Tuesday, 22 December 2009

A Local Dip

Just before dusk, I took Becks for her daily constitutional to the Gowy Woodland Park behind the Nags Head at Mickle Trafford. After checking the gull roost behind the landfill site, I was strolling back along the riverbank when I caught a glimpse of a small bird flying away from me just above the water.

It landed thirty yards or so further up the bank on some dead reed stems and when I put my bins on it I could hardly believe what I was looking at – a Dipper! I thought the sight of one casually strolling along the tide line at Abergwyngregyn was weird enough, but this takes the biscuit!

I tried to creep closer to the bird to check that I wasn’t hallucinating, but it soon clocked me and flew further up the river and out of view, so I decided to leave it in peace.

Obviously Dipper are generally restricted to the more typical surroundings of boulder-strewn, upland, wooded streams, but I assume during harsh weather they are inclined to move to lowland areas.

Interested to see if there have been any other records in lowland Cheshire I had a look through the Coward & Oldham’s Birds of Cheshire (1900) for any evidence. Intriguingly, it contained this reference “There is a specimen in the Warrington Museum which was killed at Tarporley in the spring of 1893, and we have seen another which was shot at Romiley in winter”.

Not unheard of then, but still fairly unusual. If anybody out there as anymore information on the occurrence of Dippers in lowland Cheshire, I would be delighted to hear from you!

Until later.

4 comments:

Phil Woollen. said...

Paul
There was a report a few years ago of Dipper in winter at Arrowe Park. Worth checking out Gowy bird for continental race!

Paul Shenton said...

Phil,
I will have another look today. I take it the continental race is the one with a darker belly - cinclus?

Paul.

Denzil said...

Hi Paul
Compstall Nature Reserve(CWT)within the Etherow Country Park,just outside Stockport is excellent for Dippers.
It's a cracking place to visit at any time of year,and I would thoroughly recommend you have a look sometime.
The best place I know of for Dippers locally is Wepre Country Park(Connah's Quay).

Cheers and all the best for Christmas.

Denzil

Paul Shenton said...

Hi Denzil,

I'll have to check out Compstall - what I know about birding in East Cheshire I could write on the back of a six-pence!

I have seen Dippers at Wepre - good old Garth Wood is excellent for them too.

Happy Christmas, Paul