Azure kingfisher

[Lee Welling <>]

Hello Marnix

I don't consciously remember seeing a white collar, although my eye was initially drawn to what I would describe as a bright orange breast, which was the reason I discounted it being a Sacred Kingfisher. However, you seem to suggest that the Sacred Kingfisher you saw in the same area had "plenty of buff colouring", so maybe I was mistaken. Other reasons for me thinking this to be an Azure Kingfisher was the long black beak and the brilliant metallic blue sheen of its wings and back catching the sun whilst in flight.

Lee

> Hello Lee,
>
> I popped out to take a look this afternoon at 3.15pm.
> I found a Sacred Kingfisher with plenty of buff colouring. It had the
> full white collar which an Azure Kingfisher doesnt have. Whether it is
> the same bird you saw I dont know. Its not impossible for an Azure
> Kingfisher to show up there as one was reported from nearby
> willow-lined Sullivans Creek back in the 90s.
>
> At one point the Sacred Kingfisher investigated a
> small tree hollow.
>
> Cheers
> Marnix
> Lee Welling
> <>
> 27/09/2006 02:07
> PM
> To
>
> cc
> Subject
> [canberrabirds] Azure
> kingfisher
>  
> Classification
>  
>
>
> Whilst walking on the dirt track that runs through
> the wooded section
> of the eastern shore of Acton Peninsular, just near the old
> hospice,
> I saw the unmistakable sight of an Azure Kingfisher. It fluttered
> from tree to tree, maybe alarmed at my presence, but not enough to
> leave the area. When I later mentioned the sighting to a colleague
> -
> a more experienced birder than I - he informed me that that Azure
> Kingfishers are quite rare in the ACT. The sighting occurred at
> approximately 1.00 pm on Tuesday 26 September.
> --
> *****************************************************************
> Lee Welling (MRACI; CChem)
> Laboratories and Safety Coordinator
> Research School of Chemistry
> Australian National University
> Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
> tel    02 6125 5649
> mobile 0404 823 154
> fax    02 6125 0750
> e-mail  
>
> *******************************************************************************************************