Most mornings our resident Kingfisher sits on the depth tube waiting for breakfast to swim by. Most days he gets no breakfast. Today, delicious cold YP.

King Video

Nice!!!

Well, not for the perch....

I like watching the birds of prey on a pond. Cool, Dwight!

I've noticed a "resident" kingfisher on our pond over the last 2 months or so. Moves around from high point to high point looking for his next meal. The last two times I've gone down to the pond, he flies around in circles around us sqawking loudly and constantly. I guess he considers it "his" pond now.

I really enjoy seeing kingfishers at the pond. They are cool birds.

I've always thought my kingfishers were only getting FHM. I'll have to watch a little more closely!
Nice video. Does anyone know if they migrate? I'm surprised to see mine are still around. Pond is frozen over.

Mine is still here as well. The pond is frozen but he still comes by sometimes and sits on the pump house. In the summer, he squawks at me when I go near the pond. I have never seen him catch anything but small fish like FHM.

Ah yes the KF!! I have one as well and he loves to sit on top of my make shift deer feeder / fish feeder top! It's nice and flat and a ways out in the water he has a great view and he knows there are fish around!! They are a cool bird and the nice thing is they really can't take anything to big.... You can't mistake the screaming at you for anything else either... You know what it is right away!!

RC

On another bird.

I always thought gold finches left Minnesota in the winter. My empirical data testifies to the fact that they do over winter in Minnesota. Their eating habits change from thistle seed to larger seeds. On our feeders black sunflower seeds are all the rage in the winter time.

Your kingfisher looks quite a bit bigger than the little one I have by my pond. Is there a larger northern variety?

I think my kingfisher may be the 'belted kingfisher' but he is a smaller bird.

I would pay alot of money if my kingfisher and all his relatives came and started targeting my goldfish Maybe I can seine some small goldfish this spring and leave them on the shore as 'chum' for the king of fishers..

Here is one who got a great meal not far from me in Romeo, MI

Great eating!!

Ours is a belted as well. I think the large size is a little optical illusion from the security camera. He certainly doesn't look that big sitting on top of the depth tube.

we have loads of goldfinch in the winter--sometimes over 60. I have nearly 20 feeders filled with BOSS, and those little guys drain them daily. Of course, there are other species as well. It's always a treat in the spring when their colors brighten.

Our resident KF sits on the wood duck house when he hunts. That's the only thing the house has attracted other than starlings.

At the pond yesterday. The KF is taking a break. If he's around, he always lets me know. There's a 17,000 AC lake a few miles west. I'm sure it's got a lot of open water. I'm sure he will be back though if we get a thaw on Monday.

I've got a big peach tree bush at the edge of the yard up at the farm. The other day I looked out and saw eight bright red ornaments on it. It's pretty far back.. The closer I looked at it I saw there were eight male cardinals sitting in it. Perfectly spaced out, as if someone had placed them there.

The belted kingfisher we have is 100% each try. I think there is a reason they are called the king.

We watched the mom kingfisher pluck out minnows from our pond and place them into a large puddle next to the pond for about two hours. Must have moved 4 dozen minnows. Then she brought her baby's to learn to catch them. It was quite the site to see and then a light bulb went off in my head. Maybe another way nature bucket stocks other ponds.

Cheers Don.

You can get the male cardinal sound down loaded to your phone from a bird call app. If you play that they will come right up to you and want to fight. It is quite something.

Cheers Don.