Field Notes Update

Posing Belted Kingfisher /  by Todd Henson

A beautiful female Belted Kingfisher posing for the camera

As you can probably tell from its name, the Belted Kingfisher is a bird that hangs out around water where it dives below the surface catching fish. They’re fairly easy to identify, having a very distinctive look, behavior, and sound. You’ll often hear them first, sometimes from a fair distance as they have a loud call. If you follow the sound you may be fortunate to see them hovering over the water or diving below it.

One interesting feature of the Belted Kingfisher is that the female is more colorful than the male, unlike most species where the male is the more colorful one. The female has a beautiful rusty band across her stomach, in contrast with the male who’s chest and stomach are white. They both have a white ring around their neck, and are otherwise blue-gray with a great little crest of feathers atop their head.

A female Belted Kingfisher flicking her tail up

A female Belted Kingfisher with her tail down

I was fortunate this particular female landed very close by, perching atop a bare snag, watching the water below. She was quiet while perched, but exhibited interesting physical behaviors, flicking her tail up and down periodically. You can see this in a couple of the photographs, one showing the tail up and the other showing it down.

These photos were created a number of years ago in mid-October at Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax County, Virginia. It’s a fantastic wetlands park, home to many different species, and well worth a visit.

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!

Snapping Turtle Pair in Late August /  by Todd Henson

A pair of Snapping Turtles that appear to be mating in the water. We can see how the male clutches onto the female.

In a recent post we took a look at a small Snapping Turtle hatchling fresh out of the nest. This time we take a look at a pair of adult Snapping Turtles, likely mating. Typically mating occurs in the spring in Virginia, but it can also occur in the fall, as seen in these photos.

I like the interesting patterns of the Snapping Turtles and their reflections.

We only see the male Snapping Turtle clearly in these images, but you can see portions of the female, such as her shell and leg sticking out of the water just under the male. He latches on to her with his claws, which are clearly visible in a couple photos. I don’t know how long this went on for, but the photos in this post span about a 15 minute time frame.

The reflections help create some interesting compositions, here with the male Snapping Turtle angled in the water above the female.

These adults are much larger than the hatchling. Whereas the hatchling’s shell was probably about an inch in length, the adults average 8 - 14 inches and have been seen over 18 inches in Virginia. Factor in their legs, tail, and outstretched head, and they can be quite an imposing sight. But as with most other species, I never tire of them, and I’m always pleased when I have the chance to observe and photograph them.

The male Snapping Turtle peeks its head above the water.

To learn more about Snapping Turtles, especially in Virginia, head over to the Virginia Herpetological Society. They have lots of great info on all sorts of reptiles and amphibians in Virginia.

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!

Pickerel Frog in the Neighborhood /  by Todd Henson

A nice profile picture of a Pickerel Frog resting on some greenery.

It depends where you live, of course, but there is often wildlife to be found in just about any neighborhood. There are usually a variety of birds and insects, and there can also be reptiles and amphibians, such as this small Pickerel Frog. I found this one just behind some houses in the neighborhood.

Looking down on the Pickerel Frog we can see the somewhat squarish shape to the markings on its back.

Viewing the Pickerel Frog from behind. You can see some of the yellow/orange of its underside and the squarish shapes along its back.

Looking down on the front of a Pickerel Frog.

Sometimes frogs will freeze when you find them. They are likely hoping you don’t actually see them, so if they remain still you just might go away. This can provide a great opportunity to get some closeup photographs if you don’t move too fast and scare them. I spent a few minutes photographing this great little amphibian before moving on and leaving it in peace.

Facing down a Pickerel Frog.

Looking closely into the eyes of a Pickerel Frog.

Pickerel Frogs, in my opinion, look very similar to Leopard Frogs, making identifying them a challenge (at least for me). To assist with identification I visited the Virginia Herpetological Society, specifically their page on Pickerel Frogs. On it they had a great image that compared a Pickerel and a Leopard Frog, showing the key differences. One of the more obvious ones was the yellow underside of the Pickerel Frog, which you can see in some of these photos.

A nice simple mostly profile image of a Pickerel Frog.

One of the defining characteristics of the Pickerel Frog is the yellow to orange coloration of the underside of its legs and groin area, as can be seen here. Another feature are the squarish (not circular) spots on its back.

Keep your eyes open next time you’re out and about in your neighborhood. You never know what you might find.

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!