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This was taken this morning from the small bridge over The Division Rhyne south of Godney. Normally these fields would be full of cattle in summer. The River Brue was overflowing between Glastonbury and Meare with water cascading across the road along a one mile stretch.
The photo below is the same view from the same spot taken in January when you might expect flooding, but at that time we had a drought.
Dragonfly numbers are dwindling at Westhay. There are still plenty of Common Darters to be seen and just a few Migrant Hawkers.
Eye level eye contact with White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis).
White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis), also known as white-breasted kingfisher or Smyrna kingfisher.
The white-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) also known as the white-breasted kingfisher or Smyrna kingfisher, is a tree kingfisher, widely distributed in Eurasia from Bulgaria, Turkey, West Asia east through the Indian subcontinent to the Philippines. This kingfisher is a resident over much of its range, although some populations may make short distance movements. It can often be found well away from water where it feeds on a wide range of prey that includes small reptiles, amphibians, crabs, small rodents and even birds. During the breeding season they call loudly in the mornings from prominent perches including the tops of buildings in urban areas or on wires.
Description
This is a large kingfisher, 28 cm in length. The adult has a bright blue back, wings and tail. Its head, shoulders, flanks and lower belly are chestnut, and the throat and breast are white. The large bill and legs are bright red. The flight of the white-throated kingfisher is rapid and direct, the short rounded wings whirring. In flight, large white patches are visible on the blue and black wings. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are a duller version of the adult.
This species forms a superspecies with Halcyon cyanoventris and most major works recognize four geographic races. They vary clinally in size, the shades of blue on the mantle which is more greenish in smyrnensis and fusca and more blue or purplish in saturatior.
- Smyrnensis (Linnaeus, 1758) is found in Turkey, Northern and Central Israel, Egypt, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, northwestern India, China, Taiwan and the Philippines, south of Thailand, West Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra and Java.
- Fusca (Boddaert, 1783) is found in India, Sri Lanka, South China, Taiwan, Sumatra and West Java. Population from Burma to the Greater Sundas were treated under the name perpulchra but are now lumped into fusca. South China and Taiwanese populations are sometimes treated as subspecies fokiensis.
- Saturatior Hume, 1874 is found in the Andaman Islands.
- Gularis (Kuhl, 1820) is found in the Philippines.
H. s. gularis of the Philippines has only the neck and throat white. It is sometimes treated as a distinct species, H. gularis. Race fusca is found in Peninsular India and Sri Lanka and is slightly smaller, bluer and with a darker brown underside than the nominate race found in northwestern India. Race saturatior is found in the Andaman Islands and is larger with darker brown underparts. Race perpulchra (not always recognized) is found in northeastern India and is smaller than fusca with paler underparts. Albinism has been noted on occasion.
The English of white-throated was introduced since the range is large and geographic adjectives would make the name too restrictive, while the older name of white-breasted would not describe the eastern race which has only the throat white.
The call of this kingfisher is a chuckling chake-ake-ake-ake-ake. They are particularly noisy in the breeding season.
Local names include Baluchistan: aspi chidok; Sindhi: dalel; Hindi: kilkila, kourilla; Himachal Pradesh: neela machhrala; Punjabi: wadda machhera; Bengali: sandabuk machhranga; Assamese: masroka; Cachar: dao natu gophu; Gujarati: kalkaliyo, safedchati kalkaliyo; Marathi: khandya; Tamil: vichuli; Telugu: lakmuka, buchegadu; Malayalam: ponman; Kannada: rajamatsi; Sinhalese: pilihuduwa.
Habitat and distribution
White-throated kingfisher is a common species of a variety of habitats, mostly open country in the plains (but has been seen at 7500 ft in the Himalayas) with trees, wires or other perches. The range of the species is expanding.
This kingfisher is widespread and populations are not threatened. Average density of 4.58 individuals per km2. has been noted in the Sundarbans mangroves.
Behaviour and ecology
Feeding and diet
It perches conspicuously on wires or other exposed perches within its territory, and is a frequent sight in south Asia. This species mainly hunts large crustaceans, insects, earthworms, rodents, snakes, fish and frogs. Predation of small birds such as the Oriental white-eye, chick of a red-wattled lapwing, sparrows and munias have been reported. The young are fed mostly on invertebrates. In captivity, it has been noted that it rarely drinks water although bathing regularly.
