Wildlife : Birdwatching - 1416 🐦

🦉 The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)

📚 Alcedo alcedinis, alcyon, or halcedo, halcedinis (lat.) kingfisher; word "hals" in ancient Greek language meant "sea", along with the word thalassa. According to ancient Greek mythology Alcyone (Alcyone), the daughter of the wind god Eol, was the wife of Keix, who drowned due to the wrath of the gods. Alcyone, out of grief, threw herself into the sea, and also died. The gods had mercy and turned the spouses into kingfishers. Looking for her husband, Alcyone calls all the time “Keix! Keix!" and dives, trying to find him in the sea. Alcyone days - two weeks of calm weather around the day winter solstice. During these days, Eol pacified the winds so that Alcyone, in the form of a kingfisher, could hatch chicks in her nest floating on the waves.
📚 atthis (ancient Greek mythology) Attis, a divine youth of extraordinary beauty

I love these beautiful incredible birds! They're such a bright red on the underside, and a wonderful iridescent blue-turquoise color on top.
I was lucky to find their permanent habitat, and every year I go to admire them. Even though it's not easy.

The kingfisher sits on a separate branch and looks out for fish swimming in a small river.

Here he saw his future prey, stretched out to take a better look. And then took off, hovered over the place and dived.