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Saturday, December 4, 2010

Westbay Wildlife

While I sort out some more photos of the recent Thetis Lake excursion here's a few more birds to add to the roll call of wildlife I've seen on the West Bay Walkway. Above is another shot of the Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon). I see this bird almost every morning but he is generally perched high in a tree overlooking the water. And usually by the time I get all the gear out and ready he has spied his next meal and gone off to dive-bomb it. He has a very distinctive call that I now recognize, described in Peterson's Field Guide to Western Birds as "a loud high rattle." This means I see him much more often since his call alerts me to his location. To the left is a Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), a diving duck that is wintering in these coastal waters along with the Hooded Mergansers and the Buffleheads.

5 comments:

RedPat said...

Love that Kingfisher!

JoJo said...

Really digging that kingfisher! I had no idea they were native to this area!

Jack said...

Nice kingfisher portrait.

Dean Lewis said...

Not a lot of these guys around.
Kind of ducky, kind of herony.

LinWots said...

A serious bird!
It's cute.