Today I visited Bobbin Head in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. I started at the Mangrove Boardwalk, then followed the Gibberagong track along Cockle Creek. It’s a lovely walk. Quiet and cool.

At one point I started hearing something plopping into the water at regular intervals. A flash of colour swooped up into a tree. I stopped to watch. It was a tiny bird, shining blue and orange. Only the long zoom of my camera revealed what I was seeing.

An Azure Kingfisher, sitting on a rock, waiting for prey to pass by in the river below:

Azure Kingfishers are common further north in Australia, but are uncommon this far south due to loss of habitat. They like banks of creeks with lots of vegetation and mangroves. This area of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park certainly fits the bill.

The next video shows the bird diving into the water. It’s far away, so all you get is an impression, but it’s pretty to watch:

Here’s a still shot of the bird – fuzzy because of the max zoom on my camera:

Kingfishers are related to kookaburras. (See my previous post about a wet kookaburra.) At only 17-19 centimetres long, this kingfisher is a tiny cousin of the Laughing Kookaburra, which comes in at a whopping 40-47 centimetres.

The next photo gives a good idea of the very short length of the tail, which is an identifying mark of this bird:

Common name: Azure Kingfisher

Scientific name: Alcedo azurea

Approximate length: 18 cm

Date spotted: 28 August 2019 (late winter)

Location: Bobbin Head, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°40’10.5″S 151°08’54.9″E