Tale of The Kingfisher

kathy · Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Posts: 10

Thought I'd give Mr. Kingfisher his own posting away from
the heron thread.

One winter a Kingfisher showed up at my pond and took advantage
of the aspen tree next to the pond as a launching pad from which to
purloin fish.
ak!!
Put in a fake plastic fish anchored to a rock. Mr. Kingfisher showed
up for his afternoon snack. Zoom - into the water he went but this
time
he came out without a fish! I could tell he had gone for the fake
fish.
He shook himself off, chattered about it a bit and in he went again.
Out again and no fish! Well, now he was good and mad! He bounced
around on the branches, talked himself into another attempt and in
he went. Out again and still no fish! You've never seen a wetter or
madder
bird. All in all, he dove in six times that day trying to get the
dratted
fake fish out of the pond. All six times he came back out with an
empty beak. I *almost* felt sorry for him...

k Smile

Archived from group: rec>ponds>moderated

~ jan · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 276

On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:36:19 CST, kathy wrote:

>Thought I'd give Mr. Kingfisher his own posting away from
>the heron thread.
>
>One winter a Kingfisher showed up at my pond and took advantage
>of the aspen tree next to the pond as a launching pad from which to
>purloin fish.
>ak!!
>Put in a fake plastic fish anchored to a rock. Mr. Kingfisher showed
>up for his afternoon snack. Zoom - into the water he went but this
>time he came out without a fish! I could tell he had gone for the fake
>fish.
>He shook himself off, chattered about it a bit and in he went again.
>Out again and no fish! Well, now he was good and mad! He bounced
>around on the branches, talked himself into another attempt and in
>he went. Out again and still no fish! You've never seen a wetter or
>madder bird. All in all, he dove in six times that day trying to get the
>dratted fake fish out of the pond. All six times he came back out with an
>empty beak. I *almost* felt sorry for him...
>
>k Smile

Which goes to show, as long as you don't live in TN, a fake fish will work.
Wink

~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

Hal · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 138

On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:36:19 CST, kathy wrote:

>He bounced
>around on the branches, talked himself into another attempt and in
>he went. Out again and still no fish! You've never seen a wetter or
>madder
>bird. All in all, he dove in six times that day trying to get the
>dratted
>fake fish out of the pond. All six times he came back out with an
>empty beak. I *almost* felt sorry for him...

Glad it worked for you!
--
Hal Middle Georgia, Zone 8
http://tinyurl.com/2fxzcb

Reel McKoi · Joined: 27 Sep 2007 Posts: 385

"~ jan" wrote in message @4ax.com...
> On Mon, 28 Jan 2008 18:36:19 CST, kathy wrote:
>
>>Thought I'd give Mr. Kingfisher his own posting away from
>>the heron thread.
>>
>>One winter a Kingfisher showed up at my pond and took advantage
>>of the aspen tree next to the pond as a launching pad from which to
>>purloin fish.
>>ak!!
>>Put in a fake plastic fish anchored to a rock. Mr. Kingfisher showed
>>up for his afternoon snack. Zoom - into the water he went but this
>>time he came out without a fish! I could tell he had gone for the fake
>>fish.
>>He shook himself off, chattered about it a bit and in he went again.
>>Out again and no fish! Well, now he was good and mad! He bounced
>>around on the branches, talked himself into another attempt and in
>>he went. Out again and still no fish! You've never seen a wetter or
>>madder bird. All in all, he dove in six times that day trying to get the
>>dratted fake fish out of the pond. All six times he came back out with an
>>empty beak. I *almost* felt sorry for him...
>>
>>k Smile

>
> Which goes to show, as long as you don't live in TN, a fake fish will
> work.
====================================
What a tale! That Kingfisher sounds like that male Cardinal we had here
that was abnormally stupid and unable to learn. What bird would ignore all
the other fish in a pond and keep going for, and wasting it's time on the
one it couldn't get? The special decoy? =:-O

BTW the Cardinal actually killed itself against the winow fighting it's own
reflection for days. The glass was streaked with it's blood. When I covered
that window it moved to another window. Like some humans, other creatures
are also born unable to learn.

The next Kingfisher may be smarter and not ignore all the other fish to
obsess on a decoy it can't get. Wink

--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ } ~~~ }

kathy · Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Posts: 10

Have not seen the kingfisher this year. He usually shows up
in December and January. Wonder if that particular kingfisher went
to the great aviary in the sky? This has been a harsher winter than
normal. otoh, they are year round residents in this area and the
big river is open. Right now the pond is frozen and covered with
8 inches of snow - pretty darn good bird protection there! Smile

)

k

~ jan · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 276

>What a tale! That Kingfisher sounds like that male Cardinal we had here
>that was abnormally stupid and unable to learn.

Kathy, thankfully you & I live in a state where all the birds appear to be
abnormally stupid.

As far as movement, my fake fish move from the currents/flow in the pond. A
smart Kingfisher will go for the smaller fish, why they choose the fake
fish. Once the bird makes that first splash the rest of the fish go into
hiding. As far as the heron, it is going for the bright, yet easily
accessible fake fish close to the side of a pond.

IMHO, the reason a heron can clean out a pond is because of it's stealth
while fishing. As long as they can grab without much splash the rest of the
school has no clue what is going on. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

kathy · Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Posts: 10

Washington, where all the ponds are peaceful, all the children
above average, and all the birds abnormally stupid...!

k Smile

(celebrating a no school snow day!! along with 29
above average fourth graders!)

Reel McKoi · Joined: 27 Sep 2007 Posts: 385

"kathy" wrote in message @k2g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> Have not seen the kingfisher this year. He usually shows up
> in December and January. Wonder if that particular kingfisher went
> to the great aviary in the sky?

It wouldn't surprise me. Like that Cardinal, it couldn't have been too
intelligent.

This has been a harsher winter than
> normal. otoh, they are year round residents in this area and the
> big river is open. Right now the pond is frozen and covered with
> 8 inches of snow - pretty darn good bird protection there! Smile

)

I've only seen them in the warmer months here in middle TN.
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ } ~~~ }

Reel McKoi · Joined: 27 Sep 2007 Posts: 385

"kathy" wrote in message @v4g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> Washington, where all the ponds are peaceful, all the children
> above average, and all the birds abnormally stupid...!
>
> k Smile

(celebrating a no school snow day!! along with 29
> above average fourth graders!)
==========================

Please send us all your stupid birds and I'll send you all our smarties.
Smile

--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ } ~~~ }