White-Breasted kingfisher

A White-Breasted kingfisher's brilliantly colourful plumage makes it one of the most beautiful birds around. As a child, I used to stare in complete awe at its extremely fast and accurate dive into water for small fishes. Almost certainly it comes back to its perch with a fish in its beak. The fish is then killed by repeated thrashing against the perch before swallowing head first. A fascinating bird which feeds and nests like no other birds in my village. When I had my small open aquarium in my backyard I was literally feeding many local Kingfishers unknowingly. However the memories are always not pleasant. I still remember one tragic incidence of my neighbour shooting an enormous Stork billed kingfisher with his rifle. Two days later I found the dead bird on the other side of the stream.

After my schooling I spent my life almost completely in cities, long dry periods. Many years later it was photography that enabled me to reconnect with the nature.

I tried to take my first photo of a kingfisher when I visited one of my friends home near Chennai (Madras). This bird was spotted on the way in a large wetland. After few failed attempts to reach this bird I realised how threatening I have become.



After coming back to my home, I decided to patrol the canal where I used to see these birds. Kingfishers are highly territorial. They actively defend a stretch of water, which often extends a couple of kilometers. They prefer vertical sandy banks of rivers, canals and ponds for safe nesting site. The nest is in the form of a tunnel excavated by both male and female. When I took this bird against a clean concrete embankment I did not immediately realise how such simple canal beautification programs could adversely affect these magnificent birds. But on a closer look this kind of development that lacks imagination and environmental awareness, clears the natural vegetation along the canal banks, create grades and even virtually seals it with concrete walls. It is easy to see an impenetrable canal bank makes it impossible for these birds to build a nest and a cleared site does not give any protection from predation.

*One of the solutions is here. This nest box simulates the natural tunnel nest of a Kingfisher and could be easily integrated during the construction of the embankment.

I still had to wait really long to get a decent picture of a White-Breasted kingfisher. Two years later while going to Ranganathittu bird sanctuary I took this picture through the window of my cab.

100-300mm lens at 300mm
f5.6 for 1/250 sec
ISO 400

Back in home when I was trying hard to locate a resident Jungle owlet, this one came like a flying jewel. Probably in search of lizards, it landed far from the nearest stream but very close to me. Just 3 clicks and I was spotted.



100-300mm lens at 300mm
f5.6 for 1/250 sec
ISO 400

Till now, I took all the Kingfisher pictures by chance. But early in this year I saw a kingfisher flying across my backyard. I decided to have a try. To my delight it landed on our compound wall, very close to a thick bush. I took my camera, covered myself with a handmade poncho and then crawled few meters to reach the bush. Stood up slowly, located the bird through my view finder and clicked one of my all time favorite pictures.

100-300mm lens at 300mm
f5.6 for 1/250 sec
ISO 400

* Further reading

Distribution of White-Breasted kingfisher

http://www.schwegler-nature.com/BirdCare/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Kingfisher

http://www.alanaecology.com/acatalog/Kingfisher_Sand_Martin_Nesting_Tunnel.html

Asian Paradise-flycatcher

In the shadow of a large Cinnamon tree, I placed my hide temporarily and waited for anything with feathers. This clueless Rufous Paradise Flycatcher male came to me, closer than what I expected. For my 100-300 mm lens, I had to recompose diagonally to accommodate his long streamers.




I always wondered how it flies with such long tail feathers and often awe struck when I think about how it catches its prey on the fly, while negotiating effortlessly among numerous interlacing branches. Looking at this picture now, I realized I've had a couple of pictures of the same bird, taken few days before. After I retrieved those less detailed pictures shot from a distance, I sensed an opportunity to portray this magnificent bird's flight path. I downloaded Photomatix trial version and blended two hand held exposures to get this picture.

The bird perching on that small branch is blended twice. The "shadow" diving bird to the left shows how it could launch from its upright position clearing its long tail like in a Fosbury flop.



Distribution of Asian Paradise-flycatcher

Greater Flameback

While planning our trip to Eravikulam National Park, my wife and I were invited to stay at one of her relatives' farm house. It was a quite place, not far from Munnar town. This beautiful house was constructed on top of a small hill. The plan was to stay there for 3~4 days. But then a sudden heavy rain robbed our trip off a couple of days. When we finally reached, I noticed the damaged window frames of this relatively new house. The estate manager gave an explanation, a resident woodpecker caused the mischief. Woodpeckers could be territorial. In this case, offended by its own reflection on the window panes, it would drum the wooden frame vigorously for hours in an effort to beat its "rival". He then revealed his earlier plan of electrocuting this beautiful bird. However my wife's uncle, the owner of the farmhouse and a conservator himself, never approved that idea.

Watching those windows, I assumed the bird used to land on the middle horizontal wooden frame and worked upward in typical woodpecker style. It was intriguing that this bird chiseled only on the right side vertical frames!!

Even though I could not think of any safe *solution to discourage the bird, the prospect of watching it so close was exciting. We quickly finished our breakfast and waited inside the room. Around half an hour later this bird came landing on this damp coconut tree just outside the window. Hiding behind the curtain, I opened one of the windows quietly to take this picture.




100-300mm lens at 100mm
f5.6 for 1/125 sec
ISO 400

*further reading
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/wldlf2/L866.pdf

Rufous Woodpecker

I was sitting in my home made bird hide watching a group of Jungle Babblers, then a more rufous bird from the hunting party flew to the other side a small canal. It disappeared behind this rotten tree stump. It was evening and there were more shadows than light. I decided to wait for sometime. In fact I was by its movement towards my side. Finally this bird emerged from shadow, climbed up to this well lit spot and quickly started drilling for its favorite food.

I clicked few shots in a failed attempt to freeze the action, but had to satisfy with this picture when it took a break..