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/
Kingfisher still present at Bournville Valley Parkway on the Bourn.
On my last couple visits at first light it flies along the Bourn and stops over the brook.
Kingfisher also on the Bourn Brook walkway, though difficult to find.
It gets better and better! Now for the fifth weekend in a row a Kingfisher on the Bourn, Bournville.
One morning there were two present. One at the outflow to the Valley Parkway boating pond and one at the entrance on the Woodbrooke where it joins the Bourn.
Great!
A bumper weekend of Birmingham Kingfisher sightings;
1) Bittell Reservoir, it was perched on a tree by the res next to the canal. It called and flew up and around to head to the canal.
2) River Rea, Wychall Lane, it flew from under the bridge up the river.
3) On the in flow channel to Trittiford. Almost in the dark, it was there when I went past and still there when I came back.
4) The Bourn Brook walkway. I had not seen one here for a few weeks. I had given up as the rain had made the water brown, but there it was in the valley of the brook. It gave a few calls but not a full call. Maybe it was a juvenile.
5) From the Dogpool Lane bridge over the River Rea I could see a Kingfisher in the distance dive into the River. Then it flew under the bridge. I later found it by Selly Park with another Kingfisher. They were a couple hundred metres apart. One was in a tree I remembered I had seen one in once before next to the concrete footbridge.
6) The regular by the Dental Hospital. Again the water was brown but the Kingfisher flew past calling.
7) I went out for an early morning run to see the Goosander on the Valley Parkway boating pond. I kept running to check out the Bourn. Much to my surprise the Kingfisher was on the Bourn in Bournville Park. It flew from it's perch and gave a call.
8) On the same run, I ran to Manor Farm Park, there were no Goosander but there was a Kingfisher on Merritt's Brook by the trees where the two brooks join before the lake.
9) I always take a look at the River Tame under Spaghetti Junction. For the first time in a long time there was no Kingfisher. So I walked up the River Tame along the edge of Aston Reservoir. After the Reservoir, there in the distance was a Kingfisher flying from the bank. I'd seen a Kingfisher here once before a few years back. Great to see one again!
Birmingham Kingfisher round up for the past couple months;
1) Birmingham Dental Hospital Kingfisher on the Bourn Brook
2) QE Island, Bourn Brook, Kingfisher
3) Woodgate Valley, Bourn Brook, Kingfisher
4) River Rea, Selly Park, Kingfisher
5) River Rea, Wychall Lane, Kingfisher
6) Trittiford Mill pond, River Cole, Kingfisher
7) Bittell Reservoir Kingfisher
My best evening ever down Thames Thurrock NP;
A Barn Owl sat on the fence just down from the visitor centre. It then dropped down on prey a couple times before flying off. A photographer got some decent shots.
Previously as I ran past it I did not see it as it was hidden from my view by the bushes. I then stopped to talk to the photographer and said 'have you seen the Short-Eared Owl' only for him to say 'No but you just ran past a Barn Owl'.
Thankfully we walked back and it was still there further down.
There was another Owl only 30 or so metres from the Barn Owl in a bush. I thought it was another Barn Owl but another photographer got some photos and it was a light juvenile Short-Eared owl. It flew low over the fields.
Elsewhere there was a Kestrel hovering and a Buzzard flew over.
I'd already seen a Kingfisher on the fishing lakes and then saw another flying up to and sitting on the sluice wall of the creek. A great evening!
I have been really going for it this summer in Birmingham lol!
Checking out all the Kingfisher locations I know and they have not disappointed.
1) The River Rea - Selly Park/Stirchley - I know there is a nesting pair and got lucky one morning and saw them both flying down the river. Also saw the great combination of a Kingfisher, Heron and Little Egret. Then I got photo's of the male Kingfisher at the flood defence work;
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/36197477696/
2) The River Rea - Kings Norton Park - There have been no Kingfisher this year at last years nesting location at Wychall. Then finally the penny dropped they might be further along the river (doh! lol!).
I have now seen one a few times at Kings Norton Park. I got rubbish photo's and film on my phone camera.
3) The River Cole, Stetchford. Part of the Kingfisher Country Park, they are nesting in exactly the same place as 2016 and early morning they fish on the fishing lake around the corner.
4) The River Cole, Shard End / Babbs Mill Lake. Again part of the Kingfisher Country Park, early one morning I saw a pair fly past chasing, I've seen one a few times and two perched on the lake. They are in the same location as back in 2012. (I have not ventured up river where I have also seen them)
5) The River Tame, Spaghetti Junction. I know Kingfisher are resident all year round at this location. Got lucky this year and found the nesting bank. It was obvious all along (doh! lol!) Seen the Kingfisher perched by the nest, seen it waiting with a fish and seen a pair flying along the river together.
6) The River Cole, Trittiford. This year the Kingfisher did not nest in the early 2016 location.
In fact I could not find them. Then decided to look up river and found one at Scribbers Lane. Then another weekend I actually saw one fly over Trittiford Mill pond a couple times.
Then July/August I found a pair a couple times by Wonders Walk / Shire Country Park.
(I also found one as far along as Sarehole Mill)
7) After a few Kingfisher resident along the Bourn Brook over winter it was great to find a pair/nest early Spring.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/88816303@N08/33875014212/in/photostream/
However I am not sure it was successful or I just missed the fledglings. One Friday evening I got film of them chasing each other repeatedly for over 15 minutes on the lower Bourn Brook. Then they disappeared but I have seen one recently in late July/August.
8) Finally I had to go and check out Keith's patch lol! At Bittell Reservoir and saw one on the canal (or is it a river lol) and reservoir. Though it was topped by a pair of Buzzards that came down low, calling over my head.
All in all, great stuff!
