Belted Kingfisher

 
Belted Kingfisher
Santa Rosa, California, USA
December 2014
Member of the Kingfisher Family
§A Rattle of Kingfishers§

~true bird fact~ Let's talk nests. Kingfisher nests are actually long tunnels dug into the side of stream and riverbeds. They generally go in between one and eight feet deep and slope up slightly. Why? So that rainwater doesn't flood the nest, and so that it is protected in an air pocket in case the river floods. This bird has thought of everything! Furthermore, the nests make convenient homes for swallows, who will sometimes share the tunnel and dig little side rooms for themselves.

Feisty
Squints into the wind looking serious
On a quest or journey of some kind, perhaps magical in nature, or she has to collect 7 artifacts or crystals
It turns out the journey is about life or growing up, although you wouldn't guess it at first