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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The Blue-eared fledged

12th March 2010
I won't say that I didn't purposely went into hibernation waiting for my luck to change but I was really below par after that dinner. So the body needed the rest.
Been few days down and time to be out.
This time arriving on the spot beside the T junction for the Blue-eared once more. The materials I used for seating and waiting in my last visit were all intact. Could see that the place did not attract much visitor nor fisherman. Of course for the day, no more hindrances and no more excuses for not getting my pictures. Settled down and waited one hour. Again no show.
A White-throated came to occupy that perch. Even made a couple of dives into the river, right in front of my eyes. Yet, no Blue-eared!
Would the larger Kingfisher had taken over its tuft? Very likely, but still I should wait for a while. The break came when I saw a dark brown shadow of a small bird that darted across the T junction skimming over the water surface towards the Bamboo clump upstream. So the bird was around and possibly up in the Bamboo clump again.

Squatting and crawling with my hide over me and camera, low profile eh! I approached that clump of Bamboo. Couldn't see much but shadows of 2 birds making exchanges. Shoot first, through the network of twigs, sorry nothing of quality came out.

Then one bird off, leaving behind this. On closer look -  a fledgling!

 Yes, the Blue-eared's chick fledged! Stood exposed unable to move very much but quietly chirping away. I was too close for comfort. Both parent came. Exposed themselves to me in a brave attempt to lure my attention away.


This picture is typical of the result I get from the hazard I faced. Putting the camera on manual focus I still could not make much out of the scene.

This day, I accidentally stumbled into the fledgling and I could not capitalize on the situation. I am happy that I was given the opportunity, time to leave the family alone. Now that one nesting is over, I cannot say whether the Blue-eared would continue spending that much of time in that favorite perch.

3 comments:

  1. There's always a surprise beyond the corner for us to experience, that's the thing about birding. I saw the parents but you were lucky to have seen all three.

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  2. Hey Kawan! big thanks for giving to me that opportunity!

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  3. Would like to add the bird/s to the album soon!

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