White-throated Kingfisher

 The White-throated Kingfisher retreated to where it's high and dry, where none could reach out for or seize its prized catch.

And there to conduct its so many hits and tosses in the swing of kill.

Collared Kingfisher, Part lV - and the story continues

And the story continues.

And a new chapter looks like to begin for another, or two, or three.

The Collared Kingfishers seem to have made the taman home.  Their calls still sliced through the taman from time to time.

When I came across the female, I had wondered why she was waiting so patiently, for more than 30 minutes on the same perch, scanning around, raindrops threatening to shorten my stay.

Eventually she flew up to their favoured branch opposite the nest, and not even the Plantain Squirrel would mar her patience.

And then he flew in.

And then it's the season again, barely two weeks since the last fledgling.

And again, 5 minutes later

Zebra Dove

Live and let live, unfortunately not to be - misperceived in a troubled mental and spiritual environment, sought after.

Name it and you desire it, give it no name and you will not desire it.

Spotted Dove

For whom we care too, one and all.

Alas, an unsuccessful run!

Asian Ant Mantis

Asian Ant Mantis nymph (Odontomantis planiceps)

 

Black-thighed Falconets - Afterword

 The taman is a pretty huge living and foraging playground for a lot of birds, but woe betide the young and small ones that cross the Black-thighed Falconets' path, the most heart-rending victim (subjective here!) being the Banded Woodpeckers' week-old chick.

These Falconets have made their home in the taman now, leaving early to hunt and returning late to roost in their cavity nest, reportedly all six of them.

But today, surprisingly two appeared mid-morning in front of their nest for some together-time.  It has been approximately 4 weeks now that the first one fledged, followed in succession days after by the next three.

Two of the siblings met for allopreening.

The female parent perched just below.

Btw, one couldn't be blamed for asking how I could differentiate the male and female parent.

And back to the juveniles - 

It's not much fun preening alone - black is as black is, the pristine blackness of a plumage of presumably the youngest of the 4 siblings.

So it's to the elder sibling for some allopreening and togethermess.