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

Kingfishers (3 Viewers)

The River Tame, Spaghetti jn Kingfisher was on the adjacent canal. That's the second time I've seen it there.
The Bourn Brook Kingfisher flew past the Dental Hospital again.
Finally the River Rea Kingfisher was fishing by nest one. It's not so territorial now after the summer. Less flights along the river.
Far more entertaining were a pair of Grey Wagtails who went up and down the river several times, stopping to feed. Great!
 
Bourn Brook, Harbourne Lane, Kingfisher this morning on the pool formed by the brook. Not seen one here for a few weeks. (There's very few fish in the upper brook pools, the Herons had them all and have moved on now).
The Dental Hospital, Bourn Brook Kingfisher flew past. I wonder if there are a pair and a possible late nest. (RSPB Ryemeads had Kingfisher fledglings last week and at my Essex patch there appears to be Kingfisher nest activity). Great!
 
After getting luck at Bittell Reservoir I thought I'd try my luck on the Bourn Brook. Sure enough the Kingfisher was perched in the tree by the two big pipes that cross the brook. Great!
 
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Kingfisher on the lower Bourn Brook walkway. Great!
(In Essex this week an adult and juvenile Barn Owl only a few hundred metres from two Kingfisher on the creek)
 
I couldn't find any Kingfisher on my early morning outing. Difficult to see much in the early morning light and drizzle.
My lunch time outing was much better. The Bourn Brook Dental Hospital Kingfisher was a little further up from it's usual spot. It called and flew to it's usual spot.
It's been difficult to find the River Rea, Selly Oak Kingfisher but I guessed right that it's on the overgrown section of the river. It then flew up and down a couple times and made a single call.
The regular pair of Gray Wagtails went up and down a couple times.
(In my back garden I've got my bird feed right and got a Nuthatch coming to the feeder. It's good to see it's flight down from the tree to the feeder and it's eager feeding. A GSWP took a look but it didn't like the feeder. Due to the season a couple Jays fly past).
Great!
 
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I had a Kingfisher at Bartley Reservoir this morning, perched on the fence around the inlet at the southern end. Only the second time I've seen one there. Probably one of this year's young looking for a territory. Also a Green Sandpiper and a Little Grebe there.
 
JackRabbit said:
I had a Kingfisher at Bartley Reservoir this morning, perched on the fence around the inlet at the southern end. Only the second time I've seen one there. Probably one of this year's young looking for a territory. Also a Green Sandpiper and a Little Grebe there.
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Hi Stu, great report. Not seen one there myself yet. Ian Whitehouse has seen one there a couple times over the years.
This morning the Bourn Brook Kingfisher was on a very low perch over the brook and then flew to a higher perch. I got a record shot. Great!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/23715441778/in/dateposted-public/
 
I forgot to list it from Sunday, there was a Kestrel on the lower Bourn Brook, not sure if it's common on this stretch. Checking BTO it's pretty common. It's only the third time I've seen one here. Funny enough it was in the same place as the Buzzard the previous week and was getting mobbed by crows. Great!
 
I'd seen Stuart had reported a Kingfisher at King's Norton NR on BTO so thought I'd best check it out. I'd never seen one on the railings to the outflow of Wychall Res but many others had. As I was checking out the Res I heard the single call of a Kingfisher. I then went to the outflow and there it was, a Kingfisher sat on the railings. It flew off towards the River Rea. I had already seen a couple good trees/branches across the Rea so headed to them. Sure enough the Kingfisher flew to a tree over the Rea. Great!
 
Funnily enough, that's the exact spot I saw one about two weeks ago! It made an odd "tutting" call as it flew off which I must admit I had not heard before. I also saw one the same day on Merecroft Pool - could have been the same one I suppose.
 
JackRabbit said:
Funnily enough, that's the exact spot I saw one about two weeks ago! It made an odd "tutting" call as it flew off which I must admit I had not heard before. I also saw one the same day on Merecroft Pool - could have been the same one I suppose.
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Hi Stu, I've heard the tutting call several times. Usually in a chase or I think for an alarm call.

