Belted Kingfisher in Schomberg ~ in January

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Photo by Barry Wallace

I was in Schomberg on Wednesday of this week and dropped into The Grackle coffee-house, on Main Street, where I met Mary Asselstine.   I told her I was in Schomberg looking for pictures for my blog-sites. Mary immediately asked if I knew about the Belted Kingfisher in the village, at the storm-water retention pond just west of the Kitchen Breedon Manor.   I quickly forgot about getting a coffee and headed over to the pond Mary mentioned.   I have known Mary for several years. She is a very knowledgeable nature-lover, conservationist and naturalist and I was sure she was correct about the Kingfisher, even if the temperatures recently had been well below freezing.   As soon as I got out of my Jeep near the pond, I could hear the distinctive call of a kingfisher.   I had my camera with me and desperately wanted to get a photo of this bird.   I stayed about 15 minutes and heard it several more times but didn't see it and didn't get a photo.   The kingfisher photo above is one I took a couple of years ago, elsewhere in King.   Schomberg is just a wee bit north of the northern winter range limit for kingfishers.   They can be found along the north shores of both Lake Ontario and Erie in winter.   Rarely, if there is open water in ponds and streams, such as the case in Schomberg seems to be, over-wintering kingfishers will show up to fish in those open waters.   Such is the case here, it seems.   Milder temperatures are predicted for the next week or so, so this kingfisher will likely be a regular visitor for a while.   Thanks Mary ... great sighting.
Please comment if you wish.
Barry Wallace