Waiting
Things have been pretty quiet on the Broward recently. There are only a few birds around in the mornings. Recently I have been watching the sunsets and early evenings just to get a few extra photographs. Some winter guests are preparing to leave. The Canada Geese were still on Goose Pond though. The coming of spring must have some of the birds off somewhere building nests and preparing for a new brood of young ones. The Easter Bunny isn’t the only one who is leaving colored eggs behind.
A few evenings ago I was sitting waiting and watching the sunset when Spunky the female Belted Kingfisher flew right over my head without seeing me and landed on the copula roof. A few moments later she dove headfirst into the water beneath my feet, completely submerging. Not wanting to scare her, I remain still. She flies up out of the water with a fish in her beak and lands on the railing right in front of me. Then she realizes I am there. I never saw her move so fast in my life and she is quick. I was unable to raise the camera fast enough but will not soon forget the surprised look on her face. She couldn’t say anything with her beak full but I could see in her eyes what she was thinking, and it wasn’t nice. I did catch her as she flies by later still perturbed at me. As I was walking back down the dock in the same evening her mate “Funky” the male flew near and went into a hover right in front of me. Funky can be distinguished from the female because he does not have the tan band of feathers around the chest like Spunky. These birds can hover in a spot like a helicopter while watching for signs of a fish below. Then they dive faster than the eye can see. You might recognize one shot I used for my Easter Greeting. He hangs in the air for only a few moments. I don’t know if it was the fact there were no fish or seeing me pointing a camera right at him that caused him to suddenly dip and scoot out of there. I bet they have some things to say to each other about me tonight. But I sure appreciate the photo opportunity. I have been trying to get a close up of a hover for some time now. Good things do come to those who wait.
Waiting is hard sometimes. We want something to happen and happen now, on our terms. Life just isn’t like that though is it? Sometimes the things we want and wait for never seem to come. Sometimes what arrives is not what we wanted at all. Sometimes it does come and after it is there we wonder why we wanted it in the first place. Just be patient next time. Why any day that Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes van is going to pull right up to your front door. APRIL FOOLS! In the meantime have a cup of coffee. Be Blessed
Spunky the female Belted Kingfisher wings by after I surprised her.
Appearing to hang in mid air, Funky the male Belted King Fisher goes into a hover.
My shutter speed of 1/1250th of second catches the wing movements in the hover.
All my eyes see are the blur of wings.
Funky appears motionless peering down into the river.
His tiny wings are outstretched like an Angels wings.
His eyes catch movement, I think mine!
Funky dips his wings and looks at me.
And off he goes. But it was worth the wait.