Kingfishers have been spotted along Oxfordshire's waterways this year - an indication of the health of the county's waterways.

As well as the iconic blue birds, experts in the county discovered a total of 91 different creatures along the waterside, a massive increase on the number recorded last year when the total was just 15.

Sightings included bats, water voles, grass snakes and badgers.

Ecologists pinpointed the Oxford Canal at Kidlington as the best place to spot kingfishers and other waterside wildlife.

Mark Robinson, national ecology manager for British Waterways, said: "We're delighted to hear of so many sightings of kingfishers on our waterways.

"As well as being a strikingly beautiful bird, kingfishers are an important indicator of the general health of the waterway eco-system, as they are at the top of the waterway food chain.

"And good populations of kingfishers, even in urban areas, show the important role waterways have in greening our towns and cities by providing wildlife corridors which help sustain populations of a variety of both common and endangered species, including bats, water voles and otters."

Despite the wet weather this summer, 4,000 sightings of different species were recorded by members of the public during British Waterways' fourth national waterway wildlife survey.