Worth the wait
The shutdown is upon us. It has been a cold January for Florida so far but compared to up North we are doing fine. The heater has been repaired now so we should be ready for the next arctic blast. Got back from my recent sojourn and planning some more.
The Belted Kingfisher is well known in the bird photography community as one of the most difficult birds to capture because of their extreme skittish behavior around humans. There are several pair on the Broward but as soon as I step out the back door heading to the dock they sound the alarm and fly. The males are identified by the blue band under the neck while the females have a rufous colored “bra” across the belly. A friend in south Florida has been photographing Kingfishers from a blind using a perch over a local pond for about six years. I drove the 200 miles south to sit with him in some blinds before sunrise and waited for the bird to appear. We heard a familiar chitter as the Kingfisher announced its arrival and landed on the perch and began to hunt for minnows. Unfortunately, it was still predawn and there wasn’t sufficient light yet to get a good photo. The hungry Kingfisher ate about four minnows and left.
The morning sun was getting swallowed up by some clouds coming in from the ocean as we waited hours for the bird to return. Finally, the Kingfisher appeared but was very skittish because of the local morning walkers going by with their dogs. I managed to capture only a few images as the sun briefly peeked out before the bird took off again. It returned after about two more hours only to be buzzed by another Kingfisher which scared it off the perch. In the interim a cute Eastern Phoebe paid us a visit. The suns reflection on the water painted a beautiful photo. Although I never got a chance to capture the Kingfisher diving for a minnow the whole trip was well worth the wait. As I headed homebound I determined to make a return trip to try again.
Good things in life are indeed worth the wait. Too often we just don’t have the patience. Our Congress is a prime example. Take time and enjoy the little things when you can. Unlike our pathetic government, they are "always open" to us and It is worth it. Blessings.
Belted Kingfisher, male. This skittish bird is difficult to capture..
I waited five hours in a blind for this shot..it was worth it
An Eastern Phoebe landed on the perch too!
The morning reflection of the colors in the pond gave this Phoebe a painted look
Don't wait too long to capture the joys of life or like this bird it will be gone!
Kingfisher says the good things in life are wroth waiting for...I agree