Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Belted Kingfisher

It was such a nice day I made a point of getting out and walking in the woods both at lunch and after work. On the latter walk I was making my leisurely way down the trail when I spotted something I rarely see on foot--a Belted Kingfisher perching. It seems whenever I see one of these wonderful birds they're in chattering flight along the stream. This one was a real treat and I got to observe it for a long while.



Other birds seen today included a Dark-eyed Junco, a species I'm finding is more skittish than others. They are the first to fly away from under the feeders if I go near the window




I also saw a pair of Black-capped Chickadees inspecting a hole in a log. Looking for a place to call home?

And, would you believe? along the trail I saw a small bird making a familiar call and hopping around on the ground that, due to the state of my vision and the jumble of leaf litter, I couldn't actually see. Having no binoculars I trained my camera on the locus of hopping. It was my new pal the Golden-crowned Kinglet! I've decided to make this my Species of the Month even though such a title doesn't actually exist.

1 Responses (Leave a Comment):

Dale said...

wow, that chickadee looks a lot like a sombre tit. it is fascinating how so many species share similar looking (and sounding) congeners on both sides of the Atlantic (or Pacific depending on which side of the map you look)