Monitor lizard v kingfisher

My peace and quiet at home was disturbed by the alarm call of a bird. I looked out and saw a white-throated kingfisher shrieking at something. It's not the first time I've heard this, as these birds are quite common around my condo, and are very noisy when they give an alarm call.

I then noticed the kingfisher dive-bombing something by the condo wall. It looked like a snake so I hurried to get my binoculars. By the time I had got them, I could see a medium sized monitor lizard walking across the grass. It disappeared and the bird went quiet so I stopped watching.

Some minutes later the alarm calls started again and this time I could see the bird dive-bombing the tree. I guessed the monitor had climbed the tree but could see nothing. It was only after some time that I could see the lizard when the wind blew the covering branches out of the way. By this time the lizard was by a fork in the tree.

I assumed the lizard was climbing to reach a nest. However it stayed where it was for the next hour, so maybe it had already eaten and was digesting its lunch. The kingfisher meanwhile gave out alarm calls and still dive-bombed the lizard - at one stage it got so close I saw the lizard flinch. After a couple of attacks the bird flew off, then returned about 20 minutes later and repeated the process. Then it flew off again for another 20 minutes or so before attacking again.

After about an hour I noticed the bird sitting next to its mate or friend. I don't know if the males and females of this species are the same colour or different, but these two birds were the same. Whilst one attacked the lizard, the other just watched.

It was only after an hour that the lizard suddenly turned round and ran down the tree and ran off across the grass into the woods, with the kingfishere repeatedly trying to attack it.

The white-throated kingfisher is quite a big bird and has a very long powerful beak. I don't know who was the winner of this battle.

The birds are quite attractive with brown caps, a white bib, chocolate waistcoat, shoulders and flank, pink beak and blue wings and tail.

The photos are lousy as I don't have a good camera.

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One week later, the bird was screaming again, and dive-bombing the ground. I assumed the monitor lizard was back, though I couldn't see it through the trees.