BIRMINGHAM BOURN BROOK DIPPER

BIRMINGHAM BOURN BROOK DIPPER

It was great to find a Dipper on the Bourn Brook, my second one after an earlier one in January.

It was in the spot normally frequented by a Kingfisher, but none of this years Kingfisher have used this spot much. It was good several others saw it as well and it hung around for a couple months.

Kingfishers 2016

As it get's to the end of the year it's good to look back on another cracking year for Kingfisher. I will slowly write up my top ten highlights of Kingfishers 2016; 
1) Number one has got to be Kingfisher nesting. In 2016 I saw more Kingfisher nesting than any other year. OK I only saw my first Kingfisher nests in 2015. In 2015, I saw one Kingfisher pair nesting, in 2016, I saw three pairs in three Birmingham locations. The first location was the River Rea, where I was lucky to see them nesting in three locations. Unfortunately one nest was flooded by the high water due to all the rain. The next location was the River Cole at one end of Birmingham and the third location was again the River Cole but at the opposite end of Birmingham. These were actual sightings of Kingfishers going in and out of the next. Other nests locations were another on the River Rea, I couldn't see the next due to the tree hidden valley. The final one had to be a nest on the River Tame. The Kingfisher were busy flying up and down and carrying fish. Great!

Bourn Brook Kingfishers

For the past few years there have been Kingfishers present over winter on the Bourn Brook in Birmingham. Late 2016, this has been repeated with two Kingfishers very close together on the Bourn Brook Walkway. One appears to cover the distance from the QE up to Reservoir Road. Another is then present where the Stone Brook joins the Bourn Brook. I've seen one here before maybe in 2014 but never checked it our regularly as it's hidden by trees. But in 2016 I've seen it a few times. It will do a u turn just before the bridge and fly back up the brook. I've managed to get photo's of them both. One was a juvenile. In winter 2015 there were a few Kingfisher, maybe four from the River Rea to the Bourn Brook walkway. I used to stop at every bridge and have a look and sometimes, bingo, there was a Kingfisher. In 2016 I've seen five, three close together on the Rea and the two on the Bourn Brook. It's always great to see them!

Manor Farm Park Kingfisher

The Freshwater Invertebrate Network (FIN_BBC) had tweeted in early September, there was a Kingfisher on Merritt's Brook at Manor Farm Park. I've checked this brook and park a number of times over the years. A few years back there were a couple Herons present and last year there was a lot of small fish in the brook, more than I'd seen at any other brook or river. I should have spent more time checking it out as I've now seen the Kingfisher a few times myself. It's always been in the same location on a fallen tree behind some trees and bushes. I've then seen it fly along the brook and call a few times. Last weekend it flew out onto the brook at the bottom of the grass slope, just down from the car park. This gave me chance to get a photograph

Good and bad 2016

The good for 2016 was the most amazing 30 to 40 minutes I spent where I got caught up in two territorial Kingfishers having a dispute. I'd never seen any Kingfisher display like it. Kingfisher usually fly off. But these two were not so bothered by me as they chased after each other and kept reappearing as I walked along the River Cole. 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!! The bad was the second Kingfisher nest of the year on the River Rea, Selly Park, it must has got flooded after all the rain and then high water levels. I'd only watched the Kingfisher a couple weeks earlier preparing this nest and flying in and out and then after the rain and floods they were no longer nesting at this location. I saw them again as a couple near by but then just saw a lone kingfisher flying along this section to further up the river. Hopefully they found a new nest location.

