Kingfishers (1 Viewer)

[zomerset]

Bourn Brook Walkway 4.40
I had a bumper drive up the M40 with two Kestrels hovering, the usual Red Kites and as I got to Birmingham, a raptor possibly another Kestrel on a lamp post and then a Buzzard. Cracking! Got back in time to see the Bourn Brook Kingfisher fly up the brook. It's electric blue colour glowing in the fading light. It almost flew into a Grey Wagtail. There is a resident Song Thrush singing over the path. Great!!

 

[zomerset]

I didn't think I would find a Kingfisher today after all the rain. Very high water at the River Cole, Kingfisher Country Park. The River Rea was fast flowing and brown water. Chaffinch were present. The River Cole, Trittiford was high water. At all sites the Thrush were singing. I'd already checked the Bourn Brook where the water was not too high or brown but couldn't find the Kingfisher, there was a Grey Wagtail feeding and then flying up the brook. I thought I would have to check the Bourn but took another look at the Bourn Brook and the Kingfisher was there. Great! A first for me at this at this site and this year were a few Greenfinch feeding which topped off a good morning. Great!! (back home the GSWP was on the feeder, then in my tree and then feeding on something in the soil, cracking!! But I've lost my Dunnock to a bossy Robin)

 

[zomerset]

Triple Kingfisher Saturday

The first Kingfisher this morning was my local favourite on the Bourn Brook. It was sat on the bridge wall and then flew to a branch in the brook. I then left it and ran back up the path and as I did I saw the kingfisher fly under the bridge to sit on the wall on the other side. It then flew to another perch, a branch in the brook under the bridge. There was plenty of bird song with a Thrush feeding on the ground, a couple wren low down in bushes and Chaffinch feeding in the trees.
I then ran along the River Cole, Small Heath, I didn't see a KF. Some LTTs were feeding.
I then stopped at the River Cole at the Dingles and there was a kingfisher sat over the river for a few minutes.
At the River Rea, I first heard the Kingfisher two tone call in the distance. I then saw a pair of Bullfinch in the bushes next to the river with the colour of the male standing out. I then heard the Kingfisher making repeated single calls as it flew past me. It landed on a perch next to the river in the distance. I then stood still as it flew back up past me again making repeated calls. It landed in some bushes and as I walked past it, it flew to a couple other perches before flying back down the river and up over the bushes to avoid me. Cracking stuff, a great morning!
(Yesterday was a pretty impressive raptor display on the M25 and M40 with a few Kestrels, over 20 Red Kites and a buzzard flying low in front of me)

 

[zomerset]

I could hear the Kingfisher on the River Rea calling from over a hundred metres away as I got to the path next to the river. it was making the two tone call as well as well as a single call. Along a two hundred metre stretch it was flying up and down calling. I think it was guarding the territory as I'm sure I saw another one fly past at tree height. I couldn't find the kingfisher on the Bourn Brook so I wonder if it was down on the Rea making a challenge for the territory. Great!!

 

[Bullfinch Boy]

Hi Zomerset, where is the best place to spot a KF?

 

[zomerset]

Hi Zomerset, where is the best place to spot a KF?

Hi Bullfinch Boy - In Redditch, try Arrow Valley Country Park, there were sightings in December. If you want to travel further there is Upton Warren, sightings all year round. Check out BTO or the Midlands > Worcestershire > Upton Warren thread on this site. Learn their call from the RSPB site and then it's time and patience, waiting, looking and listening. I'm pretty lucky in Birmingham as they are on short sections on the river and brooks near me. It was only a few years back I couldn't find any but I read forums and BTO and then went everywhere to find them. Then I found out they were local to me all along lol!

 

[zomerset]

Bourn Brook and River Rea 8.00
As I ran along the path by the Bourn Brook I heard the Song Thrush, the Robin, the tits and sparrows calling
and then I timed it just right and the Kingfisher was making the two tone call only metres away from me on the brook. Great.
On the Rea, I saw the Kingfisher fly along the river and then it doubled back and to avoid me it flew through the trees with it's blue colour standing out against the dull background. Great!

 

[Boggers]

Saw Kingfisher twice today at Kingfisher Country Park near the Leacroft Ave entrance. It is not too far from Redditch for Bullfinch Boy. Far too slow to get any pictures unfortunately. I do the Arrow Valley quite often but have not seen any Kingfishers there nor on the Arrow stretch leading up to it. I am told that they are there though & also in Alcester at the nature reserve. Also saw three herons & what I am reliably informed are ring-necked parakeets. There were a pair feeding on berries & they were happy to pose for pictures. Not something that I was expecting to see!

