Trittiford mill pond and the dingles bird sightings (2 Viewers)

[donnam2]

Goosanders

Thank you I havent seen them at the Dingles this year, both little Egrets were at the Old Mill pond today, and one drake and one female Goosander at Trittiford Yesturday there was also one drake and three females at the Old Mill Pond but no sign of them there today.

 

[zomerset]

I did even better this morning on the River Cole, Dingles just down from Trittiford, first a Grey Wagtail, then a GSWP, then I could hear a GWP in the distance, then the Heron, then a Little Egret, then I could hear the two tone call on the river and I had to run up and down and saw the blue of the Kingfisher flying away. Great!!

 

[zomerset]

River Cole, Dingles 9.00
Kingfisher was flying up the river to Trittiford. Great

 

[zomerset]

River Cole, the Dingles and Sarehole Mill 8.00
As per yesterday, the Dingles Kingfisher was flying up the river to Trittiford, however to get past me on the river bank it had to come off the bend of the river and fly up and around me. I looked up and saw a dumpy bird going past and said 'that's a kingfisher'. It then rejoined the river.
A GSWP was drumming with a good echo, heard the same yesterday. LTTs in two places which I like to see.
I then thought where else am I going to find a Kingfisher? Let's check out Sarehole Mill. And within two minutes of getting there I found a Kingfisher on the same perch as used last year and the year before. Great!!

 

[throstle]

Pair of kingfishers on River Cole just upstream of the Highfield Road bridge this afternoon also one male pochard, 5 tufties and a GCG (it caught a decent sized roach) on Trittiford Pool, heard a buzzard calling from the woods at Scribers but no raptors seen.

 

[zomerset]

Shire Country Park, Dingles, River Cole 7.30
Heron, Little Egret, Green Woodpecker calling, loads of birdsong with plenty of Blackbirds and a few Thrush feeding on the ground. Amongst the birdsong I heard the Kingfisher calling, I saw it go down the Cole. Great!

 

[zomerset]

Kingfisher and Heron down the Cole at the back of Trittiford Mill Pond. On the pond the Swan was chasing the geese off. Great!

 

[zomerset]

My first Trittiford, River Cole Kingfisher photo
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/25751216560/in/dateposted-public/

 

[zomerset]

Three is the magic number

River Cole, Dingles nest to Trittiford 7.00
I knew there were two Little Egret along the River Cole in this area but I was surprised to see three! I thought two's company, three's a crowd. Two did seem closer and the third was one keeping a little distance away. Great!!

 

[donnam2]

Brilliant Love the Little Egrets

 

[zomerset]

For donnam2 and I like them as well, one of the Little Egrets was on the Dingles this morning with a very impressive number of songbirds feeding on the grass. Some must be used to walkers as they don't fly off. The Kingfisher stopped by on it's usual perch.

 

[donnam2]

I noticed that all the birds at the Dingles seem quite tame but when I walked over priory fields today they all fly of there must be because there's not as many people around more jumpy. Whereas the dingles there's constantly people walking through

 

[donnam2]

Cuckoo calling this morning at the Priory fields at the back of Old Mill Pond couldn't see it but it called quite a few times that's so good for this area

 

[zomerset]

The Dingles/Wonders Walk is one of the best places for me for bird song / dawn chorus and song birds feed on the grass and they don't fly off that quick. This morning there was a family of four Thrushes happily feeding on the grass path and they only flew off at the last moment with one staying put.
This morning at 6.30 I had my most unbelievable Kingfisher sightings. There were 2 Kingfisher chasing each other for over thirty minutes, maybe an hour. One kingfisher would fly round and around in big circles, over the river, going in and out of the trees, whilst another was on the river. It flew around in a circle for more than ten times at three places, so circling over thirty times over the river for over half a mile as I walked along and stopped to watch them. They then would chase each other along the river and through the trees, circling, around and around. Then they would stop on a tree over the river or next to the river. A few times the kingfisher was in the tree next to me, having a rest or hiding. As it was doing it's circling it also had a quick rest on the TV aerial of a bungalow opposite the river. It also flew through the trees/woods a few times, right past me or on the river right next to me. At one point I ducked down to watch them flying along the river and the Kingfisher flew a foot over my head as it went through the trees. They were amazing going up and down the river. Each time I thought they'd stop, they would only fly back or I would find them again. They were still doing it as I left them. They were making a right racket, calling to each other. I can only assume it was a territorial dispute between 2 males. It certainly did not look like courtship or the young being chased away. It was crazy. I'd never seen anything like that before. I've seen a few chases but not this prolonged and intense. Great!!

 

[donnam2]

Kingfishers are so beautiful had one today on River cole, slade lane also 4 Beautiful Demoiselles two males and two females all by the bridge on slade lane

 

[zomerset]

Kingfishers are so beautiful had one today on River cole, slade lane also 4 Beautiful Demoiselles two males and two females all by the bridge on slade lane

Yes I reckon there are a couple pairs or two males after the territory, I've seen one on Mill Lodge Park & Aqueduct Road and the regular flying back from the Sarehole direction.

 

[zomerset]

The Dingles yesterday afternoon, I stopped by to see the Kingfisher and got a little bit too close to a Heron again and then was lucky to see a pair of Bullfinch feeding with the male colour really striking in the sunlight.

 

[zomerset]

I stopped off this afternoon and heard the Kingfisher, somewhere on the river. Best was a Kestrel flying over and swifts feeding overhead. Great!

 

[throstle]

I am looking after a friend's dog while they are away and took her for a walk around the Burberry Brick Works site.
This is located at the far northern end of the Shire Country Park but I haven't been there for around four years. The marsh has receded since my last visit and there are many birch, willow and alder trees invading the space. The marsh used to be a good place for snipe, jack snipe and the occasional woodcock but probably not for much longer. A flock of around 40 goldfinches on the thistle patch was a pleasing sight, not much else of note birdwise, female bullfinch and a singing blackcap. Plenty of butterflies: gatekeeper, meadow brown, ringlet, large and small white, speckled wood, comma, small tortoiseshell, peacock but the real surprise for me was a marbled white. This was a ragged looking individual but still able to fly well. I have never seen one before anywhere along the River Cole The nearest colony I know of is on the hill behind the church in Henley in Arden which is around 15 miles away Anyone have any West Midlands records or know of a closer colony?

 

[UW82]

I am looking after a friend's dog while they are away and took her for a walk around the Burberry Brick Works site.
This is located at the far northern end of the Shire Country Park but I haven't been there for around four years. The marsh has receded since my last visit and there are many birch, willow and alder trees invading the space. The marsh used to be a good place for snipe, jack snipe and the occasional woodcock but probably not for much longer. A flock of around 40 goldfinches on the thistle patch was a pleasing sight, not much else of note birdwise, female bullfinch and a singing blackcap. Plenty of butterflies: gatekeeper, meadow brown, ringlet, large and small white, speckled wood, comma, small tortoiseshell, peacock but the real surprise for me was a marbled white. This was a ragged looking individual but still able to fly well. I have never seen one before anywhere along the River Cole The nearest colony I know of is on the hill behind the church in Henley in Arden which is around 15 miles away Anyone have any West Midlands records or know of a closer colony?

I first saw Marbled White at Burbury three years ago. Essex Skipper is also there, but as you say it is getting invaded by trees and the marshy area is retreating. Some management is required.

Des.