A flash of blue

Despite the blissful coolness, I spend the day indoors again, making slow progress with my photo sorting. I also finish reading the latest book Solveig has passed on to me - The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phantom Que Mai. Based on the trials of one family through the horrors inflicted on C20th Vietnam, it’s highly recommended. 

So it’s not until early evening that we head out, taking advantage of Bodnant’s late night Wednesday opening for the first time. It’s glorious; so quiet, we have the gardens almost to ourselves. 

My aim is to photograph trees for Wide Wednesday - and of course, opportunities are abundant. But then, I spot a heron wading through the glade below. The dappled light is gorgeous - if challenging for bird photography - and we just stay watching for some time as he stands statue still, then stalks and pounces on a fish too small for us to see. Suddenly, G spots a kingfisher, flying in across the narrow valley, skimming up and down across the water. I miss all this - I’m focused on the heron - and when I look he’s gone. 

Then, in a flash he lands on a branch leaning out across the stream, momentarily perches, and in the blink of an eye, he’s gone again. For once I have both the right lens - though my 600mm would have been better - and setting, and manage to capture literally a couple of shots before he vanishes. 

He’s not as close as I would like, but I’m so thrilled to have these shots one has to be my main (better large, if you have time) with extras of a heron, some trees - just to show I really was going for Bob’s challenge, and a collage of some flowers from Bodnant’s beautiful herbaceous border.