Kingfishers (1 Viewer)

[Bullfinch Boy]

Hi Zomerset, thanks for replying. If you had to pick a place where you are most likely to see a KF then where would it be? Most of the areas that you visit are not far for me.

And Boggers where did you find the KF on the Arrow? I have looked loads & never seen one near the Lake. I have been up & down the river running alongside the Lake but have not seen a thing. I would have thought that the KF would stand out easily with its bright colours. Maybe the river is too dirty & there are none on that section?

 

[Boggers]

Hey Bullfinch Boy, best place I have found is near the man-made lake. I have seen the Kingy there several times now. I have identified one perch that she uses for certain & there are 2 other places that I have seen her where I spook her before I get to catch her on camera. In time I think I will be able to know all the favourite perchspots & find her at will. Best piece of advice I can give is to go early, sunrise really. I went at 4 today (late night) & that is the first blank I have drawn since I found the Kingy on Thursday & I have been everyday since then. There was an abundance of dogs & noisy chidren buggerng about in the river & that meant I was never going to get a blaze of blue in view today. Did see a Bully at the entrance to the lake though, gave us a stunning fly by, showing off it's plump bright pink chest!

 

[zomerset]

River Rea 7.30
As I ran along the footpath at the side of the Rea, I saw a pair of Kingfisher sat on a rock in the river, through the bushes. They were calling to each other. My first Birmingham pair this year and that's six different Birmingham kingfishers in 3 days. The Bourn Brook kingfisher did another high speed fly through. Great!!

 

[zomerset]

Bourn Brook 8.00
The brook was quite dark due to the extra water from the rain and snow. I thought I might be out of luck. But then out of the distance came the call and the Kingfisher landed right in front of me. It then realised I was there and flew back up the brook. I then found it further up the brook on another perch. Not so much luck on the Rea or the Cole which had a heavier, dark flow of water.

 

[zomerset]

River Rea 5.00
Another run this afternoon, I checked the River Cole again but high, fast, dark water.
The River Rea looked better, the water level had gone down since this morning. No Kingfisher in the usual spot though. So I took a run further along. No Kingfisher there either until in the distance I heard the call. I ran back that way not expecting to see anything but there it was a Kingfisher flying down the river. I thought it had continued but when I looked from the bridge it had caught a fish and was on the river bank. A grey wagtail landed as well. Great!!

 

[zomerset]

Birmingham Triple Kingfisher Sunday

River Rea 8.30
First Kingfisher back at the regular spot.
Then after a good run along the Rea a second Kingfisher further along.
(this could be the Kingfisher from the Bourn that has been reported a few times in Stirchley. I thought last year there was a second pair on the Bourn but not seen another pair this year. I'll keep looking, they could have been the pair that were seen at Wychall)
The third Kingfisher was the regular on the Bourn Brook. It will be interesting to see where this one pairs up, it might be Wychall. Great!

 

[zomerset]

River Rea, Wychall, 1.00
Kingfisher on the River Rea in almost the same spot as last weekend. I heard the eerie repetitive call first but don't think there was two chasing. A Grey Wagtail, a cackling Jay, Blackbirds everywhere and Sparrows in the hedge. (Nuthatch amongst the tits and GSWP on my garden feeder, a feeding frenzy which is good to see)

 

[Dick-E-Dipper]

Zomerset

Have tou seen the terrible!! pictures of a Kingy on the Gloster Birder site (for Mon 7 March 2016)

ENJOY

Dick

 

[zomerset]

Zomerset
Have tou seen the terrible!! pictures of a Kingy on the Gloster Birder site (for Mon 7 March 2016)
ENJOY
Dick

Yes - very good. I also like the KF on the garden pond. There's plenty of good sightings there.
http://www.birder.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/

 

[zomerset]

River Rea 7.30
As I ran along the path I thought I could hear a kingfisher calling amongst the bird song. I continued running and could here more kingfisher calls. I took a look along the river and heard a kingfisher calling in the distance, approaching. I turned my head at the right time and saw it go past calling. I thought that was it but later I was stood on a bridge over the Rea and two Kingfishers went past, in a chase. Dodging and weaving, chasing each other. Never seen a kingfisher chase that good. It must be territorial. The kingfisher at the Bourn Brook was not there. I wonder if it was on the Rea being chased?
With that I had to find more so checked out the Cole and there was one at the Dingles flying along the river. Great!

