Kingfishers

Back when I was growing up in Batu Sembilan, Plywood Road, next to the Pandan River, I used to spend most of my time alone at the tanah tambak, watching the matsallehs sunbathing on their yacht. But the nearly naked matsallehs were not the only thing I watched. I was rather intrigue by the kingfishers.

Growing up by the swamp area, the colourful birds were such a rare sight. Most birds that flew by were mostly black or grey or brown. Very dull colours indeed. But the kingfishers were blue, striking blue sometimes, with a white collar and chest, and a long beak.

Sometimes I can spend hours just watching the kingfishers. The kingfishers are a good hunters/ fishermen. Before eating a fish, the bird will hold it by its tail and whack it to death against the perch, particularly fishes with poky fins. Otherwise, the live fish may extend its fins in the bird's throat, choking it, sometimes to death. Kingfishers vomit back lumps of indigestible fishbone. I like to watch the mudskippers trying to skipped away when the birds were diving towards them. And sigh every time a mudskipper ended up in the kingfisher's beak. The birds clean themselves carefully after fishing, a very tedious job. I always wondered why they do that every so often, probably so that it could remain clean and pretty, or maybe to keep their feathers waterproof and easy for them to fish when they dive into the water. Or maybe just for a reason of personal vanity (like someone told me the other day).

Anyhow, I admire the kingfishers very much. Not only because of its beautiful colour, it also brings out the life of otherwise dull kampong. And thinking about kingfishers, really bring back fond memories of my growing up period. Life was so much easier back then. The best time of my life spent in that kampong, where I roamed the swamp, climbed trees, fishing, swimming or just lazed around at the tanah tambak looking at the matsallehs sun tanning, alone, without any worries in the world, and without anyone barking on my back. Only Nenek and I.