Purple martin dive bombing a Belted kingfisher
while defending its nest
Budd Inlet
Olympia, WA
July 12, 2015
During breeding season, birds are very vigilant when it comes to protecting their nest. While observing the Purple martins nesting on Budd Inlet in Olympia, I was able to see several instances of the small birds warning off much larger birds, including crows and gulls.
In this sequence, a male Purple martin swoops down and frightens a Belted kingfisher who has perched on a piling near the martin's nest box. The kingfisher took flight and did not return again that morning.
Crow being dive bombed by a Purple martin