Borrowing DaveH's Kingfisher

Though I think, going back a few years, he borrowed it off me at one point. Or likely a relative of this one at any rate.

I thought my chance had passed. Did a pseudo-commute pottering along the Water of Leith today. Stopped at a bit I've gone to before with a friend, as we've thought it would be great for a Kingfisher, and we've never, not once, seen one there. So I was taking some long exposure water shots and just packing up when I notice the blue. Timed to perfection with a dog walker and a cyclist going past and spooking the wee colourful exocet.

I pottered back and forth along a half mile or so stretch, just about to leave for a little task for my father in law, when there it was, the King, further away than DaveH got a shot from a couple of days ago, but gorgeous all the same. This is right at the end of my 500mm lens - was tempted to crop, but I like the branches and the colour contrast.

(not whinged for a while, still no iPad app? And the thumbnail crop doesn't work in Safari. I have, however, added a plug-in to Firefox (which I'm using so I can choose the crop) developed by someone here, whose entry I must pop back to, which gives me a rather pleasant grey background to everything to set off the photos). Now, if only the slight lightening and colour desaturation I'm getting on entries could be dealt with....)