Bird sighting: White throated Kingfisher

Recently I had the opportunity to photograph this Kingfisher bird in close proximity. Although the kingfisher birds are a plenty here, it is very hard to get a good shot of photograph of them. In fact our neighborhood hosts a good number of different types of birds.I have seen many varieties that are normally considered very rare to sight and that too in abundant quantities. But all of them are either perched in the electric lines far away or always on a flight mode making it difficult to shoot without a zooming lens.So imagine the joy I felt when I saw this Kingfisher perched in my neighbor's parapet looking at a possible prey in the ground.

He sat there for a long time as if waiting for me to run to my camera and try a good shot of him. I would have had a better angle from the far end of my compound but I was hesitant to go there and make it a chance for him to take off. This much proximity is in itself very rare to come by.

How much ever I tried I could not spot what exactly he was aiming to prey on. After several moments he took the plunge to the ground to perch on a dry leaf mound that was gathered nearby. Maybe the prey escaped or it was not up to his standard,he left it and took off to the sky and sat on the electric wire line just above our terrace. This is the maximum justice I could do on taking a snap from where I was standing.

Here is a tidbit. These kingfishers belong to the category that are found only in India and the nearby countries.They are called White-throated Kingfishers owing to the distinct whitish patch near its neck and are very different from their counterparts found in the western countries. Its feathers are colorful with at least two shades of blue.The exuberant feathers are in full display when they take off and it is a sight to be cherished. You can read more about it here.

It was one of my wishes to photograph the birds in my neighborhood and I used to try whenever I see them frolicking around. So all in all a good day for me in the garden.