{"id":43228,"date":"2016-11-23T06:27:21","date_gmt":"2016-11-23T13:27:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=43228"},"modified":"2026-02-02T13:05:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T19:05:34","slug":"fun-photographing-a-male-belted-kingfisher-at-farmington-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/11\/23\/fun-photographing-a-male-belted-kingfisher-at-farmington-bay\/","title":{"rendered":"Fun Photographing a Male Belted Kingfisher at Farmington Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MaleMale Belted Kingfisher tossing his prey into the air – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/640, ISO 320, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

It was sunny and cool yesterday morning and it felt great to get out into the field. I had fun photographing a male Belted Kingfisher at Farmington Bay<\/span><\/a> as he caught prey and ate it on a post near a little creek. Even though I didn’t have the best light on the kingfisher’s face I loved the action in this frame with the fish in the air and the kingfisher’s bill wide open to catch it.<\/p>\n

Not long after this frame was taken the kingfisher lost this fish when it slipped out of his bill and landed on the ground below the post.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Belted Kingfisher lifting off from a post – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 320, -0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

The Belted Kingfisher was actively hunting yesterday and I had several opportunities to photograph it as it left the post and as he landed on it with prey. In this photo I caught the kingfisher at the moment he left the post.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Belted Kingfisher with tiny fish – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 320, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

And this image was taken right as the kingfisher landed on the post with another tiny fish in his bill. I like the raised wings, the tipped up tail, the view of the kingfisher’s tiny legs and the fish in his bill.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Belted Kingfisher landing with prey – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 320, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

In this next landing pose the kingfisher was getting his balance on the post and then settled in to eat his prey.<\/p>\n

\"BeltedBelted Kingfisher male with a fish in his bill – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 320, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

I took a 113 image burst with the D500 as the kingfisher lifted off, caught the prey, landed on the post and then consumed the prey and never once felt like I needed to worry about my buffer filling up. I am loving the Nikon D500 for photographing birds!<\/p>\n

\"BeltedBelted Kingfisher male shaking his feathers – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 320, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited<\/span><\/p>\n

After the kingfisher ate the tiny fish he shook his feathers off before he flew away. I’m glad this male Belted Kingfisher has stuck around Farmington Bay because it has given me more opportunities to photograph him.<\/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 had fun photographing a male Belted Kingfisher at Farmington Bay as he caught prey and ate it on a post near a little creek. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":168326,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[500,27,1022,697,26],"tags":[4004,2432,4432,8305,4934,4933,4282,4062,4094,3008,5527,8301,8300,4394,4106,4095,373,8917],"class_list":["post-43228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-belted-kingfishers","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-farmington-bay-wma","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-belted-kingfisher","tag-fish","tag-fun","tag-kingfisher","tag-kingfishers","tag-lift-off","tag-male","tag-marsh","tag-megaceryle-alcyon","tag-open-water","tag-photograph","tag-photographing","tag-post","tag-prey","tag-wetlands","tag-winter","tag-wooden-post"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t