I have long wanted to get a good shot of a Belted Kingfisher. They are so shy and elusive, I always had trouble getting close enough. The other day, I was able to get a nice photo of this male Kingfisher with the long zoom on my camera. I was thrilled! The photo was shot at Delta Ponds.

One time, while at Alton Baker Park, I heard a loud crash in the water by the trail. I thought it was a branch from a tree hitting the water. When I looked, out from under the surface came a Belted Kingfisher, flying away. I couldn't tell if it had a fish. It all happened so fast that I just stood there in shock. When I finally recovered, all I got was a shot of its tail as it flew off.

Some interesting information about the Kingfisher: http://birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/belted_kingfisher