Staffordshire kingfishers

Inspired by clickychick and the amazing photo of the kingfisher taken near Armitage,
The Kingfisher
I went back to The Wolseley Centre (about 8 miles from Armitage and not far from Shugborough)

I thought I was lucky to catch a whirr of blue (and to snap it) and then to see it return. The people I was chatting to as we waited were as excited as me.

I paused there for far longer than I should have done (but who can put a price on just enjoying the splashing of coots and ducks and taking stress-free time out).

Chatting to a lovely family who hadn't seen the kingfisher this season, I noticed a deep russet colour in the tree opposite. It was just watching us. Looking through my long(ish) lens, I could see it was a kingfisher.

He came down closer to the water and paused on a branch (my blip) before flashing away further along the bank. I could still see him for a while, and he eventually gave up when four canoes, with excited girls, sailed past.

Talking to one of the staff, she thought that, because of the darker russet breast, it might be one of the babies, now fledged. They've been seen a few times this week.

If you're interested, the best place to see one of our Staffordshire kingfishers is at
The Wolseley Centre