they go.

'But she wouldn’t have landed if I didn't have the hide - and if there were any fishermen nearby who often scare them away.