I have been noticing an uptick in the numbers of belted
kingfishers lately. It seems every spot along the Catawba River, every farm
pond, or retention pond has a kingfisher now. Often there are two birds
quarreling back and forth with their raucous rattling. Kingfishers are with us
year-round but I suspect the breeding birds move out and northern birds take
their places for the winter months. The turnover is taking place right now.
The bird in the photo above is a female, easily recognized by the rust-colored markings on the belly and flanks. Generally males are the more colorful gender in the bird world. In our area the kingfisher is an exception. Males lack the rust-colored plumage.
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| Belted Kingfisher by John Ennis |
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1 comments:
I love kingfishers! I frequently see one sitting on a wire along Highway 29 in Concord beside the bridge over Coddle Creek. Another one works a marshy pond with cattails at Crossroads Church on George Liles Blvd. They are so beautiful!
I enjoy your wonderful articles and so do my elderly parents.
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