Summer’s dense foliage makes it tough to spot a kingfisher
as it rattles along the Little Crum corridor sounding the creek loudly for prey.
But the constant call of a female, tracing low flights over the water,
recently made like a beacon through the bare limbs of a bright January day.
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February 24, 2013 at 7:17 pm
I’ve seen one 2 times, a year apart, in the same beautiful spot. Amazing photo.
March 17, 2013 at 2:49 pm
Sounds like something to look forward to — Thanks, Monica!
February 3, 2013 at 10:41 pm
Beautiful!
February 13, 2013 at 2:38 pm
She sure is!
February 1, 2013 at 7:02 pm
Great picture! I enjoy watching these river birds.
February 13, 2013 at 2:37 pm
For sure. After watching this one zip back and forth, I was able to retrospectively identify the birds I’ve seen zipping up and down another nearby creek (at Ridley Creek State Park). Thanks, Tracy!
January 29, 2013 at 12:54 pm
Hello Scott..I love these guys and I usually hear them before I see them coming in over the pond. There is one tree that they seem to like to use to take the fish up to that they slap it and then eat it. Also saw a young fisher being fed by a parent last summer. Now that was a real treat…Michelle
February 13, 2013 at 2:33 pm
A treat indeed — what a great scene! I was recently skating on the frozen lake when I heard the kingfisher in a tree and watched it swoop low over the lone unfrozen portion of the pond.
January 23, 2013 at 7:32 am
What a quirky looking bird – fun!
January 26, 2013 at 5:04 pm
Quirky — and quick!
January 22, 2013 at 9:37 pm
“When you have seen one ant, one bird, one tree, you have not seen them all”, i could watch Kingfishers all day long. great shot by the way. I’ve been coyote tracking out here… Lots of evidence, one confirmed kill by a local farmer, hoping to catch a glimpse with mine own eyes.
January 26, 2013 at 5:00 pm
That would be sweet. Maybe the snow will help with tracking. Do you hear coyotes at night?
January 22, 2013 at 8:22 pm
Truly beautiful!
January 26, 2013 at 4:54 pm
And well worth the wait to see her!
January 22, 2013 at 7:59 pm
Excellent shot of a very pretty bird. This is another one I’ve never seen in the wild.
January 23, 2013 at 9:42 am
Thanks, Allen. I hear the kingfisher more often than I see it. In summer, it likes to keep leaves between me and its perch on a limb over the creek. And suddenly I’ll hear a splash and just barely catch a flash of it flying away.
January 22, 2013 at 6:26 pm
One of the reasons I enjoy late fall and winter is because so many nests and animals are revealed. Beautiful photos. Our bright days are limited this time of year.
January 23, 2013 at 9:37 am
Yeah, that’s an upside of losing the leaves — suddenly I see a few hawks per day. And the days are getting longer … Thanks, Melissa!
January 22, 2013 at 4:21 pm
Nice shot. I had the same trouble in leafy season in WV, only caught a glimpse of that brilliant blue. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a female. She’s quite a striking bird.
January 22, 2013 at 5:40 pm
Between male & female, I haven’t seen one still enough to tell the difference. Until now. She was striking indeed. Her crest was variously mussed in the bright strong wind (sigh).
January 22, 2013 at 3:40 pm
Nice photos, Scott. One of my favorite birds, but a tough one to get pictures of.
January 22, 2013 at 5:35 pm
So true … Not a feeder bird, is it? I’ve never been able to approach this close and so completely unobstructed. Thanks, Sue.
January 22, 2013 at 2:22 pm
Great sighting and capture Scott! Such a cutie! We have one frequenting our osprey platform and the marina next door’s channel marker in the early mornings these past few weeks. So look for yours again, I bet he’s hanging around enjoying himself some Little Crum Creek for a while!
January 22, 2013 at 4:12 pm
That’d be nice … I know I’ll hear it if it’s around. Thanks, Donna!
January 22, 2013 at 1:25 pm
You certainly were lucky to get such a great shot of a kingfisher!
January 22, 2013 at 4:09 pm
Totally. I’m grateful.
January 22, 2013 at 12:49 pm
What Emily said!
January 22, 2013 at 2:03 pm
Thanks! Something kept that kingfisher from flying too far away as I followed it back and forth along the creek.
January 22, 2013 at 12:43 pm
Great capture! Don’t you just love the challenge of getting “the” shot? Thanks so much for sharing.
January 22, 2013 at 1:54 pm
Sure do! Especially in winter when I’m not sure what I’ll find. The kingfisher was a nice surprise. Thanks Robin!
January 22, 2013 at 12:05 pm
beautiful picture of a kingfisher!
January 22, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Thanks, Em! How lucky. I was out checking on the Pekin ducks and hybrid from the previous post — all are doing well — when I wandered upstream & heard the kingfisher calling. I knew the time would come!