Attracting Wild Birds- The Kingfisher

Attracting wild birds is a favorite past time for me. My yard is landscaped to attract wild birds of various groups and types as well as wildlife. There are approximately 26 feeders on the property offering seed, suet, nuts, fruit and nectar. I offer all these foods all year long though in smaller amounts. The reason is at this time of year the yard yields so many natural fresh foods that wild birds. Fruit trees and berry bushes abound attracting fruit eating wild birds such as robins. catbirds, cedar waxwings and mockingbirds. Woodpeckers peck at the figs to entice ants to the fruit so they can lap them up while the flickers feast on the insects attracted to the droppd fruit on the ground. At dusk the bats and swallows swoop in to rid the yard of mosquitos and gnats due to the dampness from the woods behind the yard and the wild trek of garden we created and then let nature do its job. During the day the purple martins, tree swallows and warblers flit by, feeding off the insects in the trees, grasses and flower beds. The salvias, honeysuckle and monarda attract butterflies and moths as well as hummingbirds. The nectar from various flower petals and flowers themselves attract the nectar loving birds such as orioles and hummers. The pond and birdbaths are our water features that help attract wild birds offering fresh water for drinking and bathing. Our pond has a large spillway going to a waterfall and a small brook. There is also a shallow bog area for mud baths and frog nappings. The brook and waterfall create trickling sounds which attract wild birds and creates a certain amount of relaxation for us. Waterlilies shade the fish below while irises, catmint and creeping jenny attract butterflies, dragon and damsel flies. The pond has attracted several frogs which cohabitate with the fish as well as some garden snakes and turtles. On occasion the frogs do grab an unsuspecting victim for dinner but for the most part there seems to be a nice balance of natural tranquility. Well that seemed to go to the wayside today. It seems in our quest to attract wild birds (songbirds and perching birds )for the immediate backyard we have attracted other types of wild birds...hunting birds. While grilling dinner we heard a rattling sound in the tree. Both my husband and I searched the trees trying to find what bird was making the noise. Then we spotted it; we had attracted a belted kingfisher. He was perched on a branch over the pond rattling away while we stood with our eyes watching him to see what we thought he may do. He didn"t disappoint us as if on cue,he dove into the pond scaring everything in and around the pond but thankfully exiting without any fish. I never thought a belted kingfisher would be attracted to the pond. We have had blue heron and night heron eye ball the pond from the roof but never going in it because of the way the pond was constructed. I thought I had planted enough vegetation in the pond to cover the fish and dissaude attracting water hunting wild birds. I have since learned that belted kingfishers are attracted to garden ponds which contain fish and have a perching area for them to dive from. I thought kingfishers liked salt or brackish water but it turns out they like any type of water. They prefer shallow waters such as ponds, streams, rivers and coastline areas. Kingfishers also don't dive completely into the water but break the surface head first to get fish or invertabrates. Kingfishers can also hover the water and dive in to get their food. These wild birds have a long thick spearlike bill to grab their prey. They then flip their prey up in the air and swallow it. Belted kingfishers are shy and usually they are heard before they're seen. That being said, I guess we were fortunate to spot the belted kingfisher in our yard. Luckily he didn't make out with any of the fish though maybe that's why some of the baby fish are disappearing. The belted kingfisher is one of three kingfishers in the United States. Two of the three kingfishers are the green kingfisher and the ringed kingfisher both those are found in Texas and Mexico. Belted kingfishers are not rare but are shy and usually found by their woody rattle noises while in flight. They will protect their territory which is about 500 yards in range. Though our intentions were to attract wild birds to the backyard meaning songbirds and perching birds,we have attracted a differnt group of wild birds inadvertently making bird watching a little more exciting. Though "our" belted kingfisher is a welcomed but yet an unwelcomed guest, for the fish, he has provided us with several visits plunging into the pond and coming out emptied billed. I think he just likes to get a little quick refreshing dive. The Wildlife Federation would be proud of us for creating such a garden spot for attracting wild birds. To attract wild birds to your backyard please visit the website www.WildBirdSeedMart.com. The website offers products to help attract wild birds such as seed, birdbaths and nesting boxes for wild birds. By providing food, water and shelter in your yard you will be helping wild birds and make your yard a wild life sanctuary.