Kawasemi

mirrored in water
flashes of blue and orange
kingfisher lightning

Kim M. Russell, 2017

Image found on Pinterest

My response to Carpe Diem #1219 Kingfisher (Kawasemi)

Today in our exploration of the classical and non-classical kigo (seasonword) for summer, we have a classical kigo and another fishing bird, the kingfisher (kawasemi).

Chèvrefeuille reminds us that kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly-coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. There are roughly 90 species of kingfisher, all of which have large heads, long, sharp, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. Most species have bright plumage with little differences between the sexes. They consume a wide range of prey as well as fish, usually caught by swooping down from a perch. Like other members of their order they nest in cavities, usually tunnels dug into the natural or artificial banks in the ground. A few species, principally insular forms, are threatened with extinction.