A Belted Kingfisher Duo on the Tuolumne River

Belted Kingfishers (Megaceryle alcyon) have been a regular sight on the Tuolumne Parkway trail over the last couple of years, but they have been very skittish. I might be a hundred yards away, but they'll take off and start hurling Belted Kingfisher obscenities in my direction. Photography has been really tricky.

This morning, though, they weren't nearly so upset when I appeared on the section of the trail overlooking the river. A pair of females were perched on a large tree branch, and even though I was maybe only 150 feet away, they hung around. They didn't fly off until I turned to walk on down the trail.

The rust colored feathers on the breast indicate the female. The males have a white breast.