December River Cole and Rea, Kingfisher pairs

After great year for finding Birmingham kingfisher it has continued into December with kingfisher on the River Rea, Cole, Bourn and Bourn Brook. The Bourn Brook has another wintering kingfisher in the same spot after last years wintering juvenile. I got a nice surprise when I found a kingfisher on the Bourn, Stirchley, I'd never seen one there before. The best sighting have been the pair of kingfisher on the River Cole at the start of the Kingfisher Country Park. I've seen them either side of a bridge fishing, having a bit of a squabble and chasing each other and then flying along the river together. There is then a pair of kingfisher on the River Rea, they are about a mile apart. I saw kingfisher in the same area last winter. They are by the nests they had in the Spring and Summer. I assume they are the same birds. Not been able to get a photo.

My first Sea Kingfisher

I visited Brighton Marina, my parents live nearby. I've seen a couple reports of a Kingfisher in the past few months. I walked past the restaurants looking closely as the boats. I then got to the path in front of the apartments that look over the Marina harbour. I could have only been there 10 minutes when I heard the distinctive two tone call of a kingfisher calling over the top of a few starlings chattering that were on the apartment roofs. I scanned the harbour in front of and there it was flying past, a kingfisher. It landed on a boat mooring rope and if I'd had my camera with me, I could have got a photo. It then flew off and I lost it in amongst the boats. I think I heard it calling again later but I couldn't see it. What a result though, my first sea kingfisher. Great!!

Six Kingfisher Week

On Friday I stopped at Bittell Reservoir and was lucky to time it right that a Kingfisher was on a perch and it flew across the reservoir and it gave a call as it went up the river next to the reservoir. On both the Saturday and the Sunday morning, the Kingfisher was again present on the Bourn Brook at it's usual spot on a perch. Same for the Small Heath, Kingfisher Country Park, River Cole, Kingfisher it was in the same spot both Saturday and Sunday morning. It flew up the River Cole. The River Rea Kingfisher was also in the same spot but on the Sunday was a little further down the river, which gave me the chance to watch it catch a fish, do some hovering and then fly down the river. The Hall Green, Yardley Wood, Trittiford, River Cole kingfisher on the Saturday was in Hall Green on a perch over the River Cole. On the Sunday it was just down from Trittiford, flying along the river with the sun shining on it, making it appear more green than blue. It stopped a couple times on perches over the river before it was disturbed by dogs in the river and it flew back up to Trittiford. With all these sightings I wished I had the camera to get some photo's. In the week, I had finally found my works patch kingfisher on Langdon fishing lake, EWT. I was up early so had a look and it flew across the lake at the sluice end and gave a call. We also found it sheltering from the wind, having a rest in the trees next to the path. All in all a pretty good week for kingfisher sightings.

Four Birmingham Kingfisher

I've now got a route that takes in four regular Birmingham kingfisher. The first is on the Bourn Brook, it's an adult male. This is where a juvenile female wintered last year. What is good about this years is, I never know where it's going to appear from. It seems to like a number of perches. Sometimes first thing in the morning with a small amount of light I can just see it fly past. The next is on the River Rea, I'm hopeful it's the juvenile female from the Bourn Brook. Though it could be another male, as there was one here over the summer and then another passed through which spooked the female and had to be chased off by the male. Last year an adult female wintered on this section. The next kingfisher spot is the River Cole at Small Heath/Kingfisher Country Park. Again there was also a male kingfisher here last winter. What has made this winter sighting interesting, is that I have found a pair a couple times. One time they were happily fishing either side of a bridge, another time they where sat together and then they were chasing and calling each other. The fourth kingfisher is again on the River Cole but this time at Yardley Wood/Trittiford. Late winter of 2013 there was a kingfisher further along this section at Sarehole with another further down at Sparkhill. They then moved up to Hall Green over the summer of 2014, where they had a nest and chick. I have checked along Sarehole but not get lucky this winter. I'm looking forward to the holidays to get some more time and check the fifth (or sixth) kingfisher on the Bourn, just down the road from me. I've seen it reported recently. Got to find it again!!

Kingfisher Country Park

I had not checked out Kingfisher Country Park in Birmingham since the new year when I got this photo https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/15542729444/ I thought in the wind and rain I might not be lucky. I ran along the path having a look at the river and could not see a Kingfisher. I then remembered I had seen one on a tree perch over the river just after the bridge. So I crossed the road bridge and looked over the wall to the river and just saw a kingfisher splash in the river and return to the tree perch. Yes it had caught a fish! It then knocked it on the branch a few times before swallowing it. It then flew closer to me on another tree perch over the river. I then turned my head and it saw me move and it flew off, up the river. I then looked over the bridge, down the river and much to my amazement, there was another kingfisher in another tree over the river diving for fish. It was really difficult to see. So I approached the tree and then heard the kingfisher call as it flew off. Amazing in all the wind and rain. I wonder if one of them was this one; https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/17531770440/ In the morning there was the usual kingfisher on the River Rea in this spot; https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/15688732673/ Then there was another kingfisher on the Bourn Brook in this spot; https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/15900961407/ Though it was not obvious to see in the poor light and flew out from a bush when I looked closer. It was a pretty good Saturday. Amazed to find four kingfisher! Great!

