The Kingfisher
I Had Come to Find
A quiet morning in Parule ended with the bird I had been hoping to see—my first Blue-eared Kingfisher.
I first noticed the stream while crossing it on the way to the house the previous evening.
The house belongs to my wife’s maternal uncle. It is also the house where her mother grew up.
It stands on one of the forested hills around Parule in southern Konkan. There are very few houses along this route. Mango, coconut, areca and many local trees grow thickly across the slopes.
I had parked my vehicle on the road above. From there, the path went down through the trees to a stream at the bottom.
A small concrete bridge crossed the water. After crossing it, the path climbed through another thickly wooded slope to the house on the other side.
The house stood almost alone among the trees.
When I reached the house that evening, I saw the dogs and buffaloes being kept behind separate metal gates for the night. I later learned that this was done regularly because leopards moved through the area and could take animals left outside. Porcupines were also often seen around the property.
This was part of everyday life there. The plantations, stream and surrounding trees were all connected, allowing wildlife to move through the area.
As I crossed the bridge that evening, I noticed the shaded water, exposed rocks and thick vegetation along the banks.
The stream never dries up. It flows throughout the year before joining the Karli River.
It looked like a good place for birds, so I decided to return with my camera the next morning.
The next morning, I stepped out of the house at around 6:15. The forest was just beginning to wake up.
I walked down the same path towards the stream. Before I could see the water, I could already hear it flowing below. Cicadas called from the trees, and the clear whistles of a Malabar Whistling Thrush came from the slope.
After crossing the small bridge, I climbed down into the stream itself. I crossed over the rocks and shallow water, then followed the right bank upstream for a short distance, looking for a quiet place to sit.
The stream flowed gently between dark rocks, fallen leaves and shaded pools. It looked exactly like the kind of place where a Blue-eared Kingfisher might appear.
That was the bird I had come hoping to find.
A Malabar Whistling Thrush noticed me and moved away, while a pair of Orange-headed Thrushes searched the ground near the edge of the plantation.
Birds were moving in several directions, but I decided not to keep walking after each one.
After walking a little way along the stream, I found a broad rock beside the water and sat quietly.
From there, I could watch the water and the nearby trees without moving around too much. After some time, the birds became active again.
Waiting Beside the Water
Two Malabar Pied Hornbills were among the first birds to appear. They landed together on a branch in front of me.
Their large bills and black-and-white bodies stood out among the leaves. They stayed only for a short time, but I managed to photograph them before they flew away.
Soon afterwards, Blue-tailed Bee-eaters began calling overhead. They turned quickly in the air as they caught flying insects.
One returned to a wire with a hummingbird moth in its bill. It stayed long enough for me to photograph both the bird and its prey.
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher and Indian Paradise Flycatcher appeared near the water.
Vigor's Sunbirds and Purple Sunbirds moved among the trees, while water striders travelled across the quieter pools.
From time to time, I heard the deep call of a Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, but I could not see the bird.
Many birds had appeared, but the Blue-eared Kingfisher had not.
One Last Look
After waiting for a long time, I began thinking about going back to the house.
Before leaving, I decided to scan farther along the stream using the full zoom of my camera. I hoped I might at least find a Common Kingfisher.
Then I noticed a small kingfisher sitting on a rock some distance away.
Its blue-and-rufous colours looked familiar, but from that distance it could have been either a Common Kingfisher or a Blue-eared Kingfisher.
I took a photograph and moved forward slowly. Then I took another photograph and moved a little closer.
The bird noticed me and flew deeper into the shaded part of the stream.
I sat on another rock and looked at the photographs.
The blue feathers on the side of its head were clearly visible. It was the Blue-eared Kingfisher I had come hoping to find.
About Parag Kokane
Parag Kokane is an observer of nature whose work combines field observation, natural history, wildlife photography and writing. Through Wildscapes, he explores the forests, freshwater ecosystems and everyday wildlife of the Western Ghats, sharing stories that encourage readers to look more closely at the natural world around them.
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