The year’s first frames were disappointing. I stretched my camera’s zoom too far, resulting in poorly focused photos with a flat, grainy look.
Then there was a tempting glimpse of a kingfisher. (I couldn’t get any closer because there was a canal in the way.)
On my side of the canal, I watched this partially uprooted tree for a long time. Doesn’t it look like something should live under it?
In the end, after miles of aimless driving and four forays through a wind that was colder than I had expected, the day’s best photo was found in a roadside ditch…
Rae Spencer 
A couple of weeks back, i went bird watching and saw a Kingfisher at close quarters thrice, but everytime, it would sense me looking at him and immediately take off, The only passable shots that I got of it were when it was sitting far off at the water’s edge on a rock. They look so beautiful when they fly…it’s like a splash of blue flying past!
I’m jealous of your recent encounter! All three of my kingfisher sightings have been so far away that I wasn’t able to see them clearly, as they flew. I’m really looking forward to my first close-up!
I’ve photographed all of two species so far this year, and none of the photos are worth posting. And I find kingfishers to be notoriously difficult to photograph, even without a canal in the way!
Number seven on my bucket list is “get a good photo of a kingfisher”. For some reason I became attached to them when I was very young, even though I only ever saw them in books. Mother’s bird identification book eventually broke along the spine at the Belted Kingfisher entry, from being forced flat on the table as I traced the sketch over and over again…
Wonderful photographs, Rae. Thanks for braving the cold winds. A belated wish for a Happy New Year. Hope many blessings come your way in 2013 and far beyond.
Thank you!