Fisher King

I've put up three shots of the kingfisher taken earlier today in the bright Spring sunshine.  To be honest, the sunshine was a bit too bright and produced quite a lot of harsh contrast which didn't really favour this subject, but it was so nice to be out in the warmth for a change that I couldn't resist the opportunity to go on a kingfisher safari.

I saw him dive a couple of times but didn't manage to keep the lens on the bird all the way down to the water - more practice (and a bit of luck) is definitely required.  The main is a shot of the start of the dive, and the next is a few frames further in, although by now the lighting conditions mean that the bird's head is in more shadow than I would like and the background is still very busy . 

The last extra is a nice clear shot of the bird sitting on a branch, with a quiet background, taken just before it decided to clear off for the day.  The arrival of a couple of Mums and their  children who began to wade into the river fully dressed and splash each other (the kids that is, not the Mums) being too much for the bird.  There must have been an inset day at School or something as the boys were somewhere between 7 and 9 and enjoying every bit of the Spring warmth.  I think the Mums might have preferred it if they had taken their shoes and socks off first though, before going in up to their thighs. :-)