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

Kingfishers (2 Viewers)

And still at 4pm!
Also Green Woodpecker, c40 Canada Geese and a large, very mobile and noisy charm/murder of Magpies - maybe 100 birds?

And, if I was any good at gulls, what could have been a Yellow Legged Gull but was probably just an LBB. Very yellow legs, some but very limited head streaking, bright yellow bill with red spot and an almost white tip. What ID features should I be looking for?

Colour of mantle.
 
And still at 4pm!
Also Green Woodpecker, c40 Canada Geese and a large, very mobile and noisy charm/murder of Magpies - maybe 100 birds?

And, if I was any good at gulls, what could have been a Yellow Legged Gull but was probably just an LBB. Very yellow legs, some but very limited head streaking, bright yellow bill with red spot and an almost white tip. What ID features should I be looking for?

Was this the large Gull Rob...
 

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Was this the large Gull Rob...

Thanks Keith.

I think that's an LBB, but I stand to be corrected!

I don't think so - the head on the bird I saw looked much less streaked than that, and it seemed slimmer with a longer neck (although that could be how it was sat rather than anything else). It was stood obligingly on some wood in the middle of the pool, in decent light. I made a point of looking at it from several angles as gulls are a major weak spot in my birding at the moment.

Would have helped if I'd had a camera....
 
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Thanks Keith.

I think that's an LBB, but I stand to be corrected!

I don't think so - the head on the bird I saw looked much less streaked than that, and it seemed slimmer with a longer neck (although that could be how it was sat rather than anything else). It was stood obligingly on some wood in the middle of the pool, in decent light. I made a point of looking at it from several angles as gulls are a major weak spot in my birding at the moment.

Would have helped if I'd had a camera....

This is the full image...stood on some wood in the middle of pool.
 

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This is the full image...stood on some wood in the middle of pool.

Thanks Keith. I recognise that tree trunk, the goosanders often skulk underneath it.
My bird was stood on a much lower branch sticking out of the water, closer to the island.
 
This one flew in landed ...stared at me and took off.....came right over my head and round the back of the pool....never saw it again.
Had to walk through all the Canada Geese on the grass....too interested in not treading in their mess to count them..lol
Didnt see all the Magpies either....did see a little Rodent on the bank of the pool...couldnt tell if it was a Rat.

Some of the birds....
 

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Good pics, thank you.

I saw several rodents around the pool late afternoon. Far too comfortable in the open to be anything other than rats.
 
Fosse Way to Blue Bridge...2 pm to 3.30..
No Dipper...Kings ...Snipe or Water Rail....lol
But at least 5 Grey Wagtails and loads of non I.D'd LBJ'S.
Cold drizzle and very dark.

Hi Keith and Ouzel if you see this.
For the past couple years there has always been a Kingfisher regularly by that Fosse Way by either the tunnel or the big pipes. This year I've noted it's not on this section much, I've seen it fly past more. Anyway this morning, when looking for the Dipper, I checked out the Bourn behind those Uni halls only a couple hundred metres from the Fosse Way. Bingo there was a Kingfisher sat on a perch. It flew to another perch dazzling me with it's blue and then another. Great!
 
This one flew in landed ...stared at me and took off.....came right over my head and round the back of the pool....never saw it again.
Had to walk through all the Canada Geese on the grass....too interested in not treading in their mess to count them..lol
Didnt see all the Magpies either....did see a little Rodent on the bank of the pool...couldnt tell if it was a Rat.
Some of the birds....

Great photo's Keith. I checked this morning and the Goosander and Two Shovelers M&F are still there. Really nice. Great!
 
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Hi Keith and Ouzel if you see this.
For the past couple years there has always been a Kingfisher regularly by that Fosse Way by either the tunnel or the big pipes. This year I've noted it's not on this section much, I've seen it fly past more. Anyway this morning, when looking for the Dipper, I checked out the Bourn behind those Uni halls only a couple hundred metres from the Fosse Way. Bingo there was a Kingfisher sat on a perch. It flew to another perch dazzling me with it's blue and then another. Great!

Cheers Jason...when I 1st looked for the Dipper before Xmas I looked there as the 2 Kings came from up there and then back chasing each other.Looked a good place to wait for them with some cover to hide and get good views.
 
Cheers Jason...when I 1st looked for the Dipper before Xmas I looked there as the 2 Kings came from up there and then back chasing each other.Looked a good place to wait for them with some cover to hide and get good views.
Thanks for that Keith.
They seem to be all along the Bourn Brook this winter.
I had great views of a Kingfisher this morning, fishing and diving in quite an open spot next to one of the bridges further up. It didn't mind me watching and flew off when some dogs got too close. I think I also saw a Water Rail before it quickly hid.
 
Bournbrook Dipper

A friend of mine saw the Dipper yesterday and noticed a ring on its left leg,so possibly the same bird photographed 12 months ago.

Also Water Rail by the blue bridge yesterday.

Chris.T.
 
A friend of mine saw the Dipper yesterday and noticed a ring on its left leg,so possibly the same bird photographed 12 months ago.

Also Water Rail by the blue bridge yesterday.

Chris.T.

Did they mention whereabouts on the brook Chris?
 
A friend of mine saw the Dipper yesterday and noticed a ring on its left leg,so possibly the same bird photographed 12 months ago.
Also Water Rail by the blue bridge yesterday.
Chris.T.

Great that's where I saw the Water Rail yesterday as well. But no luck on the Dipper. I don't think anyone got a photo of the Jan 2015 Dipper I saw on the Bourn Brook. The photo I got December just gone has the same ring. http://kingfisherspotter.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/birmingham-bourn-brook-dipper.html?m=1
 
On-topic reply from me for a change.

Kingfisher on the River Rea about halfway along the western edge of Lifford Reservoir at 3pm this afternoon. I disturbed it from the bank, flew off along the river to the south. Couldn't find it again.

I've seen a Kingfisher at Lifford once before, in the small reed bed at the northern end of the reservoir back in October.

And off-topic again:
There's two berry-laden trees on the junction of Staple Lodge Road and Rea Valley Dive in Northfield. I've checked on them several times over the last week, in the hope of finally seeing a Waxwing. They've been 'discovered' in the last couple of days - been heavily raided by c20 Redwing at 2pm this afternoon. No Waxwing sadly.
 
On-topic reply from me for a change.
Kingfisher on the River Rea about halfway along the western edge of Lifford Reservoir at 3pm this afternoon. I disturbed it from the bank, flew off along the river to the south. Couldn't find it again.
I've seen a Kingfisher at Lifford once before, in the small reed bed at the northern end of the reservoir back in October.
Hi Rob. Thanks for the info. Good you are doing a Lifford Res thread. I've checked it out many a time over the past few years whilst following the Rea. I've heard that KF pass through there but never seen one myself. I always wondered if one stops on the res. My best sighting there were some large fish in the Rea. A good size for Heron.
 
Hi Rob. Thanks for the info. Good you are doing a Lifford Res thread. I've checked it out many a time over the past few years whilst following the Rea. I've heard that KF pass through there but never seen one myself. I always wondered if one stops on the res. My best sighting there were some large fish in the Rea. A good size for Heron.

Whether it'll work out or not I don't know, but I'm aiming to repeat my Lifford and local canals walk as often as I can through this year, just to see what turns up. As a relatively new birder, I've never really had a 'patch' before, and this area seems to be under-watched despite having a good mix of habitats.

Usually see Grey Heron at the reservoir, along the Rea or the canals. As I walked back to the car this afternoon, one flew over Kings Norton playing fields and dropped down on to the Rea at the back of the industrial units on Melchett Road.
 

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