Coot and chick

It was a big rush this morning to get Xena walked and for me to be in Horsham by 10am, where I was meeting two members of my camera club at the Warnham Nature Reserve. I have never been there before and it is a fantastic place with several very good hides and is well laid out. The plan was to photograph kingfishers but of course with wildlife photography things don't always go according to plan. If you want guaranteed images of kingfishers you need to go to one of those places that bait them and I am against that, so it is hit and miss whether you see them or not in the wild like this.

We did see a kingfisher across the water on the far bank and watched him fishing, but he was too far away to get any decent shots. I saw a grebe catch the biggest fish possible and then struggle as it tried to swallow it, it was proving very challenging. At the hides away from the water I saw baby robins (in extras), greenfinch, bullfinch, song thrush, all sorts of tits - and of course squirrels and a rat. So sadly no photos of a kingfisher but one of this coot feeding her chick - they eat aquatic grasses.

I was back home by lunchtime, and after lunch I walked Xena again as she had a rushed walk this morning. My new squirrel proof feeders arrived and I filled those up and so far they do seem to be squirrel proof as I have a couple of other feeders that are not squirrel proof and the squirrels were all over those but left the new ones. 

In extras I have a photo of Tommy and Inca at the Trinity ball they went to on Monday night. I bought a digital copy of this photo for them, I cannot believe what the photographer charges these students for photos.

In other news, Luke finishes his chartered accountant three year training contract soon and so has started looking for other jobs as he wants to move on as is the norm once you qualify. He was in the fortunate position of having two brilliant offers from two equally good companies and had to decide between them which was tricky. He has now made his decision and has resigned, and will be starting his new job in September.