My Kingfisher sightings today were this morning on the lower Bourn Brook.
My first Little Egret flying over the Bourn Brook.
Then mid day on the River Rea, Selly Park, the Kingfisher sat for a while over the river and then took a dive into the river and flew off.
Then at the Bourn Brook by the Dental Hospital the Kingfisher flew past, stopped in a bush, took a quick dive and flew off.
Grey Wagtails at all locations. A couple jumping for insects.
Great!
 
had a look around Wychall myself yesterday and fancied one on the outfall railings but I was out of luck......all I had was a GSW along the cycle path.

Mill Shrub today....popped my head over the hedge by the outfall and no King on the rails BUT there were loads of Coot just in this corner...as I started counting them a King fell ( dived ) out of the tree to the right and then back up into the tree.....couldnt locate it. Looked for about 5 mins then as I moved to get a different angle it flew off at 1st up to the far end but then did an about turn and came back into the trees alongside the road......tried all afternoon to re-locate it but to no avail.......I did see that it was a Female......not seen one here for ages.

The 8 "baby" Swans took off and did a fly around Lower ...back around to Mill Shrub..once around here then off to Upper.....thought they had landed but then came back over the far end and looked like they wanted to land but I could see it was not wise as they had run out of water.....3 got down right next to me by the 4 posts.....1 went to land and gave up...just got over the hedge.If a car had been passing it would have been hit. The other 4 were wise enough to not attempt to land and made it to Lower.
It was a spectacular 5 mins watching them......
 

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keithr said:
had a look around Wychall myself yesterday and fancied one on the outfall railings but I was out of luck......all I had was a GSW along the cycle path.

Mill Shrub today....popped my head over the hedge by the outfall and no King on the rails BUT there were loads of Coot just in this corner...as I started counting them a King fell ( dived ) out of the tree to the right and then back up into the tree.....couldnt locate it. Looked for about 5 mins then as I moved to get a different angle it flew off at 1st up to the far end but then did an about turn and came back into the trees alongside the road......tried all afternoon to re-locate it but to no avail.......I did see that it was a Female......not seen one here for ages.

The 8 "baby" Swans took off and did a fly around Lower ...back around to Mill Shrub..once around here then off to Upper.....thought they had landed but then came back over the far end and looked like they wanted to land but I could see it was not wise as they had run out of water.....3 got down right next to me by the 4 posts.....1 went to land and gave up...just got over the hedge.If a car had been passing it would have been hit. The other 4 were wise enough to not attempt to land and made it to Lower.
It was a spectacular 5 mins watching them......
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The Swans flying sounds great!
I've not seen or heard the Kingfisher there for a couple weeks. Good to know you saw it!
 
I thought I might have been out of luck today. Along the River Rea, Selly Park, I could hear LTTs, Tits & Goldfinch. The Grey Wagtail was in the same place as the past few weeks. I checked both the quiet, overgrown parts of the Rea and there was no Kingfisher. So I walked along the path next to the River and then heard the two tone call and saw the Kingfisher take flight. Great!
(Yesterday I saw another Starling murmeration up the M40 just past Oxford, the same place as the week before. Also several Buzzards , with three as I got to Birmingham)
 
The Kingfisher was vocal this morning on the River Rea, Selly Park.
There were two pairs of Bullfinch feeding in a tree that they used last year near the River Rea.
There were also a pair of Grey Wagtail up and down the Rea again.
At the Birmingham Dental Hospital, the Kingfisher was perched in a tree over the Bourn Brook opposite the flood relief site. A perfect image!
A Jay was in the trees next to the Rugby fields.
Then at the Bourn Brook by the New Fosse Way round-about, the Kingfisher was perched before the tunnel. First I heard it calling very loudly, then I saw it and then it called loudly again.
Meanwhile a man got chased by a chihuahua dog opposite.
(Yesterday we stopped at our friends house in Brookwood, Surry and I saw a Kingfisher fly along the canal at the back of their house to a group of overhanging trees where I thought it would stop. Although I've seen reports that's a first for me in 5 years of looking).
Great!
 

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