Monday 5 November 2018

Birmingham Kingfisher Update November 2018

Birmingham Kingfisher Update November 2018;
So the Kingfisher return continues;
On the River Rea the Kingfisher has been tricky to find repeatedly on the Selly Park section. I took a look one weekend along the Lifford Lane and where the Rea crosses the canal and there were a couple there.
Last Saturday the Kingfisher was on the stretch down from the Bourn joining.
I then took a look Sunday and heard repetitive calling from the Bourn joining. On taking a closer look two Kingfisher flew out from the bank.
Then close to Dad's Lane there was another Kingfisher in the hidden section near where they've nested before. It was in the bushes over the river and flew up and over the bush.

These Kingfisher on the Rea could be the two I saw on the Bourn early one morning. They were chasing and calling. Before that I had seen one over the Bourn near the Cadbury works.

Meanwhile on the Bourn Brook, I've seen two chasing along there by the blue and grey bridges. A single Kingfisher is now pretty regular along the Bourn Brook from the New Fosse Way roundabout to the blue bridge.
I've seen one as far along as Woodgate Valley but always difficult to find there.

Back to the River Rea, I saw a Kingfisher on Merecroft Pool a couple times. It was very vocal.
Further along at the end of the River Rea, I found two Kingfisher where it joins the River Tame. I've not visited this area of the River Tame that much this year but during mid summer and late summer I saw a Kingfisher there so maybe they were there over Spring and Summer.

The other regular sight of course was the River Cole at Trittiford where I know the pair of Kingfisher had one brood of chicks fledge, plus I'm pretty sure another later brood fledged but I was away during the week so missed them.

The other Kingfisher I saw a few times was on the River Cole at Babbs Mill.
Then I saw one at Meriden Park.


Tuesday 28 August 2018

Birmingham Kingfisher August 2018

So finally some new Kingfisher appeared back on the Bourn, Bourn Brook annd River Rea.
The new Kingfisher on the River Rea I saw a few times but always tricky to find.
The new Kingfisher on the Bourn Brook I've seen it once.
Trevor Jones saw a new Kingfisher on the Bourn.
These are all the first sightings since the beast from the east and all the rain that followed.
Also I saw one along the River Tame under Spaghetti Junction. I've only visited here a few times this year.


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

Kingfisher Fledgling July 2018

It was great last month to see four Kingfisher fledge and I got photos of them all


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

Monday 16 July 2018

Kingfisher Summer Update 2018

After the disappearance of the River Rea and Bourn Brook Kingfisher it was good to find one along the River Cole at the end of April.
It was then present May, June and July.
There was also one at Babbs Mill Lake in June.
On the 14th of July after an absence of 3 months there was a Kingfisher on the River Rea, Selly Park.
In Essex there were Kingfisher at Chafford Gorge and the Stanford Warren fishing lakes.

Monday 28 May 2018

Nightingale, Croome Park, NT

I was keen to hear a Nightingale singing closer to home.
So from the BTO website I saw they were at Croome Park in Worcester.
I made a visit late May on Sunday morning.
I was told I could hear Nightingales at the woods at the end of the park river.
But my ear was tuned to the call and I heard one singing in the hawthorn hedge, next to the cow field and meadows as I followed the path to the woods.
It was singing loudly and I listened to it for more than twenty minutes.
Great!

Nightingales in Essex 2018

Not only did the Birmingham Bourn Brook and River Rea Kingfisher go missing in Spring 2018 but so did the Essex Stanford Warren Kingfisher pair.
I saw them both one week in the usual spot at the back of the fishing lakes and then nothing. No more regular Kingfisher.
So this gave me the chance to turn my attention to Nightingales.
I had read there are many Nightingales at EWT Fingringhoe so planned a visit there.
The same week as my planned visit I heard my first Nightingale at Stanford Wharf RSPB.
It was funny as the dog walker I am friends with had told me there were Nightingales at Stanford Wharf. I didn't know though if he was pulling my leg.
He was not though as I saw him on a Monday evening in early May and he said he'd heard Nightingales. So I said prove it and he showed me where one was calling along the small brook, around the corner from the Stanford Wharf lake, before the newt pond. The area is know as RSPB Stanford Wharf. There is a display board opposite.
The Nightingale sang from the Hawthorn hedge scrub area along the side of the grass next to the brook.
I then read there were Nightingales at EWT Wat Tyler in Pitsea, Basildon so visited there. Sure enough I heard two Nightingales singing at both ends of the creek that runs down the side of the park. They were in the Hawthorn bushes on the other side of the creek.
I then made the visit to EWT Fingringhoe and Nightingales were singing everywhere. I could hear them from the car park. Then before the evening guided tour I took a quick walk round and heard more then five singing. On the actual guided tour we heard more than ten singing. They would sing opposite each other as we walked around. The tour guide stated they had more than 40 singing males on the site. It was a magical evening what with all the Nightingales but also a Little Grebe with chicks, a Marsh Harrier and a Barn Owl.
Then back at Stanford Wharf there was the regular Nightingale before the Newt pond, then another along the creek, on the opposite side to the Thurrock Thameside visitor centre by Mucking Sluice and one evening, one by the Thurrock Thameside NP entrance gate. Funny enough whilst I stood listening to it sing, a Kingfisher flew past.
I didn't get a photo but I did get a recording of it singing;
https://clyp.it/jyo1ejwk
Other TTNP birds I saw were a Marsh Harrier, Kestrel, Barn owl and a few Cuckoo's. Great!

Easter 2018 Kingfisher

Easter 2018 was good as I found pairs of Kingfisher on both the Bourn Brook and River Rea.
They were calling each other, flying up and down and there was fish exchanged.
But them after a couple weekends of rain they seem to have disappeared. This is the first time in a few years there are no nesting Kingfisher on the Bourn Brook or the River Rea, Selly Park.

Kingfisher Spring 2018 update

After the two beast from the east snow storms and then all the rain, I can no longer find any Kingfisher on the Bourn Brook or the River Rea, Selly Park. It must have rained for several weekends. I would usually see the Kingfisher again after the rain but after seeing Kingfisher pairs, I did not see them again. This is the first time in the few years I have known about them there has been no nesting Kingfisher on the River Rea, Selly Park or the Bourn Brook.
There have been a couple reports but I have not found them in their usual areas.
There has been one along the River Cole at Trittiford. I've seen it a few times and there have been other reports.

Bournville Winter Kingfisher

The Bournville Valley Parkway Bourn Kingfisher was present for about 4 months over winter.
The first reports were in November, 2017.
I then saw it about 40 times until early February, 2018.
It was there during a few snow falls. It would sit over the pools formed by the pond water joining the brook or an in flow pipe a little further along.
I got a few photographs.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/24248902147/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/38474767495/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/38515680655/in/photostream/

Monday 5 February 2018

January 2018 Birmingham Kingfisher Round up

The great news is the Bourn Kingfisher at Bournville Valley Parkway is still hanging in there.
Then all the regulars were present at;
1) The River Rea at Wychall Lane and Selly Park
2) The Bourn Brook at upper Reservoir Road, the QE island and the Dental Hospital
3) The River Cole at both Sarehole Mill and the Dingles/Wonders Walk.


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