Finally....

I've posted photos of this Belted Kingfisher before but there has always been some problem - either I've been too far away or he has been too high up or the light is from the wrong angle, or.... But here, finally, the sun was at my back and he was perched low down on a nearby branch.

Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)

I managed to catch this Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) from a little closer than usual recently. And, as you can see, the Garry Oak leaves are definitely adopting their autumn colors.

Morning Sun

High in an arbutus tree above Sailor's Cove, this little Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) perches in the morning sun while waiting for breakfast to swim into view in the waters below.

Normal Birdwatching

Usually when I post photos of birds they are like close-ups though they have been taken with telephoto lenses. Today's photo is what I usually see. Have you noticed the Belted Kingfisher? He's practically dead centre in this photo. By the time I have fumbled around attaching the telephoto lens the bird I have spotted has often flown away. The wooden structure in the background is the Selkirk Trestle that gives its name to this part of the Gorge, known as the Selkirk Waters. The Selkirk Trestle was originally for rail traffic but is now a part of the Galloping Goose Trail for cyclists and pedestrians.

Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)

To complete this week's roundup of recent bird sightings, here is a Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) perched overlooking Lime Bay near Spinnakers Brewpub on the Westsong Walkway.

Watching for Breakfast

It's been like homecoming week on the West Bay Walkway this last few days. Shoreline residents I haven't seen all summer are suddenly reappearing in their old haunts. Above is a Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) perched high above Sailor's Cove in the rigging of a sailboat.

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.

Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)

I mentioned the other day when I posted the photo of the Downy Woodpecker that I had been a stalking him for a long time. Here is another difficult-to-photograph bird that shares the same part of the West Bay Walkway, the Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon). I see this bird almost every time I am down there but it is usually so busy fishing that I generally end up with a series of shots like this. He (or she, I'm not sure) takes off from his perch (left above), then hovers about 20 feet above the water for a few seconds, then dives (right below), usually emerging with a little fish wiggling in that powerful beak, and skims away just above the surface to another perch.