![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/belted-kingfisher-6281b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"belted-kingfisher-6281b-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nThere are very few bird photographers who don’t bellyache about the elusiveness of Belted Kingfishers and I’ve done more than my share of whining about it myself. They rarely allow a close approach and when they almost inevitably fly off before we can get close enough for decent photos they rub salt in our wounds by scolding us with their annoying (in that situation) rattle call.<\/p>\n
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1\/4000, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n I make many dozens of special trips to a pond in the valley (usually once per day) with the sole purpose of looking for kingfishers before I ever find one there and on those rare occasions when I do find one it usually flies off before I can get close enough, even though I’m in my pickup (my “mobile blind”).<\/p>\n I’ve been making those trips without success for many months now but yesterday I finally got lucky with this male. After so many frustrating trips I literally gasped when I spotted him in his fishing tree and he was so intent on his fishing he actually stuck around for a few shots after I drove up.<\/p>\n This is the best photo I could manage before he dove unsuccessfully after a fish and returned to another nearby branch on the same tree where…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/5000, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n the setting was severely cluttered with other branches. Because of the pervasive clutter I’m only including this shot for the interesting pose. My shutter happened to fire just as he was beginning to flip 180\u00b0 on his perch, thus his flared tail, raised wing and turned head.<\/p>\n So there’ll be no great kingfisher shots posted here today. But the first one isn’t bad and for me anytime I can get close enough to a kingfisher in good light for decent photos is something to celebrate.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are very few bird photographers who don’t bellyache about the elusiveness of Belted Kingfishers and I’ve done more than my share of whining about it myself.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/belted-kingfisher-6301b-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"belted-kingfisher-6301b-ron-dudley\\"")
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