Tag Archives: Belted Kingfisher

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Sara Bogard does a regular count of Harbor Seals at the PA Lighthouse Peninsula and the Point Arena-Stornetta Lands. She also notices and photographs other wildlife. The first bird is a Surf Scoter. This is a female and she is overwintering on the Mendonoma Coast. These sea ducks nest in far Northern Canada and Alaska.

Next Sara photographed a Belted Kingfisher. Males have one blue band across their white breast, while females have a blue and a chestnut band. I can't see any chestnut, so I think this is a male. They are year round residents here. And then Sara found this Harbor Seal catching a Rockfish for its meal.

There is a LOT to see when you take the time to observe as Sara does!

Thanks to Sara for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

It was cool overnight, 40 degrees in the early morning. There are high clouds, which gave us a beautiful sunrise and, hopefully, a beautiful sunset!

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Several coast photographers have photographed Belted Kingfishers lately. Eric Zetterholm caught one just taking flight.

Here Ron Bolander photographs one flying.

And Craig Tooley found one resting on a branch.

Here's what the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has to say about these birds:

"With its top-heavy physique, energetic flight, and piercing rattle, the Belted Kingfisher seems to have an air of self-importance as it patrols up and down rivers and shorelines. It nests in burrows along earthen banks and feeds almost entirely on aquatic prey, diving to catch fish and crayfish with its heavy, straight bill. These ragged-crested birds are a powdery blue-gray; males have one blue band across the white breast, while females have a blue and a chestnut band."

So Craig's photo shows a female, as does Eric.

Here is a link to their rattling calls: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Belted_Kingfisher/sounds

Thanks to Eric, Ron and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

The rain is over though everything is nice and damp from the deluge. Sunny skies have returned. I checked the lagoon of the Gualala River yesterday and it has filled up from the rain - nice!

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Sara Bogard was out at the Point Arena Lighthouse bluffs when she noticed a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk and something else. She wrote, "This American Kestrel was diving at this Red-shouldered Hawk. The Kestrel won and the Red-shouldered Hawk flew off, a dramatic moment."

Sara also recently photographed a Belted Kingfisher. Such a cute little gal!

This morning I  heard a Red-shouldered Hawk calling overhead. Their call is quite distinctive and you can hear it for yourself at this link at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/sounds

Thanks to Sara for allowing me to share her photos with  you here.

Lots of dark clouds in the sky today but no rain predicted. This morning several people sent me photos of a cloud that looked like a bird...or an angel. I'll share it here soon.

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Rusty Babcock was visiting her brother, Tom Reidenbach, in Irish Beach several weeks ago. Tom wrote, "[Here is] the feisty [Belted] Kingfisher that scolds every visitor to Pomo Lake in Irish Beach. He/she usually never sits still long enough to get a picture."Look at that fancy hair-do! Belted Kingfishers perch on a branch near water, such as Pomo Lake, and dives head first into the water for fish, frogs, and other aquatic prey. To hear their twittering call, here is a link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Belted_Kingfisher/sounds

Thanks to Rusty for allowing me to share her photo with you here, and to Tom who forward it to me.

Rick and I took a walk with our golden retriever, Duffy, on the Point Arena/Stornetta Lands this morning. There was no wind and it was quite mild. Lots of happy visitors to the Lands, including us. On the road to the Lighthouse, and then on the Lands, we saw a Red-tailed Hawk perched on a telephone pole, a small group of Killdear, several whales, possibly Gray Whales, on the surface of the ocean, two groups of Brown Pelicans flying north, Cormorants and Gulls. What a great day for sightings of our natural world!

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This is a fun bird to see as it looks like it is having a bad hair day! Belted Kingfishers, Megaceryle alcyon, are seen on the Mendonoma Coast more often in the wintertime. Craig Tooley recently photographed one, this one a female.

You can tell this is a female because she has two breast bands, one gray near her neck and a brownish one further down. Belted Kingfisher females are more brightly colored than their male counterparts - something rather unusual in the birding world.

Kingfishers mostly eat fish and they fish by either plunging directly from their perch or by hovering over the water. They breed far to our north.

To hear their call, here is the link to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/belted_kingfisher/sounds

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo of this fascinating bird. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: www.ruffimage.com