{"id":59048,"date":"2019-07-16T04:57:45","date_gmt":"2019-07-16T10:57:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=59048"},"modified":"2026-02-03T06:21:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T12:21:09","slug":"male-belted-kingfisher-surveying-his-mountain-canyon-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/07\/16\/male-belted-kingfisher-surveying-his-mountain-canyon-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Male Belted Kingfisher Surveying His Mountain Canyon Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MaleMale Belted Kingfisher in a mountain canyon – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 640, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in early June I had the opportunity to photograph a male Belted Kingfisher up close high in the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a> but due to circumstances beyond my control I missed those shots.<\/p>\n

It was early in the morning and when I drove near a creek I could see the male kingfisher perched on a dead tree close to the road so I focused on driving up to him very slowly hoping that I wouldn’t cause him to take flight.<\/p>\n

When I stopped my Jeep and turned off the engine the kingfisher held steady on his perch and I reached for my camera, raised it and started to lock my focus on the bird sitting out in the beautiful morning light.<\/p>\n

I’d been so focused on the bird that I didn’t notice another vehicle coming up the road behind me which promptly flushed the kingfisher as it passed my Jeep before I could fire a shot. A few curse words were said.<\/p>\n

The male Belted Kingfisher moved further away from me in my Jeep but I was still able to take a few images of him on the perch he landed on with emerald green shrubbery in the background.<\/p>\n

I wish I’d been able to have a few more seconds with the kingfisher before that vehicle came by and flushed it because I know those photos would have been beautiful but I do accept that there will be frustrations when it comes to bird photography because it is part of the territory.<\/p>\n

Today, more than a month later, I can still see this male Belted Kingfisher lit up and gorgeous on that first closer perch in my mind’s eye and I wish I could share images of him on it surveying his mountain canyon home.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good even when it is frustrating.<\/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":"

Back in early June I had the opportunity to photograph a male Belted Kingfisher up close high in the Wasatch Mountains but due to circumstances beyond my control I missed those shots.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":168403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_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":[500,27,1731,26,773],"tags":[4004,2432,3940,3843,1023,4934,4933,4062,3008,6481,4104],"class_list":["post-59048","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-creek","tag-frustrations-in-bird-photography1","tag-kingfisher","tag-kingfishers","tag-male","tag-megaceryle-alcyon","tag-mountain","tag-perched"],"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