Seaby learned directly from the Japanese woodcut artist Yoshijuro Urushibara who arrived in Britain in 1908. Urushibara was initially involved in preparations for the Japan-British Exhibition of 1910 in London, but remained in Britain after this, working with the artist Frank Brangwyn and teaching traditional Japanese woodcut techniques to artists and students, including Seaby. This is a tranquil depiction of a kingfisher resting on a branch overlooking a stream. The bare branches of the shrubbery are reflected in the surface of the river creating an intricately patterned background.