Belted Kingfisher catches a fish

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Belted Kingfisher catches a fish

October 10, 2015 by Mike Powell

When I spotted a male Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) yesterday, I was really happy, because I have not seen a male in several years. He was pretty far away and I having a hard time getting a sharp shot, so I decided to switch to manual focus.

Just after I had switched, the kingfisher made a long shallow dive off of the rotten tree on which he was perched. Instinctively I tried to track the fast-moving bird as I frantically tried to focus. Not surprisingly, most of my shots were out of focus, but one came out pretty well. It shows the kingfisher just above the surface of the water with what appears to be a fish in his mouth. (You may want to click on the image to get a better look at the kingfisher.)

A bit later in the day, I took this shot of the male Belted Kingfisher on the same perch that he had been on earlier. He seemed to be in a good mood and almost looked like he was singing. Unlike the female, which has both a chestnut and a blue stripe or her chest, the male Belted Kingfisher has only the blue stripe.

The kingfisher was happy and I was overjoyed with my shots. It was a wonderful day.

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife | Tagged Alexandria VA, Belted Kingfisher, birds in flight, Canon 50D, Huntley Meadows Park, male Belted Kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto | 9 Comments

9 Responses

on October 10, 2015 at 8:00 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

This is a bird I’ve never seen which seems strange since he looks like he’d be so easily spotted. I like that last shot. He does look like he’s laughing.
- on October 10, 2015 at 8:14 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  The kingfisher hides pretty well among the leaves, but makes a pretty distinctive call, so I can often tell that one is around even if I can’t initially see it.
  - on October 10, 2015 at 8:29 pm New Hampshire Garden Solutions
    
    That’s where birders have it a little easier over plant hunters; plants don’t make much noise.
on October 10, 2015 at 10:15 am | Reply Laura (PA Pict)

He’s wonderful! I’ve yet to see a kingfisher in America and have actually only seen kingfishers a handful of times in the UK. I’ve always thought it strange that it was so hard to spot a bird with such vivid plumage. Anyway I actually had no idea what an American type of kingfisher looked like so thanks to your photos at least now I know.
- on October 10, 2015 at 8:12 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I think that there are a couple of other kingfishers in certain areas of the US, but this is the only one that we have. You would think that these birds would be easy to spot, but they tend to hang out in trees where they are often hidden by the leaves. The good news is that they have an unmistakable call, so I’ll often know there is one in the area before I can see it.
on October 10, 2015 at 1:31 pm | Reply Charlie@Seattle Trekker

He has such wonderful personality, your photos are such fun.
- on October 10, 2015 at 8:10 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Charlie, for your constant encouragement. I like to photograph what I find interesting and fun and it’s always gratifying when others enjoy the images too.
on October 10, 2015 at 5:49 pm | Reply svtakeiteasy

Tricky panning with manual focus… It’s beyond my level of skills! I like the punk hairdo of the kingfisher on his perch, Mike. He looks rather happy and alert there!
- on October 10, 2015 at 8:09 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Chris. I just love kingfishers and will try to get shots every chance I get, even when the level of difficulty is high and the chances of success are slim. I like the look of the perched guy too–he is just oozing with personality.