Blue-eared Kingfisher (Alcedo meninting)

Blue-eared Kingfisher (Alcedo meninting)

 The Blue-eared Kingfisher (Alcedo meninting) is found in Asia, ranging across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is found mainly in dense shaded forests where it hunts in small streams. It is darker crowned, with darker rufous underparts and lacking the rufous ear stripe of the Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) which is found in more open habitats. A number of subspecies have been described that differ in measurement and colour shade. Adult males have an all dark bill while females have a reddish lower mandible.

This 16 centimetres (6.3 in) long kingfisher is almost identical to the Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) but is distinguished by the blue ear coverts, darker and more intense cobalt-blue upperparts with richer rufous under parts. The juvenile Blue-eared Kingfisher has rufous ear-coverts as in the Common Kingfisher but it usually shows some mottling on the throat and upper breast which disappears when the bird reaches adulthood. Young birds have a reddish bill with whitish tips.^[2][3] 

The range of this species stretches from India in the west, eastwards across Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, and further into Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia. The usual habitat is pools or streams in dense evergreen forest and sometimes mangroves, situated under 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) of altitude.

 

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher

 Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher

This is a small, red and yellow kingfisher, averaging 13 cm (5.1 in) in length, yellow underparts with glowing bluish-black upperparts. This is a widespread resident of lowland forest, endemic across much of Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The preferred habitat is small streams in densely shaded forests.^[4] In the Konkan region of southwest India, it begins to breed with the onset of the Southwest Monsoon in June. The nest is a horizontal tunnel up to a metre in length. The clutch of 4-5 eggs hatches in 17 days with both the male and female incubating. The birds fledge after 20 days and a second brood may be raised if the first fails. The young are fed with geckos, skinks, crabs, snails, frogs, crickets and dragonflies.^[5]

Pencarian ODKF ini saya lakukan bersama isteri semasa kami ada tugasan ke Pulau Pinang pada 30/12/12 baru2 ini. Kami menginap di sebuah hotel budget di Taiping dan bertolak setelah subuh ke Kedah dan sampai di Sedim kedah dalam sekitar jam 7 pagi. Sambil menunggu ketibaan Tn Zo Cozy serta Tn Azman Baharom dan Shahrul Edi saya sempat bersarapan pagi dengan seleranya nasi goreng dan roti canai yg sangat enak.

Kashmir.....heaven on earth

Perjalanan kami menaiki Jet airways hanya lebih kurang satu jam suku dari New Delhi ke Srinagar ni yg begitu berhampiran dgn Pakistan. Dgn pemandangan pada musim sejuk yg begitu mengashikkan ni.......kami diberitahu akan menginap di House Boat...suatu pengalaman yg menarik rasanya.

Proses keselamatan di airport disini begitu ketat dan apabila berada diluar airport terdapat disekeling kita penuh dgn askar yg berjaga utk keselamatan katanya. Bas yg kita naiki agak usang dgn tidak mempunyai heater maka semuanya dlm keadaan kesejukan. Suhu pada masa ni lebih kurang 4 darjah celcius.

Pengalaman pertama menaiki shikara ni memang agak menakutkan dgn kedudukan kita terlalu dekat dgn air dan perlu menstabilkan diri dgn lain2 penumpang menuju ke house boat.

Setelah menaiki shikara ini dlm bebarapa minit kita sampai di house boat yg begitu unik dgn ukiran kayu yg menakjubkan.

Pemandangan diatas tasik yg begitu besar dgn desiran angin sesejuk sampai ketulang membuatkan hati bertambah sayu dan memerlukan pemanas badan secepat mungkin.

Apabila masuk jee kita ke house boat ni suasana termat sejuk terus , isteri mendapatkan pemanas ni yg baru dipasang secara manual. Dengan keaadaan yg teramat sejuk dan kemudahan yg terdapat didalam house boat ni.....memang kita tidak rekomen utk sesiapa pun mengalaminya diwaktu musim sejuk nii,.......... Adalah dicadangkan agar kita tinggal saja di hotel biasa kerana keaadaan bilik dan kemudahan selimut serta bilik air yg tidak sesuai utk kita mendiaminya ketika musim sejuk begini.

Sesuatu pengalaman yg begitu mengashikkan dgn suhu terlalu sejuk dgn kemudahan yg tidak sempurna. Kita terlalu lama expose di suhu yg sejuk menyebabkan perjalanan ini kurang menyenangkan....tidak seperti yg digambarkan....heaven on earth??