Domestic Drama

While we were waiting for the kingfishers to appear, a domestic drama of the feathered variety unfolded in front of us.

A grebe was nesting

A heron was fishing

The heron got a bit closer than the grebe was comfortable with, so she gave a bit of a warning, which the heron completely ignored. The coot didn't get involved.

The heron was acting completely oblivious to the grebe.

Then things got more intense.

... he's bigger than I thought

The heron climbed onto the nest and poked around.

... a little help?

The grebe had finally convinced the heron that its presence was unwanted...

... when its mate arrived to give back up.

A few repairs to the nest where the heron had stomped all over it,

a change of shift,

and the disgruntled grebe was able to get off the nest and have a bath.

Kingfishers

Last week Paul went for a walk without me, and got a really great picture of a kingfisher from the aptly-named kingfisher hide in the Aquadrome. Today he told me to be patient. And we were definitely rewarded. The kingfisher on the left has a fish in its mouth, which it kept for ages before flying towards their nest. The one on the right plunged off the branch a couple of times, obviously still fishing.