{"id":87741,"date":"2020-07-24T06:16:26","date_gmt":"2020-07-24T12:16:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=87741"},"modified":"2020-07-24T09:31:32","modified_gmt":"2020-07-24T15:31:32","slug":"barn-swallow-repeatedly-attacking-a-belted-kingfisher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/24\/barn-swallow-repeatedly-attacking-a-belted-kingfisher\/","title":{"rendered":"Barn Swallow Repeatedly Attacking A Belted Kingfisher"},"content":{"rendered":"

A couple of weeks ago I documented a Belted Kingfisher being repeatedly attacked by a Barn Swallow<\/a><\/span><\/span>. Yesterday morning it happened again at the same location but this time I managed to get the attacking swallow in several of the photos.<\/p>\n

All photos are presented in the order they were taken.<\/em><\/p>\n

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While I was photographing other birds this immature kingfisher unexpectedly flew in for some fishing from this perch overhanging a mountain stream. At this age it’s tricky to reliably sex kingfishers but I think this one looks more like a female so that’s how I’ll refer to her.<\/p>\n

She was minding her own business when she spotted something coming at her from behind so she…<\/p>\n

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quickly turned on her perch to meet the challenge.<\/p>\n

In this shot I nearly clipped her wings because everything happened so fast and unexpectedly. I hadn’t planned on her raising her wings vertically, instead I’d been expecting her to dive on a fish so I was leaving more room at the bottom of the frame than at the top.<\/p>\n

The speed of the attack…<\/p>\n

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really set her back on her heels.<\/p>\n

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At this point I didn’t know what kind of bird was attacking her but she sure did. She followed it as it passed overhead…<\/p>\n

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and then quickly returned to attack again.<\/p>\n

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This time I caught the source of all the excitement in the frame, an angry and very aggressive Barn Swallow that passed within inches of the kingfisher’s spear-like bill.<\/p>\n

Wouldn’t you know it, the swallow’s shadow was cast directly onto the kingfisher’s head.<\/p>\n

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By now she knew the swallow couldn’t be trusted so she quickly turned on her perch to meet another potential attack.<\/p>\n

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This time I caught the swallow in frame again but just barely.<\/p>\n

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I wasn’t so lucky with the next shot in the burst as the swallow passed overhead but the kingfisher sure had it zeroed in.<\/p>\n

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The next attack came so quickly it took some fancy footwork for her to turn on her perch fast enough to meet it. The twisted position of her left leg makes me wince. That maneuver would have destroyed my knee.<\/p>\n

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Based on the direction she’s looking the swallow must have been coming in at a lower angle so I’m a little surprised that I didn’t catch it in frame but I didn’t.<\/p>\n

I like the position of her flared tail.<\/p>\n

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For the next attack the swallow came in at a completely different angle which was in my direction for the first time but the kingfisher was still fully prepared to fend it off.<\/p>\n

That swallow really had her dancing on her perch.<\/p>\n

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Attack #6 came from my right again but this time…<\/p>\n

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the swallow veered off to its left before it reached her. Good thing for the swallow, the kingfisher’s sharp bill was in a perfect defensive position. Sometimes in attacks like these Barn Swallows physically strike their victims.<\/p>\n

The 6th attack was the last one for a while. After this shot was taken she continued to fish unsuccessfully from this perch for some time before moving on to two more fishing perches. But the swallow attacked her on both of those perches too. And yes, I have photos.<\/p>\n

That was one pissed off little bird.<\/p>\n

Ron<\/p>\n

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Notes: <\/em><\/p>\n