Picture Of The Week 03-10-08

Where: Chincoteague, VA • Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

Notes: Minutes before capturing this image I had just seen another Kingfisher along the road and mentioned how skittish they were. Sure enough it flew off as I slowly stopped my vehicle. "I have to stop and try, because you never know when the birds want to get their picture taken," I said to my friend. Kingfishers are notably very skittish birds and getting within forty feet or less of one is considered close range in my experience. Minutes later as I walked along the road towards Tom's Cove, I noticed a Kingfisher sitting on a perch along the water-filled ditch ahead. I traveled past the bird in order to get better lighting on it and he stayed perched. Once on the sunny side, I decided to move in closer and it remained perched. Then I got closer and closer; it still sat. Soon I was as close as I wished to get and I continued to take pictures. I was eight feet away! Then my friend Cindy Van Den Boom approached from behind me and the bird stayed perched. We stood and took pictures for an hour or more. This bird simply did not care if we were there. Twice while we stood there it dove into the water below a brought up a minnow, always returning to the same perch. Soon other people stopped and approached to get a shot or two as well. I am still amazed this bird let us stand and photograph it so closely. What a gift!