Sacred Kingfishers on the Werribee River Park. 12 October 2017

There are billions of photographs out there. The world in no way 
needs more mediocre images. 
What the world does need is more passionate photographs, 
images that begin life conceived by the eyes, 
but expressed through the lens by the heart. 
If you are going to create better photographs, 
begin with things you care about deeply. : David DuChemin

You are Welcome Here.

“It’s a Sacred Kingfisher,” Mr An Onymous called. To no one in particular, and those around him just looked and nodded hoping that was the end of the outburst.

“Pee-p, Pee-p, Pee-p, Pee-p”.  It is a Sacred Kingfisher says Mr A.  But quietly, to himself.

He dropped me a note and I was glad of the info.  We’d been talking of their return the past few weeks.

I told EE.  She put on her skates and was ready to go.   Those who follow her Flickr posts will be well aware of the time, energy and effort that she put into the pair the past season. It is, “Something she cares deeply about”. And being passionate, as David DuChemin is wont to remind, “Photographing those things you are passionate about tells me several things. It shows me more of you. It shows me more of the thing you love. And it makes better photographs.”

So we went.  Now the access road to the “Office”—Werribee River Park— for new readers, has been closed these last six weeks or so.  The road was ripped up by hoons and 4wds when it was wet, and the road had become nigh on impassable for normal vehicles.  Think Sir Perceval—i20— for new readers. But a check the day before had shown Parks Vic had sent in the heavy duty toys and the road had been re-graded, and surfaced and was a version of Dorothy’s Yellow Brick Road, for all the Wizard of Oz fans. So donning our “Ruby Slippers” —or Silver ones if you’ve read the book— we set off in search of Oz, or Sacred Kingfishers if they turned up first.

As they had only arrived in the last few days, it was most unlikely that they were nesting already.  A search of the usual places however drew a blank. Not even the wicked witch of the west was spotted.
Then. Way down the River.  Pee-p Pee-p Pee-p Pee-p.  There cried EE to no one in particular, but I got the message anyway.
So, ruby slippers flying in the breeze, we went to investigate.

Didn’t take too long to find, and they were extremely busy. Flying back and forth along the River.  I guess when you’ve travelled several hundred kilometres to get here a few more metres up or down the place is not going to count much.

What we also noted was they were already checking out some hollows in the trees on the bank.  So they are pretty keen to make a start on the next crop of Kingfishers it seems.  Time will tell.

Of course such busy little birds didn’t have time to deal with the human element and they pretty well stood off as far as they could.  But, we did manage to enjoy their company and their intense work at the job in hand.

Enjoy

Don’t ask how that bird is going to fit in that tiny hole.

See

Not impressed I don’t think. Probably no wide screen tv?

The brilliant colours are enhanced in the evening light

Further discussion is needed on the best options.

Another site in sight.  I was going to focus stack the front bird, but thought better of it.

House hunting is hard work, so its time to top up the good lady with some local tucker.