Some good news along the River Rea, a fledgling Kingfisher
Along the Bourn Brook, a pair of Kingfisher returned mid May, nested and there were a couple fledglings. A photo was then taken of a juvenile Kingfisher further down the Bourn Brook, near the River Rea. The juveniles were chased off a couple weeks later and one was seen a couple times flying up and down to the canal.
Kingfisher at 3 locations along the River Rea
Some details on the River Rea Dippers. We think there were 4 in total. One we named Super Dipper, this is a very territorial Dipper and it travelled some distance during the day. I remember it first arriving and it moved fast up and down the Rea. It could be at Cannon Hill at dawn and later at Kings Norton. A few times whilst on the Rea, I heard it zip past. It was ringed by WM Ringers as AB at Kings Norton. A female Dipper was ringed at Kings Norton AA. AA & AB attempted a nest at Kings Norton. It was thought the nest was predated. At Cannon Hill, AB had a rival male Dipper that was sometimes up the Bourn Brook. A few times the 3 Dippers were seen up the Bourn Brook. We think the un-ringed male sometimes roosted at the University. Something great to see was the Dippers go high flying. The un-ringed male would do this up and down the Bourn Brook by the University. Then Super Dipper would go high flying from the Bourn Brook, we assume back to the Rea. One time it zipped past us at the Bourn Brook and went high flying. It left behind a second Dipper that then took off and circled higher and higher until it got so high we lost sight of it.
The female at Cannon Hill was ringed AC. Super Dipper, AB and the Bourn Brook male had fights a couple mornings, then AB and AC became a pair and nested. They had a few attempts at nesting. Eggs were laid, 2 fledglings were seen, then one juvenile ringed AF was raised by Super Dipper AB.
It was good watching the Dipper parents bringing food to the nest. They'd fly up and down the Bourn Brook. Sometimes they'd make short journeys and find food either by the nest or half way along. Other times they'd fly further up the Bourn Brook. The male seemed to fly further. Sometimes they would rest on the section before the nest. One time it seemed like the female was telling the male to hurry up. She chirped at him whilst he sat bobbing up & down with a beak full of food.
A Crow would bring its food for a dunk in the Bourn Brook and the male Dipper would warn it off. Other times the Dippers chased off Grey Wagtails.
It was good to see the adult Male Dipper feeding the fledgling for about a week. I got some good photos and film of him feeding the young Dipper.
AF then moved out and was last seen up the Bourn Brook by the grey bridge. I also saw AF feeding on a Rea bridge weir (The same place where I first saw the parent Dippers flying from at dawn the previous year).
AB and AC then moulted. AC was seen some mornings. AB had its moult and was very quiet but still along it's territory. The worst of the moult was over end of July and it slowly started singing and defending the territory. Whilst moulting it would walk along the Rea wall. I assume to conserve energy. Then in August it's singing is slowly getting louder and at first light it sang at 2 locations.
Some more info; whilst moulting it would roost along the River Rea in a sluice dooring opening. I got photos and film of it flying up to roost. Then a moorhen started to appear before the Dipper arrived. It defended the Dippers roosting location. Therefore the Dipper could not roost there.
The 2 Dippers remained for Sept, Oct, Nov, December. The male Dipper would fly in to sing at approx. 20 minutes before light. Sometimes he would be later and arrive just after light. The Kingfisher would fly past just before the Dipper appeared. Sometimes the female Dipper would appear after the male. They'd both briefly sit together. She would then get chased away. A very few times she did appear on her own when the male did not turn up. She would sing quieter than the male.
One morning I checked up the Bourn Brook and found the 2 Dippers feeding. The female would go under water. It looked like she caught fish. The male would never be far away. He would feed at the edge and didn't go under the water. He'd then join back up with the female & chase her. I noticed they'd feed for a time and then have a rest. One time the female did this along the Rea and sat at the side quietly under the bank vegetation overhang. She then resumed feeding. The male when he took a rest had a quiet sing.
It was over the 2021 Christmas holidays that was had rain. It rained for a few days overnight. Prolonged rain along the Rea causes higher water levels and turns the Rea water brown. I don't know why but I sensed these water levels were not good for the Dippers. (They had previously been OK with higher water levels but this was earlier in the year when more food was available).
It was then Christmas Day and Boxing Day the male Dipper appeared on his own. The last time Boxing Day, he had a short flight up the Rea and oddly got swept back down in the fast flowing water. I thought this was strange behaviour for a Dipper. He then flew up the Rea and that was the last time I saw him.
I checked for the next month and did not see him again. I took walks up the Bourn Brook and did not see him. I also looked all the way along the Rea for him. I checked out other valley locations. One time during some rain and with high, brown water levels, I checked the Longbridge section of the Rea and a Kingfisher flew head height past me. I'd never seen a Kingfisher this far up and assume it had to fly past the old factor development.
It has been a great experience, seeing and following these Dippers.
