BIRD NEWS:383

The boat trip was quite exciting this time - with sightings of a female pochard and long tailed tit as well as this little fellow - and fellow it was. The first sighting of the kingfisher was when it flew down just in front of the boat - as the boat approached. I was not wanting to startle it, so did not dive into my bag for my camera. We got up really close before it flew away...

However, as we neared the end of our boat trip, the kingfisher was sighted again - or another one was - and this one landed on the toilet roof, as depicted in my second of today's photos - the first showing where it flew to next, enabling me and other passengers to grab some wonderful shots on our cameras.

It really was quite exciting - firstly to have gotten so close and secondly to have gotten such wonderful photos opportunities. The last 2 trips, I had spotted a kingfisher from the hides and observed thru my noccies - which, alas, I forgot on this 'rush to catch the bus' trip. However, it did give me more opportunity to use the camera - with shots like these not being available every trip!

Of course, it did fly away in the end - but we were near the end of the boat trip anyways - which had taken 30 minutes instead of the usual 20.

Back home and I viewed a few oddities whilst in the kitchen including a starling who landed on the seed feeder and tried to peck out seed through the tube - figured its error and pecked a few from the right hole with extreme difficulty - but when spotting a fellow starling munching fat balls nearby, ignored it and continued to attempt to eat seed. I also saw a tit - but am unsure if it was a willow tit or marsh tit - thought I have finally ruled out a coal tit - as it didn't have a white head patch on its third sighting.