Common Kingfisher
I have been trying to get a good photograph of common kingfisher for many years now. They are relatively friendly birds and do not have the tendency to fly away and find a perch hundred kilometers away from the nearest photographer. But despite the name, they are not exactly very common. And when sighted, they are usually found sitting in a location not easily accessible. They like to sit on low-hanging branches right above the water or on small plants that spring up in the middle of shallow waters.
I managed to find a friendly fellow willing to pose for me when I was in Bharatpur last month. This one was sitting on a branch next to a culvert, hardly a meter’s distance from the edge of the road. It was his favourite perch – he used to sit there every single day and meditate on the fish that swam in the waters below. Since he was always there and was right next to the road frequented by tourists coming to the park, he had become a mini-celebrity. Celebrities tend to get used to the camera, and he was no exception. He let me come as close as the minimum focusing distance of my lens and allowed me to fill his big, beautiful and colourful image in the frame. It is a pity he was sitting in poor light under the shadow of thick branches right above him, while the waters behind him reflected the white skies. But I shall not complain much. Here he is –