Bourn Brook Shocker!!

Bourn Brook 7.00-8.00, River Rea 8.00 Well what a shocker, three kingfisher on the Bourn Brook. Then four in a hour. I knew there was one from last week on the Bourn but three!! They were approximately one mile from each other. The first one was on the Bourn Brook Walkway, Weoley Castle. I was cycling along when I thought I heard a kingfisher call. I stopped to take a look and there it was perched in a tree over the brook. I tried to get a photo but the light was poor and it flew off up the brook. (this is the closest I have seen one to Woodgate Valley CP for a few years, I wonder if it will visit there) The second one was by Selly Oak park / the University, where there was one last year over the Winter. It was a bit of a shocker as I stopped to have a look at the spot, not thinking I would see another after seeing the first one, when another flew out of a bush perch over the Brook. The third one was the other side of the University and I saw it fly from it's perch down the Brook. I then stopped to look from a bridge further down and could not see anything, when all of a sudden a kingfisher dived from a tree perch into the Brook and caught a fish right in front of me. The water could have only been a few inches deep. It then sat on some rocks in the brook and ate the fish. Funny how they are all along the Bourn Brook. I wondered where the juveniles had gone from the Rea. The Ranger at Woodgate Valley CP one year said there were high numbers on the Bourn, now I believe him. Last year there were a few in a similar short distance on the Rea. I thought that was a shocker that they all can be so close but this morning proved it again. The fourth one was in the usual spot on the Rea. There were several grey wagtails all along the brook as well, which was great to see and a heron flew over. What a great morning!!

August River Rea Kingfisher Pair

So after finding the River Rea, Kingfisher pair, further along the river, I was pleased to find nest number two. However the surrounding area did not have the cover provided at nest one, so it was very difficult to get any photos. I tried to hide using trees as cover but they could always see me. The female was more sensitive than the male and would fly off at any movement. So I kept my sightings to a minimum not to disturb them. It was best to view them from a distance and watch them go in and out of the nest, feeding the young.This went on for a few weeks until I was lucky once again to see the fledglings. I think I only saw two, difficult to tell from a distance. I saw one flying off with what I assume was the mother to get some feeding training. Then the next day I saw the male chasing them off. He might have had a couple chases as he was up and down and very loud. I saw them chasing, head to toe with the eerie, repetitive call of the chase. Then when the juveniles were gone, the couple remained and I was hopeful they would make a third nest along the same stretch. At first this seemed possible and I think one day I saw them nest to a potential nest site. But after a couple weeks the female seemed to disappear only to leave the male patrolling up and down. There were no more two tone calls from the pair (the pair on the Cole were still together and calling) and it was quiet.

July River Rea Kingfisher Couple

More great kingfisher sightings this week.

First down at Warren Fishery, Stanford-le-Hope.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I could hear the kingfisher calling all over the fishery. On the match and main lake and then along the creek. I think I saw it very briefly Wednesday evening.

Then Thursday evening there were two on the match lake. A male and a female I presume as they were together in a couple trees over the lake. They did some crazy flying around the lake. They would fly across or around the lake and then all of a sudden turn off at ninety degrees and head off in a different direction. Not sure if this was due to realising as they flew around there were fisherman on the lake hidden by the reeds, so they flew off to avoid them. One kingfisher also flew up and over the path between the lakes which is good to see as it flies over my head.  They also seem to like the tree on the match lake just down from the entrance. It looks like they had another go at digging the nest hole by the entrance as there is dirt on the ground. I still think their nest is over on the creek behind the nest lake.

Back in Birmingham the kingfisher sightings got even better.

I now think there is a juvenile from the last broad on the River Rea behind Cannon Hill park. I've seen it hanging around the old nest sight and at the end of one of the avenue roads, fishing from a perch. Seen it a few times in the past month now.

