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

Kingfishers (2 Viewers)

HI mate ...I saw exactly the same pollution a few weeks ago and did not know who to tell...got in touch with the River and canal people but they said the Rea was not covered by them.......put it on a few facebook pages and someone said it had gone as it had rained in the meantime.....
There must be stuff still draining out of the old Motor works as no one has said theres oil in the new part the other side of Longbridge Lane.
heres the pics I took then......
 

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keithr said:
HI mate ...I saw exactly the same pollution a few weeks ago and did not know who to tell...got in touch with the River and canal people but they said the Rea was not covered by them.......put it on a few facebook pages and someone said it had gone as it had rained in the meantime.....
There must be stuff still draining out of the old Motor works as no one has said theres oil in the new part the other side of Longbridge Lane.
heres the pics I took then......
Click to expand...

Thanks Keith, I'll wait and see what response I get.
I was curious how far the Wychall Kingfisher flew into Northfield and then Longbridge. Let's hope it's not too serious.
On a brighter note I saw a Kingfisher under Spaghetti Junction, flying up the Tame towards the other end of the Rea. It had a fish, therefore there might be a nest.
 
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Red Kites, Buzzard and Kestrel up the M40, I stopped off at Trittiford to check the River Cole water levels. At the Dingles/Wonders Walk, the water had been up and over the footpath into the Chin Brook. There was a heron on the footpath, it almost flew into me and got stuck in the trees as it flew off. There was loads of birdsong, several Thrushes singing. The river water was gushing under the footbridge and as I walked back, I spotted a dumpy bird flying over my head and then saw the blue, yes a Kingfisher flying back. It gave a few calls as it got to the river. Great! (I see both the River Rea and Bourn Brook have been on the local TV news with the flood water, I wonder how the kingfisher are?)
 
7.00 River Rea, Selly Park
The high water levels of the River Rea had been up and over the bank and taken down the bank vegetation. Therefore I expect it flooded the Kingfisher nest hole. The water levels were still high in places and the river was flowing fast. A lot of heavy stones had been washed down to the river bed. I walked up and down the River and there were a few Moorhens and two Herons fishing. Then as I got back to the nest, I could hear a Kingfisher making a two tone call in the distance. I followed the noise and it continued to call. Then I saw one Kingfisher flying from a river perch and then another. Yes the pair of Kingfisher, still present. Great!
 
8.00 River Rea, Selly Park
Heron and Kingfisher on the River Rea. Great! I realise the heavy rain has washed the river clean and all the stones, leaving a different looking river.
 
River Cole, Wonders Walk,
Kingfisher size fish, Heron size fish, then a Heron, I said to myself a kingfisher will be along soon and around the river bend came a kingfisher coming straight for me, it did a couple body rolls and then it flew round me and off down the river into the sunlight with it's blue shining. Great!
 
River Rea, Selly Park 7.00
The Rea is looking a different river with the rain having washed the dirt away on the river bed. I can now see the fish!! They are all kingfisher food size! The biggest shoal was about 20. Then a few smaller groups. Then I had my own BBC Spring watch moment with a River Rea Spineless Si guarding and fanning it's nest whole. It's right next to a favoured Kingfisher perch. I then found a few more stickleback guarding what I assume is their nest holes and chasing off other fish. I could just hear the Kingfisher calling over the top of Wrens calling and then the kingfisher flew along but saw me and did a u turn back up the river. Great! Elsewhere there were whitethroats feeding and calling, LTTs and Magpie parents feeding three young on the grass.
 
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River Rea, Selly Park - Kingfisher, Two Herons, Black Cap and Whitethroats singing.
River Tame, Spaghetti Junction - Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail. Great!!
 
River Rea, Selly Park this morning, I was listening to a Blackcap singing when a kingfisher quietly flew by. I don't think the latest KF nest is on this section where this years nest 1 and the flooded nest 2 was. Hopefully with all this rain they found a higher riverbank somewhere further along. For anyone interested here is nesting Kingfisher cam http://www.natuurkanaal.nl/
 
River Rea, Selly Park this morning; Sparrowhawk, Heron, Kingfisher, Kingfisher sized fish, Male Bullfinch, Juvenile GSWP (don't think it was a Lesser Spotted) and Swifts flew past feeding. Great!
 