Breeding
The white-throated kingfisher begins breeding at the onset of the Monsoons. Males perch on prominent high posts in their territory an call in the early morning. The tail may be flicked now and in its courtship display the wings are stiffly flicked open for a second or two exposing the white wing mirrors. They also raise their bill high and display the white throat and front. The female in invitation makes a rapid and prolonged kit-kit-kit... call. The nest is a tunnel (50 cms long, but a nest with a 3 foot tunnel has been noted) in an earth bank. The nest building begins with both birds flying into a suitable mud wall until an indentation is made where they can find a perch hold. They subsequently perch and continue digging the nest with their bills. Nest tunnels in a haystack have also been recorded. A single clutch of 4-7 round white eggs is typical. The eggs take 20–22 days to hatch while the chicks fledge in 19 days.
Movements
Birds have sometimes been seen attracted to lights at night, especially during the monsoon season, suggesting that they are partly migratory.
Mortality
With a powerful bill and rapid flight, these kingfishers have few predators when healthy and rare cases of predation by a black kite and a jungle crow may be of sick or injured birds. An individual found dead with its beak embedded into the wood of a tree has been suggested as an accident during rapid pursuit of prey, possibly an Oriental white-eye. A few parasites have been noted.
In the 1800s these birds were hunted for their bright feathers that were used to adorn hats.
[Credit: en.wikipedia.org/]
Ogni gesto lascia un'impronta che evoca una storia. La fotografia lo testimonia e ne conserva la memoria, talvolta mentendo, talvolta dicendo la verità. Chi vede, distingue. Quelle che si scorgono sono le tracce di alcuni attraversamenti. I luoghi sono quasi sempre quelli dell'abbandono e delle rovine: un modo, come altri, di pensare il tempo. Dietro l'apparenza di ciascuna immagine, c'è un soggetto invisibile. E' il protagonista, o meglio, sono i protagonisti di infinite piccole storie. Non solo personali.
L.Amaduzzi
Level C of the Frost is the booky section of the library, a place where you can still browse. I was looking for a book on chancery hand, which I never did find, so I have reprojected the stacks into Mercator for ease of navigation. The shelving down here is both Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress, but latitude and longitude might work better.
Uns dels edificis més alts de la City of London. A la planta 42, tot pujant amb un ascensor exclusiu, hi ha un bar amb parets de vidre i unes vistes impressionants. El preu de les consumicions també és impressionant.
Level 42
Uno de los edificios más altos de la City of London. En la planta 42, a la cual se accede mediante un ascensor exclusivo, hay un bar con paredes de vidrio y unas vistas impresionantes. El precio de las consumiciones también es impresionante.
Level 42
One of the tallest buidings in the City of London. You can take a direct lift up to the 42th floor. There is an amazing bar with glass walls and awesome views. The prices are also awesome.
4L56 13.19 Trafford Park Euro Terminal to London Gateway (Thames Haven) started running this week. Although the northbound train this morning had a full load of boxes on board, 4L56 was all fresh air. Here it is powering across the Warwickshire Moor behind DB Schenker Class 66 no. 66001.
24th September 2013
Looks better pressing L
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Limerick to Foynes Railway Line - MP Limerick 9 3/4.
Level Crossing (XF29) at Kilgobbin Halt, Limerick 12th May 2014, looking downline.
A Classic autumn view of Somerset Levels. It is common to find mist on the Levels after a cold, clear night during spring and autumn. As the sun rises in the morning layers of mist start fleeting across the plains towards the coast.
I decided to go with a b&w approach this time as the color version was a bit too yellow. Also b&w improved the visibility slightly making the mansion in the foreground appear clearer.
Thanks for views & comments.
After a long dry spell that stretched since early summer, the streams are back. Sheep Shearer Brook has settled to a steady flow, gathering power from the surrounding forest and heading in a hurry to the sea. It's a good thing they're beautiful, because I miss the ease of walking up on dry ground, skipping over tiny trickles and wet rocks underfoot. Now it's harder making my way, and crossing between banks is a rarer proposition. The woods are really looking bare now, in the low quarters where leaves were already sporadic sights. The forest floor has a fresh bed of what's fallen; quiet eddies crowded with what currents sift their way. It's a rush I don't mind wanting – a high as true to life as the level-headed lows. Sharp breeze in the rushing hollow, soft warmth in what's left of the light.
October 21, 2022
Mount Hanley, Nova Scotia
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We finally turned Ava’s car seat to face the front that day and tested Evan to see if he was tall enough to ditch the booster seat. Spoiler alert: he was not quite tall enough. He was very very close, but he couldn’t quite sit all the way back and still have his feet flat on the floor. We ended up trading the high-backed booster for the smaller one for now, so at least there was a little sense of progress made.