Birdwatching Picture - Collared Kingfisher from Manokwari bay

The photograph of the collared kingfisher which you see on this page was taken in Lemon island in Manokwari bay. I shot the bird using my digital camera Nikon Coolpix P500. The bird was sitting on a trunk of tree whose top part had been broken near the beach when I saw it. Although my camera was able to zoom the bird up optically 36 times, it was not able to give me high quality photograph. It was not an SLR camera. Today, Nikon as a world leading digital camera manufacturer has improved its product by launching the Nikon Coolpix P510.
In addition, the bird is around 50 meters from me. I walked slowly toward it while holding my camera. I did not bring tripod at that time because I don't have it. I am not a photographer. I am a tourist guide. I use most of my photographs on my blogs and website. For those who want to buy a compact superzoom camera, I recommend them to buy Nikon Coolpix P510. It has got a significant superzoom capability of up to 42 times (from 24 mm to 1000 mm equivalent. According to the USAtoday.com, the Nikon Coolpix P510 digital camera will be available on the shelves in March 2012.

I was walking with three Dutch tourists in Lemon island in Dore bay of Manokwari when I saw the bird. After moving quite close to the bird, I saw it flying away.  There was another bird standing on a rock near the sea water. I tried to take a picture of the bird again. I made several shots of the kingfisher. The first kingfisher has yellow feather on its body but the second bird doesn't.

A few minutes ago, I tried to identify it using a printed copy of Birds of New Guinea. I was not able to find it. Then I opened my computer and log on to the internet. I typed white neck kingfisher. From some results in the search engine, I can finally identify it. This collared kingfisher consists of 50 sub-species. I don't know which one it belongs to. It has blue feather at her back, with noticeable white collar around its neck. Manokwari bay is not only a nice destination for birdwatching but also snorkeling. Coral reefs cover the shallow shores of Lemon, Mansinam and Raimuti islands, as well as the shores near the foot of Arfak mountains. Every month tourists come to Manokwari to enjoy snorkeling, hiking and birdwatching. They like Manokwari because it provides a complete list of eco-tourism activities both in the forest and at sea.
Arfak mountains located in the south of Manokwari city have been a popular hiking destination for tourists who want to see birds of paradise, birdwing butterflies and various other species of animals while walking under the canopy of the trees.
If you are interested in doing hiking trips and birdwatching tour in Manokwari's rainforests particularly in the Arfak mountains and along the lowland jungle in the north coast of New Guinea, please, contact me via email peace4wp@gmail.com. I can prepare a customized itinerary and an affordable cost for you. by Charles Roring
Also read: Birdwatching in Tropical Rainforest of Manokwari