Many of the birds that I try to photograph are skittish, but the Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) may take the prize for being the most skittish. The kingfisher is amazingly energetic and exceptionally alert and will frequently fly away before I am even aware of its presence. As it zooms out of sight, the kingfisher will often make a distinctive rattling call, almost like it is taunting me.
Yesterday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted the distinctive silhouette of a kingfisher perched on branch overlooking the water. The small bird was a good distance away, but as I peered through my telephoto lens, I could tell that it had caught a fish and was busily subduing the fish—a kingfisher will pound its prey against its perch before swallowing it head first.
I was faced with a dilemma. Should I try to get a distant shot, knowing that I might scare the bird away, or should I try to move closer for a better shot and risk not getting any shots at all? In this case, I chose the safer approach and took this long range shot. The kingfisher did not fly away while I was taking the shot, but when I took few steps down the trail towards it, the kingfisher immediately took to the air.
I am pretty happy with the image that I was able to capture. If you click on the photo, you will see that I was able to capture some of the detail of this beautiful little bird and even some details of the hapless fish.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Great photo! The snow looks beautiful as a backdrop to the bird. Nicely done, Mike as always.
Thanks, Suzette. The white backdrop is actually the sky–it was heavily overcast yesterday and cold, but there was no snow, though there were some snow showers forecast for the day. The white backdrop definitely worked well to focus attention on the kingfisher.
Oh fantastic. It worked well. Thank you for the clarification. Its been snowing a lot here.. So I see snow “everywhere in my imagination”😊
No snow yet here in Virginia. The last few years we have had minimal snowfall, but there have went winters when we have had snowstorms with well over a foot of snow.
Yes, the Winters have been unusual. Thank you.
Nicely done, Mike!
Yep, the Kingfisher is among the most difficult (for me) of birds to obtain a decent photograph.
Your logical thinking was spot on. A kind bird photographer passed on a great tip when I was starting out. When you spot a distant bird, take a shot (record shot for i.d.). Slowly move in for a closer shot and keep that up in the hope you will be able to get a detailed image.
I know you are aware of this as you’ve mentioned it in previous posts. My problem is maintaining the patience to keep moving slowly. Not to mention I’m too old to lay on the ground and wriggle like a snake anymore! (Getting down is easy. Standing up again – another story.)
Thanks, Wally. You’ve described pretty well the approach that I have adopted and use most of the time, though sometimes I will get bold (or foolish) enough to move forward to get a better record shot or to get a better look at what I have in the viewfinder. As for me, I can still manage a low crawl, but it would have to be a very special subject for me to be willing to do so. I have a feeling, though, that the years will catch up with me relatively soon–I am currently 67. 🙂
Enjoy your youth while you still can. 🙂
Kingfisher are frustrating 😳. They only trick that has worked for me is they are creatures of habit. Like a dragonfly they return to the same spots, even fly back and forth between two. But as you know, they make you work. 😂😂
What a beautiful bird! Great job!
Thanks. Kingfishers have a really distinctive look. There are different species throughout the world that have the same shape, though they have different colors and feather patterns.
Nice catch, for both you and the bird!
Thanks, Eliza.
I like it! And I like the sycamore tree, recognizable by its white inner bark and peeling outer bark.
Thanks, Nina. I appreciate too the tip on recognizing sycamore trees.
Really beautiful photo Michael: I’ve never seen a Kingfisher. Nor do the native peoples I study have stories about them because they’re not native to where the peoples lived. But for the northwest Canada First Nations and native Polynesian peoples, I understand Kingfisher is a key totem for those peoples from ancient times. Kingfisher represents abundance (kind of like the stories we moderns tell about our Thanksgiving and like holidays). There are many many old Kingfisher stories and works of art depicting the bird.
Thanks sp much, Michael, for sharing that info. I had no idea that Kingfishers featured so prominently in the folklore of native people in different parts of the world. That is an area of intellectual investigation that I have never explored.