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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Kingfishers (2 Viewers)

River Rea - 7.30
Twice the kingfisher flew down the river and then back up with speed and purpose, maybe with a fish for the brood? A heron was also present no doubt waiting for the good size shoal of 20+ fish that were present in one deeper part of the river.
 
River Rea - 8.00
No KF on the stretch I checked, maybe no third brood here either. I'm hopeful they are further along the River. There were a pair of Grey Wagtail and a pair of Heron.
River Cole - 8.30
A kingfisher pair, banked, fly pass!! They twisted and turned as they went past taking a long bend at high speed. No calling though, I wonder if they got a third brood or if it was a juvenile being chased. It was great!!!!
 
Woodbrook / The Bourn / Bournville - 4.00
First there was one kingfisher and it surprised me as it appeared to skim the water as it flew past. Never seen that before. Then just when I got over that, I saw one fly past and then another. Another two kingfisher!! No calls though. They of course could be from the Rea as there are a few sightings along the Bourn on BTO, as they head back and forth to the Rea. Great to see them. A four kingfisher Saturday!!
 
Went to Plantsbrook LNR today had a great view of a Kingfisher at aptly named Kingfisher pool it had 4 attempts at catching fish and was finally successful on the 5th attempt. It appeared as if it was a juvenile
 
River Rea 8.30
I thought I was going to be out of luck, then in the distance I heard a chirp noise approaching. Then the kingfisher went past calling, but not making a perfect long two tone chi-keeeee. Still great!!
 
River Rea 8.50
I could hear the call approaching and then the kingfisher went past still calling. A shorter call though maybe cus it's got no mate to call too? On the River Cole I thought a KF was approaching with some low, high speed flying but then it did a few fancy turns and landed right next to me. It was a Grey Wagtail!! Great!
 
Not in West mids but just down the road at Lower Bittell.......now the roadworks are done I have been visiting again and eventually getting King sightings.Almost all fly pasts.
Amazed by the DSLR's can pick up detail so far away......found out its a Male that has been tormenting me this week...if it has been the same one all the time.
 

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Not in West mids but just down the road at Lower Bittell.......now the roadworks are done I have been visiting again and eventually getting King sightings.Almost all fly pasts.
Amazed by the DSLR's can pick up detail so far away......found out its a Male that has been tormenting me this week...if it has been the same one all the time.
Nice one Keith, I shall have to pop in for a visit on my way past now the works finished to see the change. Back on the Rea today at 9.00, the kingfisher went past patrolling the stretch. No call today. Further up the river a jay and goldfinch in the trees.
 
Rvier Cole - Trittiford to Greet Mill Meadow 8:00
A great run along the Cole with up to 7 grey wagtails along the stretch, 2 really noisy Jays, a heron and then finally I found the really loud kingfisher behind Sarehole Mill making it's two tone call. Great!!
 
Woodbrook/Bourn BVT 12.00
Silent kingfisher possibly a juvenile. Hundreds of fish for it. In my garden, new recent additions a wren and nuthatch. Down the road a Jay. Great!
 
Bourn Brook 7.00 - River Rea 7.30
A Kingfisher double - I thought I would take a cycle ride along the Bourn Brook, I've not checked this brook since spring. I took a look over the wall by the Uni and timed it just right, as a kingfisher went up the brook giving a two tone call. Great!! I wonder if it's the female returning that spent last winter here? Then got down to the Rea and I knew where the kingfisher would be on this section and there it was by nest one. This was the section where a female kingfisher spent last winter. Todays kingfisher I think was the male that has been here over the Summer. It saw me and did a U turn back down the river. Then later on as I looked down the river, it was flying back up past nest two. It did a detour through the trees and bushes to avoid me before rejoining the river. Again great!! At Lifford lake there was a tufted duck and then a heron on the Mill pond.
 
Four kingfisher Saturday!!

Bourn Brook 7.00-8.00, River Rea 8.00
Well what a shocker, three kingfisher on the Bourn Brook. Then four in a hour.
I knew there was one from last week on the Bourn but three!!
They were approximately one mile from each other.
The first one was on the Bourn Brook Walkway, Weoley Castle. I was cycling along when I thought I heard a kingfisher call. I stopped to take a look and there it was perched in a tree over the brook. I tried to get a photo but the light was poor and it flew off up the brook. (this is the closest I have seen one to Woodgate Valley CP for a few years, I wonder if it will visit there)
The second one was by Selly Oak park / the University, where there was one last year over the Winter. It was a bit of a shocker as I stopped to have a look at the spot, not thinking I would see another after seeing the first one, when another flew out of a bush perch over the Brook.
The third one was the other side of the University and I saw it fly from it's perch down the Brook. I then stopped to look from a bridge further down and could not see anything, when all of a sudden a kingfisher dived from a tree perch into the Brook and caught a fish right in front of me. The water could have only been a few inches deep. It then sat on some rocks in the brook and ate the fish.
Funny how they are all along the Bourn Brook. I wondered where the juveniles had gone from the Rea. The Ranger at Woodgate Valley CP one year said there were high numbers on the Bourn, now I believe him. Last year there were a few in a similar short distance on the Rea. I thought that was a shocker that they all can be so close but this morning proved it again.
The fourth one was in the usual spot on the Rea.
There were several grey wagtails all along the brook as well, which was great to see and a heron flew over.
What a great morning!!
 
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9.00 Bourn Brook and River Rea
Heron on the Bourn Brook Walkway, kingfisher on the Bourn Brook back of the school playing fields, same place as last Saturday. Then another kingfisher on the Rea in what I think is the prime fishing location. Grey Wagtails all along the route.
 
8.00 Bourn Brook and River Rea
The kingfisher on the Rea was in it's usual spot, that's three times now in recent weeks. The kingfisher was back on the Bourn Brook in the same spot, that's twice in recent weeks. I think this is a new kingfisher as it used the top of the bridge wall as a perch, not once but twice. Both times I looked at the brook and it flew from the wall. I think it might have then taken cover under the bridge and later on I saw it flying along the brook further up. Great!!
 

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