 

[zomerset]

Birmingham Kingfisher Four Sunday

I saw four Kingfisher last Sunday and done it again today with a new one replacing one that's moved on.
I'll keep checking but I think the Bourn Brook Kingfisher has moved to the River Rea. The first Kingfisher was on the usual spot of the River Rea, Selly Park but using different perches and more of the river. It called a couple times. This makes me think it's a different Kingfisher than the wintering one, possibly the Bourn Brook one. There were two chasing yesterday.
The second and third Kingfisher were on the River Cole at the Dingles and Sarehole Mill. No calls though. Great to see one at Sarehole as that used to be my regular spot.
The fourth is hopefully a new regular as I've seen it three weeks in a row at the River Rea, Wychall. Great also the same as at Sarehole, it was sat on the perch where I expected to find it. It gave the two tone call.
A just as good spot and the first time I have seen it was a Jay in the road taking some road kill. Usually I expect a Crow or Magpie and when I first saw it, I had to work out what it was as it was the same size but lighter in colour. Then I saw the colours of a Jay. Great!!

 

[zomerset]

Sunday Kingfisher Seven

Kingfisher Country Park
My first nesting pair of kingfisher today. They were going in and out of the nest. I think they're the same pair I saw in December at Small Heath.
Then my first Babbs Mill lake kingfisher. I heard it on the lake before seeing it go down the River Cole behind.
That's seven kingfisher today. Great!

 

[zomerset]

Little Egret

Kingfisher Country Park
Looking closely at the photo from today, the Kingfisher has mud on it's beak so they are digging the nest.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/25128742794/in/dateposted-public/
Further along the River Cole I found a Little Egret, there were three Buzzards overhead. Great!

 

[zomerset]

A Kingfisher in the usual spot on the River Rea, Wychall today. I'm glad I've found it's patch!
The Kingfisher was in the usual place on the River Rea, Selly Park, I think both a male and female went past. The male calling and the female silent. LTTs also present. Great!!

 

[zomerset]

A pair of Kingfisher on the River Rear this morning and a third hanging around. I guess there will be more chases to secure the territory. Buzzards overhead being mobbed by crows.

 

[zomerset]

After the River Cole Kingfisher, I checked out the River Rea, Wychall, plentry of tits feeding. Then a Grey Wagtail flew down the Rea feeding on the stones. I could hear the Kingfisher calling down the river valley, I saw it briefly fly off and heard it's two tone call. Great!

 

[zomerset]

Pair of kingfisher on the Cole and a single kf call on the Rea with fighting blackbirds on the bank. On the way home Kestrels, Buzzards and the usual Red Kites. Great!

 

[zomerset]

A pair of kingfisher on the Cole, a single Kingfisher on the Rea, Selly Park, making a good cropped, repetitive call as it flew along the river. It flew down the river, caught a fish in seconds and flew back up. The Kingfisher on the Rea at Wychall is not so easy to see. I heard it more than I saw it as it's on a tree and bush hidden canopy. LTTs feeding, a few metres away from the bridge.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/25751216560/in/dateposted-public/

 

[zomerset]

I was back to running this morning and the River Rea kingfisher covered twice as much distance as I did. Seeming to appear everywhere I looked. It made a repetitive call like it was chasing another bird but was on it's own. Meanwhile a Song Thrush sat singing for the duration and I've heard my first chiffchaff tuning up.

 

[zomerset]

A Kingfisher and Little Egret at Sarehole Mill on the River Cole. A heron at Sparkbrook on the Cole and two more Kingfisher further along. Great!!