Welcome to the first week of Birdtober! So far this week we've had:
Today's bird is a Kingfisher. The US calendar calls for a Belted Kingfisher and the Ugandan one for a Pied Kingfisher. In 2023 I posted about how rich I felt because I had seen eight different kingfisher species. Then, just a few days ago, I saw a ninth: the Giant Kingfisher. So that's what I'm writing about today.
Photo Source: eBird.com
Giant Kingfisher
More than sixteen inches long,
Cackling, squeaky, squawky song.
They catch fish, then beat it senseless —
Never could be called defenseless.
No sooner fledged than they start diving,
Swooping, hunting, just plain thriving.
©Ruth Bowen Hersey
4 comments:
Love watching the kingfishers near me. Like the herons- observing, seeing unexpected bounty, then snatching... much like us poets searching for our muse and the words to tell our stories. Thanks for sharing:) Cathy
I don't see many until I find a wooded stream but even the small ones here in Colorado are wonderful. Love the video & poem, Ruth, "defenseless" they are not!
I remember your 2023 Kingfisher posts -- and still am jealous of seeing such beauties! I hold tight to a memory of my one and only spotting while traveling in Australia in the '80s. Such fun!
Thanks for this glimpse at such an interesting bird. I've never seen a Kingfisher.
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