Black-naped Tern Arrives, Ruddy Kingfisher Nest-building (video)
The first Black-naped Terns of the season have arrived. I have been seeing them on the ferry route since last month, but toward late May they appear on coastal reefs to breed. Almost all of the birds are already paired up.
Ruddy Kingfishers seem to be particularly numerous this season. Nest-building has begun in all sorts of places, though I do wonder whether there are enough nest holes to go round.
A few Bridled Terns arrived. They have been seen on the ferry route since last month, and pairs already seem to have formed.
Of the five Black-faced Spoonbills, only one stayed on for an extended period.
Ruddy Kingfishers are at their most visible right now — I encounter them countless times in a single day. I can even spot around three pairs from my own garden.
A standing dead Satake palm in the village where Ruddy Kingfishers nest every year. They start at the top and work their way down, so the nest position drops a little each season — this year it ended up at about waist height… ^^;
This one nested in a Formosan subterranean termite mound in the forest. This is really the kind of setting I'd like to see Ruddy Kingfishers raising their young in.