{"id":102733,"date":"2022-05-28T05:13:55","date_gmt":"2022-05-28T11:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=102733"},"modified":"2022-05-28T05:13:55","modified_gmt":"2022-05-28T11:13:55","slug":"spring-male-belted-kingfisher-portrait","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/05\/28\/spring-male-belted-kingfisher-portrait\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring Male Belted Kingfisher Portrait"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SpringSpring male Belted Kingfisher portrait \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/3200, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I took my first of year male Belted Kingfisher portrait photos three days ago high in the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a> when this bird flew in close to me.<\/p>\n

The male kingfisher had been perched on the other side of a fast flowing alpine creek when he dove for prey. Instead of flying back to where he had been previously perched he flew into a willow thicket which was close to where I had sat in my parked Jeep.<\/p>\n

When circumstances allow I love taking portraits of my subjects because I appreciate the fine details that show in close up photos. I didn’t approach this kingfisher, he approached me.<\/p>\n

As I observed and photographed this male Belted Kingfisher he captured four tiny fish from the creek. Each time he left the branch he was perched on to dive into the water he gave his rattling call.<\/p>\n

The shadow on his bill and the bright willow branch behind his head were unfortunate. But this is a wild bird doing exactly what he wanted to do.<\/p>\n

Me? I felt lucky to be this close to him and in the right spot at precisely the right time.<\/p>\n

After the Belted Kingfisher left and flew out of sight I drove up the road and continued to look for more birds in the mountains. My most exciting find was when I heard a Sora calling later in the morning about 10 miles away from where I photographed the kingfisher. I typically don’t think of Soras as high country birds.<\/p>\n

Over the next few days I probably won’t be out in the field much because we are supposed to get some much needed rain. I hope we do get the moisture. Everything is so dry here already and the hot, dry days of summer haven’t even begun.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Belted Kingfisher photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I took my first of year male Belted Kingfisher portrait photos three days ago high in the Wasatch Mountains when this bird flew in close to me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":102730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[500,27,1731,26,773],"tags":[4004,2432,3940,4142,3843,4934,4933,4062,3008,4069,4104,4046,9626,165,6070,902],"class_list":["post-102733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-belted-kingfishers","category-avian","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-belted-kingfisher","tag-canyon","tag-close-up","tag-creek","tag-kingfisher","tag-kingfishers","tag-male","tag-megaceryle-alcyon","tag-mountains","tag-perched","tag-portrait","tag-riparian-habitat","tag-spring","tag-willow-thicket","tag-willows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/belted-kingfisher-male-close-up-mia-mcpherson-8772.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-qIZ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":93958,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/08\/24\/male-belted-kingfisher-plus-a-rare-migrant-northern-waterthrush\/","url_meta":{"origin":102733,"position":0},"title":"Male Belted Kingfisher Plus A Rare Migrant Northern Waterthrush","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"If I hadn't been sitting exactly where I was at the time I was photographing the Belted Kingfisher I would have missed out on seeing this rare Northern Waterthrush.","rel":"","context":"In "Belted Kingfishers"","block_context":{"text":"Belted Kingfishers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/kingfishers\/belted-kingfishers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Belted Kingfisher in a willow portrait, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-summer-mia-mcpherson-4920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-summer-mia-mcpherson-4920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-summer-mia-mcpherson-4920.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-summer-mia-mcpherson-4920.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":87271,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/05\/10\/male-belted-kingfisher-and-pussy-willows\/","url_meta":{"origin":102733,"position":1},"title":"Male Belted Kingfisher And Pussy Willows","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Saturday morning I was delighted when a male Belted Kingfisher flew in and perched in front of pussy willow catkins high in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Belted Kingfishers"","block_context":{"text":"Belted Kingfishers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/kingfishers\/belted-kingfishers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Belted Kingfisher in front of pussy willows, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/belted-kingfisher-male-pussywillows-mia-mcpherson-5450.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/belted-kingfisher-male-pussywillows-mia-mcpherson-5450.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/belted-kingfisher-male-pussywillows-mia-mcpherson-5450.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/belted-kingfisher-male-pussywillows-mia-mcpherson-5450.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-mountains-mia-mcpherson-2232.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-mountains-mia-mcpherson-2232.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-mountains-mia-mcpherson-2232.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-mountains-mia-mcpherson-2232.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":91937,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/07\/09\/immature-and-adult-male-belted-kingfisher-images\/","url_meta":{"origin":102733,"position":3},"title":"Immature And Adult Male Belted Kingfisher Images","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Three days ago I was delighted to have both an immature and an adult male Belted Kingfisher in my viewfinder as I sat next to a creek in the mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Belted Kingfishers"","block_context":{"text":"Belted Kingfishers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/kingfishers\/belted-kingfishers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Excited adult male Belted Kingfisher, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/beleted-kingfisher-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-0494.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/beleted-kingfisher-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-0494.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/beleted-kingfisher-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-0494.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/beleted-kingfisher-adult-male-mia-mcpherson-0494.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":70964,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/06\/19\/in-my-viewfinder-belted-kingfisher-male-up-close\/","url_meta":{"origin":102733,"position":4},"title":"In My Viewfinder: Belted Kingfisher Male Up Close","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"It is always a thrill when birds fly in close to me and that is what happened yesterday with a handsome male Belted Kingfisher.","rel":"","context":"In "Belted Kingfishers"","block_context":{"text":"Belted Kingfishers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/kingfishers\/belted-kingfishers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Belted Kingfisher close up, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-male-mia-mcpherson-7262.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-male-mia-mcpherson-7262.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-male-mia-mcpherson-7262.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/belted-kingfisher-male-mia-mcpherson-7262.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":69002,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/04\/25\/focusing-on-belted-kingfishers-high-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":102733,"position":5},"title":"Focusing On Belted Kingfishers High In The Wasatch Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I spent yesterday morning high up in the Wasatch Mountains where part of the time I focused on photographing the Belted Kingfishers that I found in two counties.","rel":"","context":"In "Belted Kingfishers"","block_context":{"text":"Belted Kingfishers","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/kingfishers\/belted-kingfishers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Belted Kingfisher male in flight, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, 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