{"id":69002,"date":"2020-04-25T05:27:39","date_gmt":"2020-04-25T11:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=69002"},"modified":"2026-02-03T07:01:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T13:01:17","slug":"focusing-on-belted-kingfishers-high-in-the-wasatch-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/04\/25\/focusing-on-belted-kingfishers-high-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Focusing On Belted Kingfishers High In The Wasatch Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

I spent yesterday morning high up in the Wasatch Mountains<\/span><\/a> where part of the time I focused on photographing the Belted Kingfishers that I found in two counties.<\/p>\n

\"CallingCalling female Belted Kingfisher high in the Wasatch Mountains – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I had stopped to look for small migrant birds in a stand of leafless willows when I heard the chattering of this female Belted Kingfisher not far from where I had parked my Jeep.<\/p>\n

Then I turned the engine back on and moved forward just enough to have a clear view of her. As my “mobile blind” moved forward she turned her back towards me but I was able to take lots of photos of her when she turned her head.<\/p>\n

When she called another distant Belted Kingfisher would reply. I never did see the kingfisher that responded to her calls.<\/p>\n

\"FemaleFemale Belted Kingfisher perched over a mountain pond – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/1600, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The female Belted Kingfisher was perched on a branch that hangs over a pond that was created by beavers that have been busy building dams in the area for several years.<\/p>\n

Just a tiny bit of her rusty belly feathers are shown in this photo near her left wing and the branch she is perched on.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Belted Kingfisher swallowing a fish – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 400, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Later in the morning and in a different county I had parked near a creek to sit, watch and wait to see if any migrating birds would fly in when some movement caught my eye.<\/p>\n

A male Belted Kingfisher had flown in with a small fish and perched where I could photograph him. By the time I got my camera raised and focused on him the fish was no longer visible in his bill but he was still in the process of swallowing it.<\/p>\n

\"BeltedBelted Kingfisher male in flight – Nikon D500, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 400, -1.0 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Because it was getting to be later in the morning the vehicle and foot traffic was getting heavier on the muddy road and when a group of people walked past where I was parked the male kingfisher lifted off and flew to another perch near the creek but farther from the road.<\/p>\n

I took a few more photos of him on the new perch and some of a Turkey Vulture that floated by over the mountains.<\/p>\n

Since the sun was starting to get high in the sky I thanked the kingfisher and started to head towards home. It was a wonderful, sunny, peaceful, and very relaxing morning. I’m very glad that I decided to head up into the mountains.<\/p>\n

I also photographed some Uinta Ground Squirrels yesterday morning and I will share some of those photos tomorrow along with the stories behind the images.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good. Stay safe.<\/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 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":168418,"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":[500,27,4594,1731,26,773],"tags":[4004,9779,2344,2432,4897,6577,4072,3940,3843,4070,4432,4052,4122,4934,4933,4062,3008,4069,4104,1984,5549,30],"class_list":["post-69002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-belted-kingfishers","category-avian","category-morgan-county","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-beaver","tag-beaver-pond","tag-belted-kingfisher","tag-branch","tag-branches","tag-calling","tag-canyon","tag-creek","tag-female","tag-fish","tag-flight","tag-flying","tag-kingfisher","tag-kingfishers","tag-male","tag-megaceryle-alcyon","tag-mountains","tag-perched","tag-pond","tag-swallowing","tag-utah-2"],"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