My main curiosity has been where have the mother and father gone to? I've waited around the old nest which has been pretty quiet apart from the juvenile stopping or passing by. I've walked up the river and seen a kingfisher fly off but not call which led me to assume it was a juvenile. Then luckily I stuck my head over a bridge and saw a kingfisher flying off, giving a loud call. This was more like an adult. I returned to this area and hey presto, I found two kingfisher. At one point they both landed in the tree I was stood next to. I have to say their calls were very loud!! Then they flew off and the female stopped later with a fish. Great!! The female has the same chest markings as the mother earlier on the Rea and the bird I had watched on the Bourn Brook over the winter.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/19600238206/in/dateposted-public/

Kingfisher Crazy

Where as last year it was good to see Kingfisher pairs, this year it's been good to find kingfisher nests. I got close to finding a nest last year on the Cole and have checked out the area this year and the kingfisher are nesting in a similar area. I found another nesting area and have been lucky enough to enjoy Kingfisher courting, mating, digging the nest hole and then going in and out of the nest hole to sit on the eggs and then feed the chicks. I've seen both the male and female kingfisher doing the feeding and the change in their frequency of feeding. In that sometimes the male was doing more feeding and then the female. Towards the end of the feeding, the male would sit outside the nest with a fish. I think it was trying to tempt the chicks out of the nest. I think it started too early, as it was doing this two weeks before the chicks fledged. Then a week before they did fledge, the female started to do the same thing. I got a photo of them both outside the nest with fish. 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/18233020256/

Also towards the end I noticed the male kingfisher would take little rests in between feeding. He would sit for a short time in the bushes before resuming feeding.

Then finally it came to seeing the first kingfisher chick fledging. This was lucky timing for me, as it fledged on a Sunday. I presume the rest came out during the week when I was at work. It was great to see a fledgling. It sat in the bushes waiting for food from it's mother.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/18281453866/in/photostream/

Then it chased off after the mother and I presume it was fed further down the river.

Kingfisher update

On the Easter weekend, April 2015 I got way more than I bargained for in my Kingfisher pursuit. The week before I had been to Germany for work which was quite a stressful challenge so it was nice to leave it all behind and forget it. I got home just before midnight but after a good nights sleep I was up early the next day. I headed to the River Rea where I had last seen the kingfisher couple and they were still present, calling to each other. I had to take a look and saw them both and from the cover of trees I took the following photographs.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/16405982014/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/17027545721/in/photostream/

Now what was interesting for me, is that the female appeared to have the same markings as the female I had been watching on the Bourn Brook for 5 months. Good to see that it had gone from a juvenile to an adult and had now found itself a mate. Also good to see it had wintered quietly on the Bourn, before moving up to the Rea for Spring. Especially as I had seen possibly 3 other female kf on the Rea over the winter. There seems to be have been a high number of female kingfisher on the Rea. I wonder where the male kf had come from, the only one I knew of was further along the Rea near Wychall. I thought that one had a partner there. But I guess the Rea has plenty of new kf who discover the territory.

The next day, I thought I best check out the River Cole kingfisher and as before with a bit of patience I found it by Sarehole Mill. I have run the length of the Cole from Trittiford to Sparkhill to try and find where it might be nesting this year. But have not got lucky. I had a good idea in 2014 where they nested but have not seem them there yet in 2015.
I then took another look on the Rea and the kingfisher couple were still present.

The next morning I was up really early with a plan to use the trees as cover to get some photographs. I can honestly say I got far more than I bargained for as I was party to the kingfisher mating ritual. This involved the male catching fish and giving them to the female.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/16418004294/in/photostream/
Then the mating took place and they had a few goes at it. Lucky for me they did as it took me a few times to get some photos.
These photos are sessions 2 and 3;
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/17038494232/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/16417196674/in/photostream/

The fourth morning I also took a look but they were back to just calling each other, flying up and down, fishing and stopping by the nest. Funny enough the nest is right next to a wren nest. Only a few feet away. The wren was constantly calling, patrolling it's territory.

All in all. It was a great weekend!!!!

Brandon Marsh Juv KF 2014

Kingfisher update

Saturday 28th March. 6.30AM River Rea
A great morning on the River Rea, a pair of kingfisher. I could hear them calling in the distance as I cycled along the track. They were hidden by the bushes along the track. I went on the opposite bank to see them. They were doing the two tone call to each other and one did a continuous call as it flew along. They flew up and down a couple times, stopping on perches together. I didn't want to disturb them too much so left them to it.
I then took a look on the Bourn Brook. I thought the kingfisher might have left to look for a mate but I was very surprised to find it. I don't think I had seen it for a month. I was not looking that closely for it and then heard it calling just further up from where I was looking. After I left it, it then flew a long to where I next stopped and much to my surprise stopped next to me. It sat on a perch bobbing it's head ready to dive. It only flew off when disturbed my someone walking past us and off it flew under the road bridge.
I had a great evening at Chafford Gorge in Essex, Thursday 19th March. I could hear kingfisher calling as I walked down the path. I could see it was going to be great for kingfisher as the water was clear. I've seen kingfisher here previously but it's always difficult as they quickly fly past. This visit for about 10 minutes there was kingfisher flying past or on a perch every turn I took. One kingfisher I watched it fly past along a long bend on the pool. It was great. I then stood on the track which divides 2 pools and the kingfisher came flying past me. One head height and then one over my head. One stopped a couple times on perches over the pool. A great evening!!

