Azure Kingfisher

The single most beautiful thing I've ever seen was the Azure Kingfisher at golden hour on a glassy river, when it came zooming around the bend to zing right past me in my kayak. Flying only centimetres above the water's surface, its orange feathers left a trail of fire in the river's reflection. Language crumbles when describing such scenes.

I was traveling in my van through NSW, looking for an overnight stop. The only campground on the map was a place called 'Dunn's Swamp'. It sounded unappealing, but I had no other option.

To this day it’s my favourite campground in Australia. I ended up staying 10 nights, living off baked beans and the generosity of neighbours for the last few days. I'd never seen an Azure Kingfisher before, and when the kayak lady told me she'd spotted one upriver, I set off to find it. And I did. Each day I would kayak at sunrise and sunset, totalling over $500 of kayak rental fees, just to be in the proximity of its magic.

After a week, I knew the exact time of day to find it. When the water was dead-still, and the light was rich and even; the most tranquil moments of the day. I hadn't known tranquility of such depths, until I experienced those moments in its presence.

The Azure Kingfisher opened a door to a level of inner calm, that quite profoundly, felt like returning to a deeper part of myself. It encouraged me to reflect on the tools and methods I have to remain connected to that sense of inner calm, and deeper being. Things like meditation, music, hiking in nature, and of course, birdwatching.

Do you have certain habits or hobbies that cultivate a sense of inner calm? Could you benefit from doing them more regularly? Do you have certain tools to foster tranquility in times of turbulence? Could working on them assist you in day to day life?

The Azure Kingfisher reminds us that by seeking out moments of peace and tranquility, we get a chance to reconnect with a deeper part of ourselves.