Two Kingfishers

The signs of Spring, though technically Summer, are well and truly underway.

For the last weeks, threats and fall of snow and ice have been keeping nature's blossoms at a slow pace, holding the burst of leave and colour.
You could see it as you're walking along if you cared to look. The tiny, tiny buds at the ends of stems and sticks. The great chestnut trees I feel for, their buds are not so small, yet you could see the swelling at the sticky bulb, almost feel the anxiety of the tree - waiting !

The Rye river below the house, swollen most of it's time due to the rain, was lowered and calm. Tadhg and I slowly wandering down for our own little break from the house, OK, my break, his adventure - he is 5yrs old after all. He's all questions and chat, bring him to the bridge, he wants to go to the village. Bring him to the village, it's only a short journey, one of the many great things about living in Leixlip.

Returning, and as we're walking, a flash to my right. Two kingfishers in aerial dual as they sped along the river. The first flash caught my eye, I twisted back to see the pair fly. A reminder of how alike the military jets doing manoeuvres in the Scottish highlands the two birds appear. Flitting left and right, bursts of speed, the dazzle of colour changing as angles of sight and light changes with their rotations and banking.
Incredible patience will be needed to get their image. Every year I promise I'll track them to a perch and photograph them. But then again, if I don't - I'll still have the pleasure of having seen them each year since I moved here. Long may the dream of the photograph or just the sighting keep the summers pleasant.

I wish them well. Not a dogfight in my mind, more an amorous chase - after all - Winter is over !