White-throated Kingfisher

In Bukit Batok Nature Park this morning, I heard several different types of bird calls and bird songs. Alas I did not get to see them for there was abundance of foliage for them to hide amongst. However, I managed to spot two of these White-throated kingfishers fighting for territorial rights to perch on this branch of a fallen tree in the middle of the pond. The loser had to exile to a tree beyond the reach of my camera lens. I think someday, I would like to invest in a good lens for my DSLR so that what I record of the birds I see would be a whole lot clearer than what I have here with my Canon Powershot.

Not long ago at the Hortpark, I caught sight of this White-throated Kingfisher perched on a fence. It made a swoop for something on the ground and then flew a short distance away.

After a while I realised that it had caught a skink. So our kingfishers have quite a varied diet.

Birds spotted along the beach at Changi

Changi Village is a place I would like to retire in. In a far corner of Singapore it is still very "kampong" in appeal and it's nearness to Pulau Ubin which is just a two-dollar boat ride away is the added attractiveness for me. While spending a few hours there walking along the coastal boardwalk I came across these birds. Their presence indicate that despite Changi Village's proximity to the Changi International Airport, migratory birds or perhaps birds that have decided to take on the status of permanent residents here can still be seen going about their daily lives.

Birds that I saw this week

There was no time to adjust the camera settings nor could I move closer to the bird or change my position to get a better shot. So the best I could get was a silhoutte of a green-coloured parakeet perched high on a twig above me at the Hortpark.

At the Singapore Botanical Garden I had the luxury of sitting on a bench amidst the lush greenery of my surroundings. A Spotted Dove came by and did nothing but pecked at the ground incessantly making it difficult for me to focus and especially so when I was trying out the manual adjustments of my Canon SX210IS Then something made me look up and then I spotted this jewel amongst the mesh of branches of this tree. It was a colourful and wary Stork-billed Kingfisher and seconds after I pointed my camera at it, this suspicious bird took flight.

Kingfisher

When was the last time I saw kingfishers? A long time ago so much so that I have forgotten about the excitement of seeing flashes of electric blue streaking at low levels from tree to tree cleverly keeping a distance from me. This time my friend pointed them out to me and I was lucky to have my 250 zoom lens with me. The birds (a pair) were there and the camera was in my hands. Alas, I had no time to to do the camera settings being afraid that these suspicious birds would not stay long enough for me to twiddle with the dials. I did not get great shots of this pair of kingfishers. I should learn to be more patient and have more faith that these birds are not really in much of a hurry to leave. Hmm, maybe I should get a 300mm zoom.

"Jack Sprat could eat no fat
His wife could eat no lean
Between the two of them
they left the platter clean"
A nursery rhyme that stuck in my head and was recalled when I noticed that this pair of kingfishers match the description in the rhyme.

A bird circled the sky above. It must have been busy looking for building materials for its new nest.

Kingfisher and caged birds

Brother I am free.
The sky is my roof.
The air warms my feathers.I am free. Here are my pampered brothers in a blue cage
surrounded by curious humans.
Ironically blue is not their sky but their prison.