Kingfisher.

8-24-15 VERMONT: We have recovered from the culinary adventures in Cornish and enjoyed a gorgeous day today. The Thetford DPW was here again and succeeded in opening up the clogged culvert. There is still some sand and gravel in it, but it’s open. Now they need to rebuild the parts of the road that was washed out by the water draining around the culvert.

Another fish eater visited a few days ago—a lady kingfisher. Females have a reddish chest band that the males lack. She flew around the pond a few times repeatedly calling in her harsh, loud, rattling cackle. It’s quite distinctive, and you can hear it a long way away and immediately know who it is. After a few circles, she sat on the prow of the rowboat like a figurehead before leaving without a catch. When they do spot a fish, they hover over it and then do a splash dive.

New blooms: chrysanthemum.


Mrs. Kingfisher comes calling.

"I know there's fish in here."

"Where they hiding?"

That unruly hairdo reminds me of Beethoven's pictures.
Here's one a moment after a dive and splash about a year ago.