A blue twitch in the shadow of an overhanging bush directly near the path along the water. A Shining Blue Kingfisher (Alcedo quadribrachys) has established a perch just on a quite busy trail on an overhanging branch. The Shining Blue Kingfisher sits just 1m above water level – ie at eye level for us. A perfect photographic situation. The beautiful bird is sitting in a distance of not more than 8 meters in front of us. From time to time the head makes a jerky upward movement. The neck gets longer. Sometimes the angle of the downward bill is slightly changed. The bird’s tail, which is also blue, twitches irregularly. We admire the kingfisher for a while. Eventually, the Shining Blue Kingfisher begins to shrug his wings excitedly and raise them high above his center of gravity. The time of the booty kick is obviously imminent. Maybe he has already spotted his potential prey. In the perspective we are on the narrow path at this extensive waterhole, we cannot see any fish in the water. The water is too murky for that. The Shining Blue Kingfisher is so busy that he does not even perceive us as a threat – which in deed we are not. Finally, the Shining Blue Kingfisher leaves down from his vantage point, dives steeply into the water and jumps out of the water between the splashing water column. Unfortunately without a catch. The Shining Blue Kingfisher feeds mainly on fish but also aquatic insect larvae and small crabs. So this time in vain.
To cope with the growing demand for top shots of the rarer species of the Palearctic Bird-Lens is keen to enrich the range of pictures of birds not only in the western Palearctic. Trips to remote places like this one to capture images were very successful. The nice image of the blog is only a first impression, what you will find in the gallery in the “Picture Shop” very soon. Just give bird-lens.com a message, if www.bird-lens.com could serve you with an image needed before the new pictures are online.