A good morning for birds

With a free morning - and no rain - I went out for an early walk in Endcliffe park. There are regularly kingfishers to be seen on the ponds there.
I'm not particularly quick at spotting these tiny birds, despite their vibrant colours. So I was grateful to a passing runner at the Shepherd Wheel pond, who saw the bird returning to the pond's edge when I was just about to give up and walk away.
And then there was the wonderful treat of seeing the bird perch on some nearby twigs for a short time (main shot). I had a go at some flight shots too, but these were further away and right in amongst the dark vegetation (extra).  So the results weren't very good, but it was fun trying. 
On my way back, I met two men with cameras, looking for the kingfisher. We exchanged bits of info; they had just been taking photos of another bird celebrity in the city - the tawny owl at Crosspool, who can be found in a favourite tree near a busy road. So I popped up there on the way home (second extra).  He/she was well tucked into a large hole, high in the tree, beautifully camouflaged and having a morning doze.
In other news, it seems that the (anti)Democratic Unionist Party in N Ireland may finally have climbed out of the hole it has dug for itself, and agreed to a way for the NI Assembly to reconvene.  Another of the Brexit benefits, that particular mess. If the agreement that was reported this morning actually works, then people in public services in NI may finally get the pay rises that are something like 2 years overdue (because proper budget-setting has not been possible while the DUP has been playing destructive games). 
Richard is due home tonight from NI, perhaps with some insights into it all.