The Shugborough Kingfisher

No - that's not my blip. (He's in the Extra photo - and you will need good eyesight and an excellent imagination. He is the tiny splodge of bright blue in the middle of this heavily cropped pic)

  My photo is of a Gatekeeper on one of the Echinacea in the "butterfly garden" at Shugborough. Actually, when we were walking round, the sun wasn't shining and there weren't many to be seen. It was great just to stroll around the amazingly quiet gardens and catch up with lots of news with a great friend.

We sat by the willow that the gardeners two years ago told me was where he fished. No sign.  We wandered down to Essex Bridge, where the River Trent arrives.

I saw a flash of blue.  I told my friend. I saw it again. She still didn't see it. While I was searching with the binoculars, she saw him. He did a complete fly past under the bridge. I didn't see him - but I knew I'd been right earlier. We waited. We watched.  We both saw a fly past.

She found him sitting on a perch just by the weir (not too far from the gardeners willow). We both saw him and I pointed the camera.

It's taken me well over three years - but I have finally seen the elusive Shugborough Kingfisher.

Enjoy your weekend.