Kingfisher pair on the River Rea and River Cole, Birmingham

Saturday 7th March 2015 - River Rea, Selly Park 7AM

As I got to the River Rea I could hear 2 Kingfisher calling each other from Pershore Road. Over a hundred metres from the river. They were continuously calling each other! I knew I was in for a treat. I was running so did not have the camera but this enabled me to keep up with them as they chased each other along the river, stopping off at perches, sometimes the same perch, sometimes nearby, sometimes then joining each other at the same perch. They were never far apart. I was able to see them from three bridges over the river. At one bridge I used a bush as camouflage and had 2 long tail tits feeding the bush, one metre away. The kingfishers pursued each other for up to a mile in distance, I watched them for 30 minutes. They got so far down the Rea before they turned back and flew up the River. They caught fish, they checked out the bank, each taking a look, I presume looking for nest sites. It was a thrilling site. Last year I was lucky to see a pair on the River Cole, now seen a pair on the River Rea. Great!

After the Saturday treat I checked out the River Cole the next Sunday and suprise, surprise another kingfisher pair. At first I thought it was one kingfisher sat on a favoured perch. I got a bad photo before getting closer and seeing it fly off, up and over into the trees and bushes behind that I know it uses to take cover in. It was only as it flew off, I saw another where it flew from and I realised another kingfisher pair. Great!!. I have to say they were not making as much noise as the Rea pair and they did fly off quickly but maybe I was too close. The previous year the pair did not fly off so quickly and allowed me to get these photo's

https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/14087905403/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/14044733426/in/photostream/

2015 Kingfisher update

Not a bad start to 2015 and kingfisher sightings
All the old haunts so far plus one new location;
Birmingham;
River Tame tributary Salford junction
Bourn Brook
River Cole - three seen
River Rea - two seen - surprisingly both female
Essex;
One at Warren Fishery - Stanford-le-Hope
One flew from the sluice on Mucking creek - I saw it do this twice on different days.
A new one on the Ingrave village pond - we saw it a couple times in a week.
10 seen total in 2015.
Some good photo's on the Rea
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/15688732673/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/16355458755/in/photostream/
On the Bourn Brook
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/16323563886/
It was also good to find 2 on the River Cole about half a mile a part.
Very close to where I found 2 last year.
Last years photo's
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/14087905403/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/14044733426/in/photostream/

Kingfisher Friday

Friday 2nd Jan 2014 I took a bicycle ride into the City Centre. I took the Bourn Brook Walkway and River Rea Valley route, then the canal to Salford Junction. Three Kingfisher sightings today; No.1 - Bourn Brook, Selly Oak, 11:00 I could only just see this kingfisher as it was on a small channel off the brook and it had it's back to me. From a distance it looked like a piece of plactic bag. A quick photo confirmed it was a kingfisher. it then flew past me and under the bridge. Great to see it flying as I like to see kingfisher flight. No. 2 - River Tame, Spaghetti Junction, 13:00 - I never imagined I would see a kingfisher under Spaghetti Junction. It was funny because only minutes earlier I said to myself 'I'll never see a kingfisher here, the waters too murky'. And next minute a kingfisher flew past. No. 3 - River Rea, Selly Park, 15:00 - I first saw it on a section before Canon Hill park - then it flew under the Dogpool Lane bridge, up the River. I know many people have seen KF along this stretch of the River Rea but it could be 10 years since I last saw one here. Usually see them at Kings Norton / Wychall Reservoir. I thought there would be one along this section, guarding it from the Bourn Brook KF above. It was a great day!

River Cole, Kingfisher Country Park, Small Heath

Thursday 1st January 2015 River Cole, Kingfisher Country Park, Small Heath 12:20 My first KF for 2015!! I watched this fishing on a couple perches. It caught a couple fish!! I had questioned if the Kingfisher Country Park had any Kingfisher. I now remember I had seen a Kingfisher on this stretch a couple years ago. I was told about this kingfisher by a fishermen when I saw the Digbeth Canal / River Rea Kingfisher. I've seen it on most visits. Even when I've visited early morning with very poor light, I have heard it call as it's flown along the river. Also saw a small flock of starlings and a pied wagtail.