Question: What are halcyon days?
Answer: According to Greek legend, Alcyone's husband drowned in a storm and so great was her grief, the gods permitted him to live again as a kingfisher. Alcyone also was metamorphosed into a kingfisher. The gods provided that every year there should be from 7-14 days when the sea lies still and calm so that Alcyone might tend her floating nest. This calm period has become known as the halcyon days, the days of peace and tranquillity.
The scientific name of the Belted Kingfisher common in Southwest Florida is Ceryle alcyon.
Pronunciation: Halcyon -- hal' si-en
Source: 10,001 Titillating Tidbits of Avian Trivia by Frank S. Todd