Saturday 28 March 2015

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!!

Sunday 8 March 2015

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