Munson Pond, and the kingfisher story - October 22nd, 2013

Yesterday, I went to Munson Pond - again. Looking for Greater White-fronted Geese - again.

I started at the usual spot; the beginning of Munson Road. Practically ALL of the migrants have left in a very short period of time. Only a juvy White-crowned Sparrow and two Yellow-rumped Warblers were in the usually productive scrubby patch. But, to my surprise, when I looked twice at a massive flock of starlings and RW Blackbirds on a wire, I noticed that at least 1/3rd of the birds were doves. Yes, doves! Both Mourning and Eurasian-Collared were noted, and I counted at least 30 birds of both species.

Walking along again, the yards I passed were dead; no birds. Finally, as I neared the pond, the action ( or what was left of it ) picked up. A nice Cooper's Hawk glided along overhead, as did a pair of grunting Great Blue Herons. At the pond, I was greeted with a beautiful outlay of fall foliage :

 

Then, some good ol' Canada Geese moved into picture :

 

 

One of the omnipresent Belted Kingfishers was calling quite close, and I then found her ( yep, a her, the brown partial belly-band and all. ) She was calling raucously at me in a most disgraceful way, and was perched right by the water on a lamp-post.

To try to get a picture was another story. I crept slowly up, hiding behind some trees, but the smart kingfisher spotted me through a teeny-weenie hole in the leaves. She chattered at me in utter disgust, and took off. Sure enough, as soon as I moved back on to the road, she ( of course ) returned to her perch and again beaked off. This cycle continued for at least an hour : of me sneaking up, turning my camera slowly to fire, then the bird taking off. I just had to laugh at the bird's laser-beam eye; seeing where I was at all times. But the kingfisher's silliness of coming back to the same area when I wasn't there at that precise moment was amusing - and frustrating for the photographer side of me.

Finally, I was able to fire a decent couple shots : one of her on one of her favourite perches, and one of her on a telephone wire.

 

Belted Kingfisher

 

 

After an hour and a half of trying to get a shot of the kingfisher and scanning through the hundreds of

Canada Geese for a Greater White-fronted ( I didn't find one ), it was time to call it quits.

 

On the way out, I got three more species of birds of prey : American Kestrel, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Red-tailed Hawk. There also was a bird calling that may be a Common Grackle!!! I have a recording, so I'll post it when I can.