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

Kingfishers (4 Viewers)

Hi Ouzel68, good to bump into you today.
I found the Kingfisher up by the blue bridge.
Then another went past heading up the brook. Great!
It was good to see Goldcrests in a couple locations as well.
 
Pleasure to meet you too Zomerset.
Tricky to pin down and get a good view (goldcrest).
Also, one of the first calls from a bird that you cannot hear when you get older and your hearing begins to get impaired.
 
Two Kingfisher today on the River Rea, Selly Park and by the blue bridge, Bourn Brook walkway, this one was calling, not sure if I've heard the regular one call. Still Great!
 
keithr said:
Do you know if it's still in the QE area please.?
Click to expand...

I was with Paul Bateman last Thursday morning at New Fosse Way close to Queen Elizabeth island ( B15 2SS), just south of the hospital looking for the Dipper, but no luck. Its good to hear that its still about.

Des.
 
Dipped on the Dipper this morning, but I was on site pretty early and it was still dark. Cool location though I will definitely be back!
 
Phil Andrews said:
Described as adjacent to the Selly Oak bypass near the University
Click to expand...
Thanks Phil for the update. I've been looking but not seen it since I got the photo.
There were a couple Kingfisher on the Bourn Brook by the blue bridge, chasing each other again. Before that I got this photo of a female Kingfisher, it was making the two tone. Then the repetitive tutting call as they chased. It was very vocal;
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/31212746464/in/dateposted-public/
 
Dipper

Dipper was reported today at harborne lane bridge, a bit further up the brook from where it has usually been present. I did not see it myself. From the fosse way bridge i flushed a snipe. Beside the boulder i spotted a water rail. (I will show you Zomerset next time i see you there. It is a chanel going into the reed/mace. Could be a good spot for a photo) Surprisingly no kingfishers.
 
Had a quick look for the Dipper this morning, but no luck. Plenty of likely looking areas for it to be frequenting, but not necessarily easy to view. Two Kingfisher (one towards the blue bridge, one on the railings of the culvert on the by-pass). Four Moorhens spread out along the Brook were a bit of a surprise. also pleasantly surprised by the number of Bullfinches around.

Cheers
 
ouzel68 said:
Dipper was reported today at harborne lane bridge, a bit further up the brook from where it has usually been present. I did not see it myself. From the fosse way bridge i flushed a snipe. Beside the boulder i spotted a water rail. (I will show you Zomerset next time i see you there. It is a chanel going into the reed/mace. Could be a good spot for a photo) Surprisingly no kingfishers.
Click to expand...

Wow that's good, I shall take a closer look. I had a quick look by the blue bridge before it got dark. The Kingfisher was in the tree over the brook where I've got a couple photos. As I watched from a distance it dived into the brook and I heard the splash. The dive was at an angle and very fast. The classic Kingfisher dive! It caught a fish and flew off to another tree where it banged it on a branch.
I then saw what I thought was a rat in the brook but it had a blunt nose so it might have been a water vole. It might have been....good stuff if it was.
 
Corvus cornix said:
Had a quick look for the Dipper this morning, but no luck. Plenty of likely looking areas for it to be frequenting, but not necessarily easy to view. Two Kingfisher (one towards the blue bridge, one on the railings of the culvert on the by-pass). Four Moorhens spread out along the Brook were a bit of a surprise. also pleasantly surprised by the number of Bullfinches around.

Cheers
Click to expand...

The Dipper was heard (but not seen) by Adam Archer today.
 
No sign of the Dipper between 9am and 10 am this morning, at least on the short stretch where it's mostly been reported. One other birder also around and he hadn't seen it either.

2 x Kingfisher, one low over the water heading towards Selly Oak and the other perched in a small tree near the big pipes.

Grey Wagtail by the Fosse Way bridge

Snipe flushed from the undergrowth on the other side of the brook near the Fosse Way bridge, flew off zigzagging towards the electricity pylon.

At least six Bullfinch in the trees along the brook.

I walked back to Selly Oak where I'd parked, alongside the (very) short section of the old canal behind the Scout Hut. Another Grey Wagtail here, and two Treecreeper.
 
Third attempt to find the Dipper this morning and still no luck, also missed the Snipe too! Walked down to the blue metal footbridge where I did see another Kingfisher, but on the way back flushed a Little Egret from the bank which flew high west towards Weoley Castle. My first "local" record so making up for "dipping" the dipper. Also 2 Goosander went over which have been a bit scarce locally this winter.
 
JackRabbit said:
Third attempt to find the Dipper this morning and still no luck, also missed the Snipe too! Walked down to the blue metal footbridge where I did see another Kingfisher, but on the way back flushed a Little Egret from the bank which flew high west towards Weoley Castle. My first "local" record so making up for "dipping" the dipper. Also 2 Goosander went over which have been a bit scarce locally this winter.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing you're the gent I spoke to this morning? Good to meet you.

The small lake in Manor Farm Park in Northfield is regularly home to Goosanders at this time of year. Only one (F) was present when I was over there just before Christmas, but there has been up to three on occasions.
 
Not too far away and a very interesting report on RBA, a juvenile Glaucous Gull on grass in Moseley, Birmingham at 11.50am then flew west
 

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