Belted Kingfisher – A Diving Takeoff

Yesterday in the mountains I had some luck with a male Belted Kingfisher.

In these particular photos the luck I refer to involved getting close enough for a pretty nice diving shot of such an elusive species but it certainly didn’t include getting a clean background. There’s clutter galore here.

 

1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in

I’d already parked my pickup near a stream in an effort to photograph other birds when the male kingfisher flew in with the intention of doing a little fishing. Even though I had an almost perfectly clear view of him he was perched on a branch that was surrounded by oodles of other branches and twigs so the setting is incredibly busy. My best chance for a photo I liked better was to catch him in a diving takeoff as he dove on a fish below and in front of him.

But with kingfishers those kinds of shots are unusually difficult. Small fish usually only stay at the water’s surface very briefly so kingfishers have developed incredibly quick diving takeoffs in order to get to the fish in time.

For me in this situation “air shots” are the rule rather than the exception. Photos of the perch with nary a bird or even a feather in the frame are my usual result. If I’m lucky I only clip or cut off part of the bird. But this time I somehow (don’t ask me how) anticipated his dive and began firing a quick burst just before he launched.

This photo is file #4136 in the burst (just the file number, not the number of photos in the burst – it was a short burst). When it was taken I’m sure he’d already locked onto the fish.

 

 

1/4000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in

And this one, taken 1/10 second later, is file #4137. Dang they’re quick.

I really like his diving posture, I have excellent light on the bird and a catch light in his eye and though the clutter is still there at least the kingfisher is in front of it all. He could be slightly sharper, his tail in particular, but in my view he’s sharp enough, especially for a diving kingfisher.

I got other diving and perched shots I like of this guy that I’ll probably post sometime fairly soon but despite the clutter I decided to use this one as my introductory photo of him on Feathered Photography.

Diving kingfisher shots have always been high on my ‘holy grail’ short list. Holy grail may seem like an exaggeration but for me it really isn’t, at least not much.

Ron

 

 

31 Comments

  1. Diane Bricmont

    Simply spectacular, Ron! I can almost see the judges on the bank holding up perfect 10s! That’s a really tough shot to get. Poor fish doesn’t stand a chance!

    • “I can almost see the judges on the bank holding up perfect 10s!”

      That brought a smile on an otherwise grim day for all of us. Thanks for that, Diane.

  2. Your photos of Kingfishers roosting and diving are both entertaining and amazing
    Roosting: the crest is pure punk with attitude.
    Diving: stealth mode with the crest laying down.

    You have added to your holy grail short list, although for you I think it’s akin to Zeno’s paradox.

  3. Love these images, even with the clutter. Although, dry branch/twig clutter can be pretty … unpretty. However, there’s no taking away from the beauty of this little bird! Congratulations on getting ever nearer your goal of kingfisher-diving perfection! 😉

  4. Wow.
    I understand why the kingfisher likes/uses the clutter. And I love that, for a change, it didn’t stop you getting these stunning photos.
    Loud applause.
    Even you have to admit that while the Holy Grail might not be (but should be) on your mantlepiece you at least got to hold it.

  5. Charlotte Norton

    Marvelous shots Ron!
    Thanks for sharing!

  6. Oh just WOW! Saying anything else is just ridiculously redundant! I’m so impressed that you got this shot that I don’t even have the words! WELL DONE and Congratulations to my favorite photog! 😉
    I suspect getting a diving or perched shot without all the surrounding clutter is another Holy Grail. After all, they LIKE that surrounding clutter since it’s a protection against predators so they can concentrate on fishing! Add to that they’re beyond quick and there you have it! Just FYI, luck and/or serendipity are really good things. I’ve known many race drivers and racing photogs who’ve said they’d rather be lucky than good any day, so just go with that! Luck and instincts are very good things!
    The only time I’ve gotten to see belted Kingfishers is when I lived in Dallas, adjacent to White Rock Lake park. I spent a lot of time there, watching the enormous variety of birds and other critters (on the few times when humans vacated the place). It was my peace place along with my back yard where I made a bird, hawk, screech owl and squirrel haven. I loved that place and hated to leave it, but leaving was necessary. Of course, the bird/critter love moved with me 😉

    • “they’d rather be lucky than good any day”

      Laura, in bird photography as in most things a little of both is usually best. Thank you.

  7. Very nice! makes dry spells worth the wait.

    “Holey grail” I like that term. My search is more reflective of Monty Python’s style.

  8. Well done! Not sure if it’s the angle or if I need new glasses, but either his head is really small or his beak is really big. He looks out of proportion to me (compared with other Belted Kingfisher shots).

    • His proportions look pretty normal to me, Marty. Maybe what you’re seeing is because in that shot he has his head pulled in a little, making his neck appear thicker. I dunno…

  9. Fantastic! Perfect timing. It looks as it his eyes never left the fish…true lock-on. Clutter for this bird is a given and it just adds to the feat you accomplished! Thanks for giving the rest of us hope…maybe…someday…😂

    • “Clutter for this bird is a given”

      That’s very close to the absolute truth, Kathy. But some clutter is worse than others and this collection isn’t my favorite, especially in the first shot.

  10. Congratulations, Ron! Just amazing photos, especially 4137!! You captured the bird’s determined stare and his outstretched wing position beautifully. That photo is just exceptional. I have taken so many nice photos of power lines, branches, bodies of water and empty skies trying to photograph a kingfisher. You must be very proud of capturing this handsome dude in a dive. Did he catch the fish? (I thought you explained the numbering system quite well)

    • Thanks, Melanie. Can’t remember if he caught this particular fish. He dove 3 or 4 times from different perches and only caught one but I never actually saw the fish and don’t remember if it was this attempt or not.

  11. Wonderful shots Ron, I still haven’t perfected getting a decent shot of a Kingfisher. Somehow, either the roads are not in the right place when the Kingfisher lands on the branch or I’m in the wrong place when he/she takes off. Even my still shots are subpar. Many thanks for sharing.

    • Thanks, Dick. This species is known as a difficult subject for very good reason.

      • Man, if I only had a camera way back when I did a ton of canoeing. Had close-up views of the female going into a burrow. Flying to the burrow, going inside and flying away. Man those old memories are still vivid!

  12. I’m with Judy. These guys are tough! Good job.

  13. Everett Sanborn

    Ron – having tried and failed at this so often I take my hat off to you. Great shots. Their diving departure is so quick and so hard to follow. High fives for your efforts here.

    • Thanks very much, Everett. Yup, diving shots are tough but perseverance and luck occasionally come through for the photographer. Very occasionally…

  14. #4136 and 4137 in the “burst”? GEEZ I’d never last that long! 😉 I’ll take either of those photos ANY day! Hell, I can’t get them coming off the power line over the creek half the time! 🙂 NICE work, Ron! 🙂

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