View allAll Photos Tagged SACRED
Sacred Kingfisher
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On a near 40c day, in a very oppressive forest wtih little relief from the heat, which is captured under the tree canopy, this Kiingfisher was panting and trying to find some cooler shady spot to rest.
With a name like Kingfisher, you'd think they might spend time in the water.
Sacred Kingfisher eats mostly a wide variety of invertebrates they only occassionally take very small fish, or frogs.
Sacred Kingfisher
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One of a pair that in between keeping well fed, were looking for a suitable nesting site.
© 2023 Mike McCall
_Sacred Heart Church_
McIntyre, Wilkinson County, Georgia USA
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Sacred Kingfisher with a very small fish from the Sandy Camp Road Wetlands. This went straight to its brood in a termite-mound nest nearby.
Sevilla city is all about history of Spain and also its about deep Christian faith.
Recently I have been spent some family holidays in this beautiful and mesmerizing city and fortunately I was able to put in images a little piece of its charm. This is a good exaple of it.
Sacred
Depeche Mode [Music For The Masses]
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNXSHrhJekU
All of the photos were taken respectfully and for artistic purposes only.
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Navajo Mountain is on the skyline to the left side of the image. According to Navajo oral traditions, Navajo Mountain and Rainbow Bridge are integral parts of the creation story cycle.
After forming the six most sacred mountains–Mount Taylor, Blanca Peak, San Francisco Peaks, Hesperus Peak, Gobernador Knob and Huerfano Mountain–the First People created several more important peaks.
Although Navajo Mountain isn’t one of the six most sacred mountains, the peak does carry such significance that traditional Navajos still refuse to climb the mountain above the lower elevations.
Traditional Navajos believe these mountains and their spirits can help cure the sick, protect the people and bring rain.
Prints available at mckendrickphotography.com
Sacred Kingfisher
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Remember the skink tail from a previous post?
Well here's a skink without a tail to go with it.
This is about a week later, so no inference it's the same skink.
Sacred Kingfisher
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Having snatched a Cicada from the side of a tree, it was now time to prepare it.
The Cicada had other ideas.
Sacred Kingfisher
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Although you can't hear him he is announcing the first of about 6 weeks worth of photos with this nesting pair.
Hope you like Sacreds.
Sacred Kingfisher
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At the insistent call of the parent, the young one instinctively turned its head skyward and slimmed its body down as the Sparrowhawk passed overheard
Torii gates are erected at the entrances to Shinto shrine to symbolize that the ground inside is sacred. As you know, Fushimi Inari Shrine situated in Kyoto, an ancient capital of Japan, is extremely famous for its thousands of red-lacquered torii gates.
I searched for the similar location in Tokyo and finally reached to Sannou Inari Shrine in Chiyoda-ku, where I could enjoy a scenery of torii gates like that of the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto.
It is unbelievable that such a mysterious shrine is located in the heart of Tokyo. The Diet Building and Prime Minister's Official Residence are within a few minutes of the shrine.
Thank you all for your support and much appreciated favs and positive comments!
Sacred Kingfisher
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This one shows both birds have their protective eye cover in action during the exhange.
The cover is known as a nictitating membrane, it is translucent and slides across the eyeball and lubricates the eye, preventing dirt particles from entering.
Sacred Kingfisher
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With the young settled down, he went very slim and began to point skyward and sat very still. No doubt harder to spot.
He had also moved closer to a branch where I was standing, perhaps to blend with the overhanging leaves.
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Sacred Kingfisher
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We had high hopes that the pair of Kingfishers would remain in the area and raise their young.
They stayed for several weeks, but made no real attempt at nesting.
As the area is a dry ephemeral swamp, in the end, suitably refuelled, they moved on.
Sacred Kingfisher
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The position of the old stump is such that only early morning light hits the nest hole side.
With such a thick canopy, there is only a few minutes of direct sunlight. So getting a bird at the nest in sunlight is a bit hit and miss.
Add to that, most days have been overcast.
If you look carefully behind the wing, you can see the part of the hole they haven't removed, and it hides any direct views into the nest. They turn to the right on entry.
The hole had been widened up a bit more by the time this shot was taken
Sacred Kingfisher
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Moving from one hunting perch to another.
It was out in the open for about 100m so I managed to have time to get it in the viewfinder.
Sacred Kingfisher
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I have no idea how acute their eyesight really is.
I was watching this bird on a branch at maybe 70-80 metres away.
Suddenly it flew directly toward me, landed on the ground-my lens data says 7m- picked a bug from the grass and was gone.
Sacred Kingfisher
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Between Starlings, Mynahs and Rainbow Lorikeets, all the best nesting real estate is well claimed.
The Kingfishers were still vainly trying to find accomadation.
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
Sacred Kingfisher
Scientific Name: Todiramphus sanctus
Description: The Sacred Kingfisher is a medium sized kingfisher. It has a turquoise back, turquoise blue rump and tail, buff-white underparts and a broad cream collar. There is a broad black eye stripe extending from bill to nape of neck. Both sexes are similar, although the female is generally lighter with duller upper parts. Young birds are similar to the female, but have varying amounts of rusty-brown edging to feathers on the collar and underparts, and buff edges on the wing coverts.
Distribution: The Sacred Kingfisher is common and familiar throughout the coastal regions of mainland Australia and less common throughout Tasmania. The species is also found on islands from Australasia to Indonesia and New Zealand.
Habitat: The Sacred Kingfisher inhabits woodlands, mangroves and paperbark forests, tall open eucalypt forest and melaleuca forest.
Seasonal movements: In Australia, Sacred Kingfishers spend the winter in the north of their range and return south in the spring to breed.
Feeding: Sacred Kingfishers forage mainly on the land, only occasionally capturing prey in the water. They feed on crustaceans, reptiles, insects and their larvae and, infrequently, fish. The birds perch on low exposed branch on the lookout for prey. Once prey is located, the Sacred Kingfisher swoops down and grasps it in its bill, returning to the perch to eat it.
Breeding: For most of the year Sacred Kingfishers are mainly solitary, pairing only for the breeding season. Usually two clutches are laid in a season. Both sexes excavate the nest, which is normally a burrow in a termite mound, hollow branch or river bank. The nest chamber is unlined and can be up to 20m above the ground. Both sexes also incubate the eggs and care for the young.
Calls: The voice of the Sacred Kingfisher is a loud "ek ek ek ek" repeated continuously throughout breeding season. Birds also give a "kee kee kee" in excitement and a series of chirring, scolding notes when alarmed.
Minimum Size: 19cm
Maximum Size: 24cm
Average size: 21cm
Average weight: 45g
Breeding season: September to December; occasionally extended to March, if conditions are favourable.
Clutch Size: 3 to 6
Incubation: 18 days
Nestling Period: 26 days
(Sources: www.birdsinbackyards.net and "The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds - Second Edition")
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© Chris Burns 2021
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