I saw a kingfisher for the first time in England! I didn't even realise that they are resident here, so on Sunday, when I saw one on the river in Piddinghoe late in the afternoon when it was already quite dark, I thought surely I was mistaken? But no, when I followed it to look more carefully, I was indeed convinced that it was a kingfisher. And cursed that I didn't have my long lens with me, especially because I would have been able to get lovely shots of the grey heron to boot! Crumbs.
This morning we went to Piddinghoe again, with the long lens.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVInY0LSTwOxM6X4NY8zBx3vnDdV3EiYASW_fmeF9xvkgrsc-YzoeuBRIPT-3YJhAtzMt0Wjf9oGmp4ob3qFxmkUuKxUN6bUUT53ErNC6PpdWrF8jkrassIBQdaRfZsqV4GiGMkx4ffvB/s320/s_MG_1267.jpg)
And after some frolicking along the river, ...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORMaHw9KTPzMWBgwHvyB2f12EzL-tuc0Aja8MqqrVxFtIPYej71g03Q5IDVcojhKZ20n5rBoYHrmEYumkrB1BOgYT7pauP-MtOTL6ge4VR-hPZ15-jssGP9AiZaYCo4PztDjn7IJwWJWp/s320/s_MG_1276.jpg)
...I saw it again - the kingfisher! I couldn't get close enough to take a proper photo, but here is the evidence anyway.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabZHWLx28cssxmTrCietPCh-H0ay9kyqe18LpFEBSyJGCIG8eLNmRj_3jC6c3uoXNSTgdDtAlmM04sML94miTjB5Ip-FKGHhwx-kB6zOTjl6u1pK4r8zFiZvZh18DCRmc4zMYmpdvwXR2/s320/s_MG_1284.jpg)
Huh?
Well, that's how far I was from it. The above is the full frame taken with 400mm (x camera censor crop factor 1.6). Here is a very small crop from it, just to prove that it IS a kingfisher.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0JYfBRv1Yl3-nAhWWyZNu3aG2CrywvDsKh65qlqQUcRpCgUQ9fTKhPeKvF9oXElQAke5WT-3Lf4JYaCZRXmlCVNcQW6Hs6DkLfNrSTCTrlDqnwK5LfLAtJa-2Y2lUFX2qd6bM7USlAmq/s320/ss_MG_1284.jpg)
...and a few more shockingly poor snaps for further evidence.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWb-vZK1Xt9T2Et0DBdGyCIknAM2U2dIIJxrKM7hkmjWHMT_2VbnHqKpr_c8pJud4fucLkM2AA5yo0LUKvol8pCgErV9f6LTQzNwdH5-hVu3_fPGDDR99eeJSr-hDVerommLsRClq-bk2h/s320/s_MG_1285.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFZjgxBx-RrAkDhNvsAigfmDX66x0bVOjkBtha5VYDTnHfOLalWWzDE0yRPRhyArThapsexXTve_o6gBblEeAscFs3RRZJvdwmydGyLwpM5x5RN2YrlQTZTnq9fPmGbNUv9YoEGKUzX5k/s320/s_MG_1287.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrd9TINPVdsWsoM4p668YGrBpdoLcbIac22skAOifTKfbmo6-rI9QVNdMjPM7SiL0WTjQLdaaIyYue-_qko4ZzwTrlF0SdXsYAWIgvuaIKBugDPUPd6EktANLjvgTJWyAPZcE-ZjWuAaM/s320/s_MG_1288.jpg)
Zebedee met the two working cockers along the river.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcf6X69QEhez0KJMci_KztAlHlZ5k6MTzlZJ5gUQnRchGQmWacZ4-lCIU7Xxcv_gC3cxIqNTfogdPHKxKDAA60C0PY7BlXhS1igKZu-CFMEpjRu8evV03TPVGwDs_BbbccnbNUgTt6t9cr/s320/s_MG_1294.jpg)
By the car next to Piddinghoe Church, a rather irate-looking sparrow.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoP0lEXd6bBbzKWjI2KTeyDDnpIgXZQ6hyqLWSb2jy7Die980GlaZt0WoXsv_sOKsqHoRYf07hDgbUQNRhvp4VAxEQ7eEgJbsMMgEfbZsD2-elkXR8rC24TJabhyq-3xW4oBtmaM46FhKu/s320/s_MG_1301.jpg)
And a cute, little robin.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18DBkjNVb1tfNMzRAjCACRiSnc43klT7TZiygutJnmsht7vNPaVgmZxGtDeRuHbwuoHgFe4_3oiJ0YMBdVmJ_sc68ftjZM2qu6Eu8ZTX33tWYc9pTv6Aa0pukzhOi9ClP6oCLFFYHu7MA/s320/s_MG_1322.jpg)
In the afternoon we went back to Piddinghoe and walked to the little lake and saw grasses basking in the golden afternoon sun.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmKMRY8Qoa7PHX5Psyp232x8krD0fHHY9yrgw0dXG1gFrPJYkzvw9a4PB1uwL4QyrSYWRrgrTBchH_qKwqFQToqYwSsPi7qRkNw3PeONB6-nNjN0cBhVSpqkz6Wv6tXgp63Ghje81ezd8/s320/s_MG_1357.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtUJ5KYk4WACtXRqnf0HUspp-ICw-iOjZEci8v3AWJH8ni8xMviEbCGJ695pWWlbzMOSUsHvUKhWYU9K-gPI9fMYYfLFxerCZ7Q4pQAIfBC_LbNFmOwZe5NRRbLB1Y-YdT9ezPxMGoPWFn/s320/s_MG_1370.jpg)
And saw guess who?
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNoDw2H9v99elTPcE0CdlzbFoEkTReXmfx51HWUt2hxZriRUjhrE7rZG8yOcwjNQ5N_l1VGXXynvPwFF9o3tHN3oBT-GOE5UCvySdJUnYTbQ7Fewte5HZu6iwnXyPD5TJpFdHBHyfkBExU/s320/s_MG_1349.jpg)
Slightly closer this time: on the opposite riverbank, so about 100 m away. Hope I can catch him/her on my side of the river next time!