More Kingfisher nests 2016

The Kingfisher pair on the River Cole moved nest. They mated opposite and were visiting one next a few weeks back but then disappeared. I found them just a short distance away at a new nest location. I saw them both by and entering the nest. It's quite interesting how quickly they disappear from the nest and how tricky it is to spot them. A good nest location. The same is true on the two Kingfisher nest locations on the River Rea. One is impossible to view or see the kingfisher entering. You can only see them fly to it down the river valley, hidden by trees and bushes. The other Kingfisher nest further along the Rea is also very well positioned so you can't see it. I can only see the Kingfisher fly into the bank. They don't stop anywhere by the nest. They fly in, feed the young and then fly off. So I ventured further along the river thinking I would have more chance of seeing them at their favorite fishing location. Luckily, I not only found their fishing location but I also found them checking out a new nest location. They would stop in a tree over the river, whilst I assume one of them went into the nest. They would call each other, stop in the same tree and then fly off together. I assume to go and feed the young at the other nest. Then one of them would creep back and sit in the tree, hanging around nest two. Not sure if this is checking out the nest location is quiet. Or just having a rest. I also noted when they called each other, one of the kingfisher was a lot louder. I thought this was the male but when I looked at my unclear photo, it could be the female. Which I would be surprised by. All exciting stuff though as they fly up and down.
I also had the same Kingfisher excitement in Essex. I've found a few Kingfisher locations. There's Warren Fishery and Stanford Warren at Stanford-le-Hope, At this location they can be seen flying around and calling all over the area but the nest seems to be on the Wharf fishing lake this year. I can hear them calling from there and whenever they fly over the other fishing lakes they always then head off back to this lake. There might be more then one pair as I've seen them flying along the creek on Stanford Warren. At Chafford Gorge, there is Kingfisher flying and calling everywhere. I can only guess there are a couple pairs present. Other observers on BTO have reported a few kingfisher. As I walk or run around Chafford Gorge, Kingfisher are on and fly along all the lake areas and then take short cuts across the grassland in the middle to get to the lakes on the opposite side. All good stuff.
The other areas are the Mar dyke next to Davy Down which is quite open and long and the kingfisher can be found somewhere along this stretch. The final area I will concentrate on for fledglings along with Chafford Gorge is the Ingrebourne NR. The grass and nettles are getting long on the river bank so it's difficult to see. But are there a few open viewing points to look from. Then there is the added bonus of a Barn Owl, which I've now seen twice and Heron and a pair of Little Egret along this stretch. Great stuff!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/

Kingfisher nests 2016

I've got lucky again this year in finding two Kingfisher nests.
At the two sites I've seen the Kingfisher going in and out of the nest.
Both nests are on the River Cole, Birmingham though they are quite some distance between each other, on opposite sides of Birmingham.
One nest site bank is as you'd expect it. A very high bank, a few metres up from the water.
The other nest site can only be a metre high and hid by growth at the river bank.
The calls the Kingfisher make to each other is great. The male letting the female know he is close by. It's the female I presume sitting on the eggs in the nest.
The male stops by to sit on a perch by the nest. Then the female comes out for a break.
At one site the male Kingfisher cuts through the trees nearby to do a U turn and go back down the river. Twice it flew past me only a few feet away. Great stuff!!

2016 Kingfisher news

So 2016 has started well.

There have been Kingfisher on the River Rea at both Selly Oak, Stirchley and Wychall.

The Kingfisher on the Bourn Brook has been present over the winter. When it got to late February and then early March it started to disappear. This was backed by a couple times when it appeared to fly in. I could hear it from a distance, calling as it returned I presume from the River Rea. It would fly up and down the Bourn Brook to check it's patch.

The same River Rea, Stirchley Kingfisher could have been on the Bourn in Stirchley / Bournville, I saw it on the Bourn myself and it was reported at Stirchley park as well as Bournville.

I think the Bourn Brook Kingfisher then made it's way to the River Rea in early March and had chases with the River Rea Kingfisher that had been present over winter.

