Belted Kingfisher
“On January 13 I observed two lingering male Belted Kingfishers, one at the Spurwink River Crossing perched on a high snag and a second one along the portion of Sawyer Road that traverses the Spurwink Marsh.”
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Strangely one of the first sightings I have had in some time, on Labor Day there was a male belted kingfisher perched on a snag along the Spurwink River.
Notable mentioning’s over the first two weeks of October include a close encounter between a Pileated Woodpecker and a Belted Kingfisher within “Robinson Woods III”, a Barred Owl calling before dusk almost every night in Robinson Woods I, a slight uptick in Red-breasted Nuthatches and Blackpoll Warblers high and low.
On November 2nd my wife spotted a Belted Kingfisher flying over the Jordan family pastures as you approach Pond Cove.
The following day my wife spotted her first of year male Belted Kingfisher along the fringes of Robinson Woods III / Pond Cove.
Later in the morning a Norther Flicker made its presence known and a male Belted Kingfisher was spotted and heard along the fringes of the upper pond area within Robinson Woods II.
Other noteworthy mentionings include: on June 5 in Robinson Woods II – a raspy cry from a fledgling Barred Owl accompanied by the mechanical rattle of a Belted Kingfisher and three different singing thrushes, Hermit, Wood and Veery.
Also, on July 11 within Robinson Woods I and II the following birds were observed or heard: Belted Kingfisher, Northern Flicker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Common Yellowthroat, Pine and Black-throated Green Warblers were all singing.
Observations over the first two weeks of September include, on the 5th within Robinson Woods, six American Redstarts, three Wood Duck youths, a Belted Kingfisher, two Eastern Wood-Peewees, one female Black-throated Blue Warbler and several Cedar Waxwings hawking insects over Pond Cove.
In the second week of October along the Spurwink Marsh I recorded seeing a Belted Kingfisher, a first of season Northern Harrier, a single Lesser Yellowlegs, eight Great Egrets, two Great Blue Herons and one Snowy Egret.
On this same day I came across a male Belted Kingfisher perched in an old Birch tree along the Spurwink River Crossing.
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Lastly, on April 10 along a separate section of the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, I observed a male Belted Kingfisher, three Snowy Egrets and a single Tree Swallow.
Slightly larger than a robin, this secretive bird has an endless array of unique songs interspersed between mimicry of many other birds including Kingfishers, Goldfinches, Scarlet Tanagers and Carolina Wrens.
Additional mentionings from across town include a male Belted Kingfisher and many Cedar Waxwings sallying and gleaning over the Pond Cove brook corridor in Robinson Woods III, Seven Piping Plovers along Kettle Cove Beach on July 29 and an Artic Tern…
Lastly, on September 11 in Robinson Woods III, I noted a total of twelve Red-breasted Nuthatches, six Cedar Waxwings, a Belted Kingfisher fishing and four young Wood Ducks, their bright red eyes and red and white bills illuminated by last rays of the setting sun.
On January 13 I observed two lingering male Belted Kingfishers, one at the Spurwink River Crossing perched on a high snag and a second one along the portion of Sawyer Road that traverses the Spurwink Marsh.
…on February 6 three Brown Creepers were foraging in an old White Oak Tree along Shore Road and on February 9 along the Spurwink River two male Common Goldeneye ducks performed brief courtship displays including the “head throw kick” while a Belted Kingfisher unleashed its wild rattling call directly overhead.
And on September 8 along the Spurwink Marsh section of Sawyer Road I noted a single Belted Kingfisher, five Snowy Egrets, four Great Egrets and one Great Blue Heron.
Travelling on from there to Spurwink River Crossing I discovered two Willets and a Belted Kingfisher perched directly below an adult Bald Eagle in an old Snag along the river.
Nearby, a Belted Kingfisher perched watchfully, an Osprey hovered in the distance, several Killdeer darted about, and two vociferous Willets called out.