Kingfishers - the flying gemstones in Germany

Alcedo atthis, the European kingfisher, has fascinated many nature lovers. In contrast to the mostly inconspicuous feathered birds in the earth's temperate climates, the kingfisher stands out in terms of color. It shoots through the air like a turquoise torpedo. Its reputation is simply unmistakable, and anyone who has heard it once will never forget it. Unlike yellow, red and brown colors, the blue is not the result of embedded pigments. It is created by the refraction of light. Tiny structures in the feathers scatter the sunlight so that it is reflected sometimes sapphire blue, sometimes emerald green. But beauty can also become a curse. At times, kingfisher feathers were on par with precious stones, silk, and spices. A Chinese text from the 3rd century contains, among other things, a list of the treasures that were to be found in the Roman Empire: ivory, gold, pearl and kingfisher feathers. An art form called tian tsui ("studded with kingfishers") was based on them: the glittering feathers were applied to jewelry, fans, Spanish walls and screens, bedspreads on beds were transformed into blue-green landscapes. The Korean royal family also shared this passion, which lasted until the beginning of the 20th century. Fortunately, the kingfishers survived well. Thank God their existence is no longer threatened. These pictures in the annual calendar presented here were photographed over a period of 7 years, in a remote river section in the Bergisches Land, from a camouflage hiding place, with great respect for the flying gemstones, by the nature photographer, Thomas Will from Bergisch Gladbach. "The editorial team selected this calendar for the CALVENDO Gold Edition."