I was there in the outing as well. It was hazy with very soft and flat light yesterday. Photo taken under this condition is soft, it is normal. In fact, the result is acceptable. If it was sunny, your Kingfisher photo is a masterpiece. Try again next time at bright sunlight.
One more point, try not to use the aperture at widest open. If the lens is f2.8, try to step down to f 4, etc. There is a compromise between aperture and shutter speed. Lower the speed, smaller the aperture, sharper the image,however, the more chance you get a blurred image due to vibration.
Wing
FRPS