Kingfishers and kookaburras
Kingfishers occur across the globe but the kookaburra (a type of kingfisher) is only found in Australia and New Guinea.
Who’s Laughing
Blue-winged kookaburra
The blue-winged kookaburra is the Top End’s version of this iconic bird. Like most Territorians, it’s a non-conformist and its laugh sounds nothing like its southern cousins. I had no idea what kind of bird might be making such a raucous ruckus in the bush when we first moved to our rural property. I imagined some enormous and strange feathered creature and was astounded to discover the source of the sound. (You can hear it here.)
ForestKing
Forest kingfisher
The beautiful azure forest kingfisher is indeed a royal bird. One day, walking out from Goose Lagoon at the Territory Wildlife Park, a kingfisher perched on a branch near the path and posed for me. The bird waited patiently for me to get my camera out, line up my shot, focus and shoot – several times. I had been longing for this spontaneous opportunity and could not wait to get the photos home and start working up a fabric design.