Cycling along the abandoned canal on my way to work, a flash of electric blue catches my eye, describing rapid but gentle parabolas from overhanging willow bough to ivy-clad birch branch.
A kingfisher!
I am pleased. Although not especially rare, they are evasive and seldom seen, particularly on a canal, even one that is relatively unused by anyone other than cyclists and dog-feaces depositors. I stop my bike for a moment, and watch enraptured as it doesn't immediately disappear, maybe being a little more used to wandering bipeds than most others of its kind. Still though, it is only visible for a second or two at a time.
Its dazzling plumage is at odds with its inherent shyness, as if embarrassed by its own splendour. No artist has ever created a colour so full of vivid life, so effortlessly natural and yet so striking. It is a humbling exercise in the superior achievement of unconscious selection over the ever-striving efforts of our intellectual and artistic endeavours.
S'pretty.
Luckily, to capture the moment, I am a modern human, with all the advantages of superior technology that allow me to share this image, perhaps save a small, frozen portion of this ephemeral scene with other members of my species. With you, my friends, with you. We are a creature that generally uses sight as our prominent sense, and and this is reflected in our tools.
I take out my phone, thinking of the adverts where opportunistic photographers take super-sharp images for posterity, whipping out their handsets and snap!, capturing the elusive snow leopard or plummeting falcon and winning awards from the BBC and National Geographic for their efforts.
My turn.
Snap!
Oh . . . kay.
Too fast. I have to be patient. There it is again. Try another one but hold the phone still.
Snap!
Missed it. Damn. The bird was moving too quickly this time. Bloody thing.Try again.
Snap!
Arse. Low light levels, that one. Hang on, it's flying again, quick!
Snap!
No? No.
Oh sod it. Have some ducks in a line on high zoom instead:
Snap!
Brown they are. Very, very brown, and not at all shy about letting you know it. Now to wait for National Geographic to get in touch. I'll see you at the exhibition.
Never mind, ducks are far more edible. Have you ever chased one?
ReplyDeleteSo it's not the same duck just moving through the water extraordinarily fast?
ReplyDeleteGB - I've heard they fight dirty, so I'm wary.
ReplyDeleteEric - Ha. VG.
I especially like your studies of canal embankments... What do you mean that wasn't what you were taking pics of?
ReplyDeleteHuh, birds are very much over rated anyway (except on a plate)
You just need to Photoshop some birds in there. (like some of your earlier 'flawless' home made pictures)
Tempo - That's not a bad idea. No one would ever know . . .
ReplyDeleteWhat Pink Floyd song am I thinking... mentions Kingfisher.... Echoes?
ReplyDeleteGet these photos sent off to Countryfile to see if they stick them on next years calendar.
ReplyDeleteWait, I think I totally see part of it in the second one! I'm surprised National Geographic hasn't hired you full time yet.
ReplyDeleteI always said the birds were in a conspiracy to thwart human photography. Now we know for SURE. They're very covert. Actually the bird is in the photo but much as vampires can't be seen in mirrors, covert spy birds can't be seen in photos. You see?
ReplyDelete/sober
Nice, very nice piece.
ReplyDeleteNeo - Is it about not needing no education?
ReplyDeleteTony Van Helsing - I dunno. It's hard to compete with John Craven in the nude.
Cheeseboy - I reckon there's some sort of nepotistic, masonic thing going on, where you only get awards if you've got talent and ability. It's an outrage!
Veggie Ass - Well, that certainly explains . . . something. I wonder if vampire birds turn into bats at night, because they'd just be pulling double shifts then.
Inspector Clouseau - Thank you. Glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteI find it difficult to take pics of birds because they are usually dive bombing my face.
ReplyDeleteElly Lou - They must think you're some sort of avian paparazzo. Either that or your nose looks like a peanut.
ReplyDelete