 

[zomerset]

Saw Kingfisher twice today at Kingfisher Country Park near the Leacroft Ave entrance. It is not too far from Redditch for Bullfinch Boy. Far too slow to get any pictures unfortunately

Hi Boggers, yes I have visited that part, they are all along the Cole there;
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/8343428808/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/8343486436/in/photostream/
I also check out further up and down the Cole in that area and got;
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/15542729444/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/23562823969/in/photostream/

 

[zomerset]

Triple Kingfisher Sunday

Three Kingfisher this morning on the Bourn Brook, River Cole and River Rea.
Both the Kingfishers on the Cole and Rea I could hear them calling as they flew along the river. I stood on a bridge over the Rea to see the kingfisher come into sight about 20 metres away and it did a slight body roll when it saw me and it continued to fly along giving a single repetitive call as it went into the distance. A Goldcrest was feeding in a tree and a Grey Wagtail landed next to me. (In my garden I saw my fist Dunnock for a couple months since getting pestered by the Robin and a GSWP sent an hour in my conifer, it's not keen on some food I put out for it, I'll try some more) Great!!

 

[Boggers]

Wow Zomerset. Those are some great pictures. I am far too cumbersome to catch the Kingy on camera, must try harder!

 

[Ali Makaveli]

I went Kingfishing after many months today and for the first time in my Kingfishing life I saw 3 adult kingfishers together. I didn't think that was possible. 1 was sitting on its own andna couple of meters down 2 more were sitting together. I didn't expect to see them hence why I couldn't capture them. Given the season, I didn't have much cover, maybe later in the year when the leaves have grown I can get a better chance at capturing them. Great to see them alive and well though.

 

[Boggers]

River Arrow Kingfisher

Late Sunday afternoon I nipped down the nature reserve in Alcester. Saw a Kingfisher zip up the river, no chance to get a photo.

Early this morning I decided to have another go on the River Arrow in Redditch (near the Arrow Valley Lake) despite drawing a blank every time I have visited. Bang! Managed to get my first ever Kingfisher on camera! Female I think, saw her twice more as I moved back up towards the lake. Not the best picture but I am quite new to twitching plus my hands were shaking!

 

[zomerset]

Early this morning I decided to have another go on the River Arrow in Redditch (near the Arrow Valley Lake) despite drawing a blank every time I have visited. Bang! Managed to get my first ever Kingfisher on camera!

Nice one Boggers, good to get a photo. Great spot from Ali, means there could be 3 or 4 pairs along the Cole in Birmingham, I just seen a pair sat in a tree!!

 

[Ali Makaveli]

My recent Kingfisher sighting

https://www.flickr.com/photos/alimakaveliphotography/24629515394/in/photostream/

 

[zomerset]

Back in time this afternoon to see the Kingfisher and Grey Wagtail on the Bourn Brook. Great!

 

[zomerset]

I went Kingfishing after many months today and for the first time in my Kingfishing life I saw 3 adult kingfishers together

Hi Ali, I checked out that area and saw one of your Kingfisher. Great! I don't think it's the pair I saw further along the Cole as mine were flying up the river, away from that spot towards Kingfisher Country Park.

 

[zomerset]

Triple Kingfisher Saturday!

Well I was hoping for four Kingfisher today but greatly settled for three.
A new for this year but a repeat of last year a Kingfisher just up from Ackers on the River Cole, then on the Cole again but Trittiford, Dingles, a Kingfisher doing the two tone call, I heard it first and then found it. Then the regular on the River Rea, I could hear it calling and saw it in the distance. Great!! Couldn't find the Kingfisher on the Bourn Brook. (Just had a Nuthatch on my feeder in the garden, not seen it for a couple months, now I realise why - I added some sunflower seeds in the bird food, obvious now! The GSWP just made a visit. Great!!)

 

[zomerset]

Bourn Brook Walkway 8.00
There was a pair of Bullfinch in the trees, then a pair of Grey Wagtail on the brook. I had a look for the Kingfisher at it's usual perch spots but couldn't find it. I didn't see it yesterday either. I stood looking at the brook from the bridge when I could hear in the distance, a single repeated call of a Kingfisher approaching. As the call got closer I looked up to see the Kingfisher flying about 10m above my head. I wondered if it had flown from the canal. It then swooped down to the brook and gave the two tone call and it had a look around it's usual perch spot before flying up and down the brook repeatedly calling. It then flew off up the brook heading towards Weoley Castle. It was certainly on a mission like the River Rea Kingfisher. I assume it was patrolling the territory and looking for a mate. As I walked back along the path I saw the pair of Bullfinch flying to another tree. Great!

 

[zomerset]

Wychall Reservoir / Northfield - River Rea 4.00
It was time today to try and track down the elusive Wychall Reservoir - River Rea, Kingfisher as there have been a couple reports but I couldn't find it where they stated. The River Rea water was pretty low along Kings Norton park so I didn't think it would be there. So I tried the other end of Wychall and there it was, on a perch over the Rea. It sat there for a couple minutes before some dog walkers disturbed it and it headed up the river towards Northfield. Again it got disturbed by dog walkers. In the end it got a far as Northfield and was on a section, sheltered by trees from the dog walkers. It gave the two tone call and had probably caught a fish. Great!