Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)

 

Barry the Birder photos

Belted Kingfisher

The Belted Kingfisher is the only kingfisher found in most of North America.  Two others, the Ringed Kingfisher and the Green Kingfisher are found in lower Texas.

The Belted Kingfisher is common and conspicuous along rivers, brooks, ponds, lakes and estuaries.   

They are rarely found north into summer range and they are solitary except in the nesting season.

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RarrytheBirder

Some favourite Osprey photos...

 

Photos by BarrytheBirder

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BarrytheBirder

Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)

Facing eradication in South Florida

The Purple Swamphen species was introduced to Florida in 1996-1998 near Pembroke Pines where it quickly spread.   It was a non-native invasive species that competed with native wildlife, damaged wetland vegetation and threatened local ecosystems.   It was introduced in Florida after an accidental release after widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

They were strong aggressive birds that dominated or displaced native North American rails, including native birds such as Purple Gallinule and Common Moorhen.

It was targeted for eradication, and between October 2006 and December 2008, state agencies killed over 3,100 swamphens using shotguns from airboats in South Florida.   Officials eventually stopped the active eradication program in late 2008 because complete elimination seemed impossible due to the birds hiding in thick marsh plants.

The Purple Swamphen is a fairly large old world species (L. 18 - 20")

So far this seems to be a story without an end.

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BarrytheBirder

Black-capped Chickadee (Parus atricapillus)

                                                                   

                                                                           Photos by BarrytheBirder

Black cap and bib  and white cheeks quickly identify this wee bird over most of its widespread range in southern Canada and the northern U.S.A. (Alaska to east to Newfoundland and south to Northern California, northern Oklahoma, and northern New Jersey).   This bird is common in open woodlands, clearings, suburbs and it usually forages in thickets or low branches of trees. 

It is tame and inquisitive and a frequent visitor to bird feeders.   Its call is a dry chick-a-dee-dee or dee-dee-dee.

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BarrytheBirder