I was absolutely thrilled to get this image of a female Kingfisher today! You cannot stalk them, they are very elusive and wary of humans. Getting this image was not easy. I had to check out the places I sometimes see them, and then patiently wait, something difficult for me to do. But I forced myself to be still and see if I could see one. Fortunately for me, another visitor to Delta Ponds passed by me and walked on down the path I was on. Evidently he spooked a female kingfisher, and it flew my way, landing on a nearby tree, a perfect spot for me to get some good shots of it. I showed a photo of the bird to him when he came back by. :) The Belted Kingfisher is one of my favorite birds. With most birds, the male is the most colorful. But the lady kingfisher has distinctive features, plus an air of elegance!

Here is what the Cornell Lab of Orthnithology All About Birds has to say:

"With its top-heavy physique, energetic flight, and piercing rattle, the Belted Kingfisher seems to have an air of self-importance as it patrols up and down rivers and shorelines. It nests in burrows along earthen banks and feeds almost entirely on aquatic prey, diving to catch fish and crayfish with its heavy, straight bill. These ragged-crested birds are a powdery blue-gray; males have one blue band across the white breast, while females have a blue and a chestnut band."

"•The Belted Kingfisher is one of the few bird species in which the female is more brightly colored than the male. Among the nearly 100 species of kingfishers, the sexes often look alike. In some species the male is more colorful, and in others the female is."