Fisherman

Cathy and I had promised ourselves a trip out for a walk and some lunch today, as the forecast promised that it would be dry.  We had a very pleasant walk along the canal to the Cross Guns at Avoncliffe where I enjoyed a pie and a pint of beer.  I don't think I've had a pint of beer in a pub for months now, so it was quite the novelty.  We followed that up with a further walk and some well deserved coffee and cake.    

Lest it sound as though I've done nothing all day except eat and drink I would like to point out that there was at least a little walking in between the various stops!  There was plenty of interesting birdlife to see too, including a heron that seemed so unafraid of people that I nearly stepped on it while not looking where I was going.  Fortunately Cathy pointed it out and I didn't end up finding out what a heron's peck was like (bloody painful I suspect).  

The light was quite poor so I'd reduced the shutter speed for the heron when we then came across some Jays.  Stupidly I'd not changed the shutter speed back which is unusual for me nowadays, but as a result I fluffed the shot of the Jays in flight.  I have them but they are hopelessly blurred.  Still it was all made up for by the discovery of this male kingfisher who held still long enough for me to compose a shot with a nice plain background behind him.  Inevitably there is greater plumage detail in large if that interests you.

On a slightly different note, I think that its a year ago today since my first visit to the RSPB Ham Wall nature reserve, when I started to realise that I really enjoy taking pictures of birds in the wild.  The focus of my photography has changed as a result, when I look back at my Blip entries now, so many of them are birds. I dare say that I will widen my subject matter again in due course, but I'm so far from being bored with it that I positively look forward to going out with the camera every day now.