Except for the boreal north, the belted kingfisher can be see in all of the continent.

During the summer, this bird can be seen in the far northern areas. During the winter, the kingfishers moves to the southwestern desert area, including eastern California, extreme southern Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, as well as western and coastal Texas.

The belted kingfisher is always a solitary bird, well, except when nesting. Look in the backwaters along the edges where this bird will perch and watch the nearby water for fish. Then, he will plunge dive for something to eat. I have seen this bird do many repeated dives into the water for food.

Blue gray above, white underneath with a gray upper chest band creating a white neck band. The female has a rusty breast band below the gray band separated by white. This kingfisher has a heavy dark bill and a thick crest.

Normally, the kingfisher has a bad hair day because of his constant diving into the water to catch his meals.

There is no sun to be seen this morning with the heavily overcast sky.

After the meeting, I drive south out of League City to Alvin, Texas, where I turn on Texas highway 1462 through Roshannon, arriving at Brazos Bend State Park before three pm and find out that there is a ranger guided wildlife walk at four. When the ranger arrives at the pier, he begins to spot both birds and alligators, none of which I had seen before he arrived but I am able to photograph most of them.

Upon arriving on Tuesday afternoon at two, I drive to the water to look for photo opportunities and find a few but the cold front that preceded my arrival is most likely the reason few birds are still on the wing and not in their nests for the evening.

I do see several wading birds, a spoonbill, several herons and then in the late afternoon I see a kingfisher sitting on a hand rail looking weatherworn.