A flash of blue …..

For the first time in three months, there’s a visit to The Spinnies. It’s the most glorious autumn day, and obviously, I’m hoping to see a kingfisher. I’m told one has visited the perch close to the hide within the last half hour, posing and fishing happily for some five minutes. The good news is, there’s one around; the bad news - he’s probably now resting quietly, enjoying a post-lunch nap. 

The scene of stillness is quite mesmerising, a distant heron standing still and watching, while mallards and egrets potter about on the mirror-still waters. Suddenly, there’s a flash of blue, and we spot a tiny iridescent presence perched in the middle of some distant tangled branches - so tiny that if I stop looking through my long lens for a second, I lose sight of him completely. He moves, alighting on a far more elegant branch - further away, but beautiful against the reflections of the lake. His visit is brief, and all too soon he’s gone. 

We wait. And soon he - or another kingfisher- returns, this time perching on a closer log before returning to the overhanging branches and performing a couple of lightning speed fishing dives into the water. I’m still trying for the holy grail of a clear crisp diving shot, but I really need far more practice - and more patience. Still, I manage a few action shots which are quite definitely ‘kingfisher’ rather than an indistinguishable blur of blue. 

My main today’s a rather fluffy kingfisher (better large on black!) -  though I think it’s the same one as in the sleeker extra - together with a more distant bird and my best ‘action shot’ today. 

Thanks so much for your response to yesterday’s Balakliya story - I’m so pleased I was able to share it with you.