I've checked this lake a few times as it's a pretty interesting site, perhaps the kingfisher is one of the young from the nearby Tame.
From BTO;
Where:BROOKVALE PARK (SP0990)
Who: Ron Hughes
What:Mute Swan (18), Canada Goose (45), Tufted Duck (2), Buzzard (2), Coot (21), Common Gull (2), Lesser Black-backed Gull (7), Great Black-backed Gull (2), Feral Pigeon (3), Woodpigeon (3), Kingfisher (1), Magpie (5), Carrion Crow (7), Blue Tit (4), Blackbird (3), Song Thrush (1), House Sparrow (6)
 
I thought I best check out Stirchley for the Kingfisher as Selly Park was quiet with a Heron and LTTs feeding. I was stood looking down the river, when the Kingfisher flew up behind and over my head giving me the alarm call. Great! Then I noticed some fish and there was a shoal of over 10 heron sized fish, probably Trout, they had stripes. Great!!
(The EA emailed me about the pollution on the River Rea, Tesell Lane. They said; we have not identified the source the pollution and are working with STW to identify this. The booms will absorb some of the oil but not all of it so some will continue down the river. Not so great)
 
zomerset said:
I thought I best check out Stirchley for the Kingfisher as Selly Park was quiet with a Heron and LTTs feeding. I was stood looking down the river, when the Kingfisher flew up behind and over my head giving me the alarm call. Great! Then I noticed some fish and there was a shoal of over 10 heron sized fish, probably Trout, they had stripes. Great!!
(The EA emailed me about the pollution on the River Rea, Tesell Lane. They said; we have not identified the source the pollution and are working with STW to identify this. The booms will absorb some of the oil but not all of it so some will continue down the river. Not so great)
Click to expand...

Think ones with stripes are Perch.....where in Stirchley were you.....??

Is that all they are using to absorb the petrol......well at least they know and should keep an eye on it.
 
keithr said:
Think ones with stripes are Perch.....where in Stirchley were you.....??
Is that all they are using to absorb the petrol......well at least they know and should keep an eye on it.
Click to expand...

Hi Keith, sent you a PM. I saw more fish this morning, I reckon Brown Trout. I got some old photos I took, I'll have to post for IDs. Thanks!!
 
I knew it was going to be a great morning when I had three Jays and three Dunnocks in the garden at 5.50!
On the River Rea, Stirchley, 5 brown trout? Heron sized fish. I think there was a Heron in the distance.
I had a run up to Lifford and there were Song Thrush singing at the top of trees in three places.
Loads of other songbirds, mainly blackbirds, then tits and LTTs.
The best on the way back was three Bullfinch, I saw the male, then a female and couldn't make out the third. That's three pairs in three last visits (two might be the same pair)
Then back at Selly Park I could see the KF size fish in a few places. (one was nest guarding but what do I know)
Then I just about heard the Kingfisher in the distance, maybe at the nest?
I thought I'd wait and give it a few minutes and then sure enough, I saw it flying towards me, over the top of the water, straight as a dart and as it got closer it saw me and did a small body roll to avoid me and it continued on down the river.
Great!!
At Wychall on the Rea, even more KF size fish by the KF valley, so maybe the pollution is not too severe?
A swift overhead. Great!!
 
River Cole - Trittiford to Sarehole Mill
Swifts, Cormorant, Buzzard in a tree and then calling as it took off, a few Herons, then finally a Kingfisher at Sarehole Mill, it took off with a few calls and then called again as it flew back up the river.
River Rea - Selly Park
Two or three Kingfisher next to what I assume is the new nest location. there was the two tone calls as well as what sounded like some persistent dispute calls. KF size, Heron size and a new smaller Heron size fish. Great!!
 
how common are grey wagtails on the Bournbrook? at least two turned up on the lawn outside my lab on the Edgbaston campus last week which I presume had come up from there
 
IvanS said:
how common are grey wagtails on the Bournbrook? at least two turned up on the lawn outside my lab on the Edgbaston campus last week which I presume had come up from there
Click to expand...

They can be seen fairly regularly on all the rivers and brooks in south Birmingham.

Des.
 

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