It's hard to tell which Kingfisher won, but there now appears to be three Kingfisher in a short stretch on the River Rea. Two kingfisher have paired up and a third is trying to get in on the action.
The pair of Kingfisher that wintered on the River Cole, Small Heath at the start of the Kingfisher Country park have moved along the river. I saw them flying along together over the Christmas holidays. They have now started nesting. I saw them digging the nest hole. One watching, whilst the other did the digging.
I heard my first kingfisher flying over Babbs Mill lake. It then flew along the River Cole next to the lake.
At the River Cole next to Trittiford, at the Dingles there has been a wintering Kingfisher. When the river levels were high due to the rain I saw it on Trittiford Mill pool and then on the Chin Brook next to the Cole. There was another Kingfisher early March at Sarehole Mill, on the River Cole. I've not been checking this spot very much so it was good to see a bird back on this patch as they were regular in 2014 and 2015. A pair were then reported mid March at the Dingles so I think they've paired up.
Another spot I am pleased to have regularly found a kingfisher at is the River Rea, Wychall. I've known for a few years there's been a kingfisher on this patch but I've never found it in a regular spot. Well in 2016, late February and early March I finally cracked it. I've seen it a number of times now and one Sunday it was disturbed by dog walkers a couple time and flew as far as Northfield, where it was hidden by a tree canopy over the river and caught a fish.
My final Kingfisher news for this report is my work patch at Stanford Warren, Essex. There are kingfisher on Stanford Warren and Warren Fishery. I saw a pair on the fishery a couple times, the second time in almost the exact spot where I saw them in 2015 at this time of year. They were calling and chasing each other for over thirty minutes. I think they nest on one of the islands in the Fishery, though it's never easy to tell, as typical of kingfisher one day they are present, the next day nothing! Typical kingfisher but that's what makes it interesting.

2015 The Best Kingfisher Year yet

I've been spotting Kingfisher for a few years now and never imagined 2015 would bring so many Kingfisher surprises. 
As the year progressed it just got better and better. Talk about lucky. 
The first was the courting pair on the River Rea, I could hear them calling each other from a couple hundred metres away. They were so loud as they chased each other up and down the River Rea looking for a nest site. This pair then gave me even more surprises when I then found them courting where the female took a fish from the male; 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/16418004294/
Mating a few times early one morning on the River Rea, 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/16417196674/in/photostream/
They then had a nest, then they got down to feeding the young in the nest. Then they waited outside the nest with food, trying to tempt the young out; 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/18233020256/in/photostream/
Before finally I saw a fledgling come out of the nest and sit in some bushes whilst the parents bought it food before then flying off with it for a fishing lesson. 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/18281453866/in/photostream/
If all this wasn't enough, I then got to see them find the second nest, repeat all the above, except the mating this time and successfully have a second brood and see another fledgling. What was also good about this pair of Kingfishers was the female who I had found a few months before on the Bourn Brook. She then made her way to the Rea for the mating season and the other females who had been on the Rea over the winter were I presume seen off by the territorial male who flew up and down the Rea. He had to see off another Kingfisher that flew right past the first nest. This certainly spooked the female who hid for a while. She was also spooked by a Heron that almost discovered the nest and low flying crows. Here she is outside the second nest; 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/19600238206/in/photostream/
There were many other highs of which I will write more of. 
In December just when I thought it would quieten down, I then got lucky to find a pair of Kingfisher on the River Cole in Birmingham at the Kingfisher Country Park. At first I just thought it was just lucky when one morning in very bad light I just caught them fishing either side of a bridge. Though I was not totally convinced. I then saw more proof when they were chasing and calling each other before I then saw then flying along the River calling each other with the two tone call. It got even better in December when I found two more further along the River Cole on the Kingfisher Country park probably five miles from the other pair. Even better was I got my best photo's yet of a Kingfisher very busy fishing that did not mind me taking photo's or people crossing a bridge only a few metres away from it. It knew it was safe, down on the River dam wall, fishing away. I then even found a Canal Kingfisher. In all I found ten Birmingham Kingfisher in a week and I had seen another few a couple weeks before so I know Kingfishers are doing well in urban Birmingham.