River Stour Dipper

 River Stour Dipper on the Mousesweet / Black Brook 7/12/23

River Rea / Bourn Brook Kingfishers Nov 2023

River Rea / Bourn Brook Kingfishers Nov 2023

There were 3 Kingfishers at the River Rea / Bourn Brook join early morning.

Adult male & female and then a juvenile (call).

I think the male has seen off the female & the juvenile remains flying downstream.

Not seen much of Bourn Brook Kingfishers, I did see one by the Uni and one by the blue bridge.

At dusk one flew from the valley heading towards a pond/pool nearby.

Belne Brook Dippers Nov 2023

2 Belne Brook Dippers Nov 2023

1 Dipper usual spot early morning Belbroughton

1 Dipper near a footbridge in someones garden & then the HP brook section

River Stour Dippers

Last week I located a River Stour Dipper on the Mousesweet Brook / Black Brook.

Kingfisher seen on the join to the River Stour.

River Rea Kingfisher nests 2023

River Rea Kingfisher nests 2023

Lucky to find 2 River Rea Kingfisher nests in July.

3 fledged on the Thursday 31st August (KN)

Another 2 fledged Saturday 2nd September (DL), same day as the West Midlands all dayer.

For the all dayer, 2 Kingfisher were seen at Bartley Reservoir and I saw one myself that afternoon.

The dates for the nesting Kingfishers were;

River Rea & previous nests flooded due to rain 7th July

Nest digging started 8th July and could have taken a week to complete

Female was laying eggs 14th July and could have taken a week to complete

Male bought female a fish to the nest on the 15th July and she flew out to take it

Female mainly sat on the eggs (BTO/RSPB state 20 days)

Eggs hatched early August and were brooded for approx one week

The female left and the male bought fish for the chicks in the nest.

After approx 24 to 25 days chicks fledged (RSPB state 24 days)

River Rea Nesting Kingfisher timeline

River Stour Dippers 2023

I'd checked the River Stour at a few spots for Dipper but the watercourse was not right.

Late July 2023 I checked the River Stour at a spot where I'd previously seen Kingfisher.

I heard a Kingfisher and looked over the bank further along.

Much to my surprise a juvenile Dipper flew off

I returned the next day and it was still there further along.

Then it was joined by another younger Dipper and they chased.

I then checked the complete stretch and saw what looked like an adult Dipper.

3 River Stour Dippers

Kingfishers 2023

 October, November, December 2022 and January, February 2023, I was up first light on my bike along the River Rea. There were Kingfisher dotted along the river at L (both sides), S, TA, CH.

Along the Bourn Brook Kingfisher at the blue bridge and Uni. I think the Uni Kingfisher was the same one as on the Rea. I saw an adult female a couple times  and it had the same red beak markings as one from the Rea. First time I'd been able to identify a Kingfisher this way.

The CH Kingfisher tried to move to the Rea but got chased off and I did not see it again at it's BB location.

Occasional Kingfisher at KN and Wychall.

New year 2023 3 Dippers on the Belne Brook. saw them a couple times but not in Feb. It took until April to find one.

New year, 4 Dippers on Dowles Brook then 2 in April.