August has proved to be a quiet month for my photography, mainly due to holidays, but last week, a friend had arranged to visit Tom Robinson's hides near Bourne in Lincolnshire so I decided to join him. Getting there for 7.00am was a shock to the system, especially finding that the bridge at Stamford was closed and the diversion took my nearly 30 miles out of my way. Still, I arrived with my friend and another couple of photgraphers already there as well.

Only one Kingfisher showed, a rather scruffy male. Apparently, it was keeping the female and this years fledgelings away. Still, it made several visits and the sun was shining - what could go wrong!!!

Well, a couple of days before, I had upgraded the firmware on my Canon R5 MK2, like and idiot, did not check it, and it had reverted the whole software to factory settings - no back button focussing, eye focussing etc. So I struggled with it, missing several chances of diving and emerging from the water but still managed some shots in focus.

Mid afternoon, we moved on to the hide for Brown Hares, in nearby Rutland and just at the end of the runway for RAF Cottesmore (now unused). Good hides, but the only problem was - no Hares!!! Evenyually, one appeared  and came close enough for a distance shot.

Very frustrating as, in a distant field, we counted 11 Hares feeding and when we left the hide to leave, near dusk, several more suddenly ran from the within the grass etc. in front of the hide.

Such is wildlife photography!!!