Very interesting Tony. I saw TWO Dippers together both ringed in the same way. Did they in fact come from the same nest?

Tim

So is this new craze called Dipping or birding, sounds extremely like Dogging to me

Steve

Steve Suttill wrote:

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The Dippers on the Mossley/Greenfield border were copulating in public on Sunday morning - have they no shame?

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Which is worse Steve, them doing it in public or you watching them ?

Makes you wonder what the teenagers are like.

...and Sand Martins...
Yes, I am aware of the small Sand Martin colony in the centre of Stockport near the pyramid - I don't often get exact information on it because I think viewing is difficult from the bridge? The Cheadle Bridge one - had a look at that a few years ago and suspect it could be vulnerable to flooding? Not necessarily in the breeding season, but flooding in winter could erode the banks quite severely. Tony will keep his eye on it, no doubt.
Sand Martins breed in pipes all through the centre of Manchester on the Irwell, and at Radcliffe town centre where Ian Campbell monitors them. Also in peat piles, any heaps of sand that might be available at quarries etc. Very adaptable.
Dippers in Wigan town centre - need checking out for breeding I suspect - maybe a good site near the magistrates' court? Wouldn't surprise me.

tonywilkinson wrote:

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Dipper in Wigan? Did Judith kidnap it? I seem to remember one being seen on the Wirral a few years ago; it was probably another of our exports

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Tony,

Dippers breed in Wigan along the River Douglas in Haigh CP, and are often seen along the stretch going into the town centre, from Bottling Wood and through Whelley. I`ve watched them from the bridge near Tesco`s, next to the busy crossroads - truly urban Dippers !

We are careful not to give exact details; there are some dubious people about. As long as Judith knows that covers it. I don't know Arley Woods but it would be nice to hear about ringed birds away from their natal rivers!!
Thanks Jimmy

Tony, I will keep an eye out for sand martins nests.

I have seen them entering pipe work and holes in the retaining wall by the office park near to quick fit, I think the bridge is called Gorsey Bridge, the street is King St. I first saw them in 2005 and they have been there each year since. I have never made a systematic count of holes being used but I would estimate half a dozen. We shall have to see if they turn up again this year.

last summer a guy came into where i work and asked if he could set a camera up in the bushes by the river Douglas in Wigan town centre cause he had seen a Dipper the day before.

One bird was ringed at Daisy Nook at a ringing demo for the Ranger service 2006 I think

Tony, thanks for the information, its always nice when you get to find out more about the birds you have seen.

Judith, all the birds were seen on a walk from Stockport town centre to East Didsbury, one I have done a few times this year which has turned up some nice birds a suprising number of which are close to town (2 redpoll a suprise 3 weeks ago by the pyramid roundabout)

The kingfisher was next to the pyramid by the two bridges either side of the Woolpack pub, I think the road is called called Brinksway (goosander here as well). The chiffchaff was by the horse paddock at Vale Farm and the buzzard was at Cheadle bridge over the fields between the river and the M60.

Now I'm on I will continue to put anything of interest up.

Hi Paul and welcome to the world of Dipper fans.
Your sighting really is superb, and your colours are better than most, giving undreamed of insight into the life of Dippers. In some ways it goes a long way to answering Steve Suttill's question. Part of our ringing team has been out this week in the early stages of our big Dipper chase. We had a three bird flypast on the River Sett at Hayfield; it was a real territorial battle involving last year's male. We checked a 'new' nest at New Mills but failed to catch the pair, were apprehended by a local fishing club member, wanting to know why we had a net in the river. How did he find out???? Apart from that birds were not around.
Now your colour ringed bird. Right tarsus Pink over metal is the River combination of the brook with various names coming from Lyme Park, through Bramhall Park and Cheadle Hulme. We only found two nests on that stretch and colour ringed all adult birds and put metals on the pulli.
Left tarsus light green pink was the female at Cheadle Hulme. We know the colours are tricky without a scope but we don't have much choice.
Dipper are well known for altitude migration, as described in the Poyser monograph (very readable) and this is either an example of that or maybe the female kicking a juvenile out of the home territory. Whatever, 25km movements are very rare; this at 4km is enough to get the county recorder happy.
With lots of reports of non-colour ringed birds and a shortage of last years adults we were wondering if the colour rings were coming off in some way, or maybe that the mortality rate was higher than expected over the winter. There has been a Dipper record before at East Didsbury, a good spot if it is your patch, but doesn't the colour ring combination improve things.
The territorial male is right pink over metal and left light green/light pink stripe.

Cheers

Tony

All the hard work started to pay off this weekend with one nest found (informed Tony by phone) and a few more territories starting to take shape.

No colour-ringed birds found yet. Where have they all gone? Has anyone been checking the Medlock for Dippers?

Steve, I thought about you, having that lousy weather on your day off. However you are supposed to enjoy your days off. Even Dippers don't like days like that but your records were still extremely good. The birds at Well-i-Hole bridge (got it now. Think the road is called Well-i-Hole Road?!!), and Heyrod Sewage Wks were all moving in the 'right' direction if you get my drift.
Nev Powell and I 'did' most of the River Sett the other day, and although we knew all the nest sites, we didn't see a single bird. Next time it will be totally different. I hope.
Did you see Bill Oddie last night? What fabulous camera angles that guy gets.

Tony

Hi Tony

Roaches Bridge is at SD979032 - you can walk the bank downstream from the Roaches Lock PH car park. For upstream, cross the road bridge and follow Heron Lane.

The next bridge upstream is Wright Mill bridge on the Greenfield border SD980038 - access via Calf Lane (which is very rough and potholed - I once met a woman there whose car had got stuck when she followed her satnav like Mr Rigby!).

When I used to do the WBS, Scout Green SD974013 always had Dippers. The steep torrent seemed to be the division between two territories. There's a footbridge over the river from the main A635.

I've got the day off this Weds. I'll have a serious look after visiting the dentist. If I do find nests I'll inform you by e-mail or phone.

Cheers, Steve

This weekend's results from Mossley/Greenfield:

Sat 8/3: none at Wood End or Micklehurst. Pair just below Roaches Bridge & wier, indulging in much courtship behaviour (stretching, wing-shivering and chasing). They didn't seem to venture upstream of the wier.

Sun9/3 (during WeBS counts): none on the Chew Brook at "Tanners". One on the Tame below Well-i-Hole bridge (Greenfield) which flew off downstream.

Sun (2pm): Two (probable pair) on Tame above Roaches wier, never ventured below the wier and eventually headed off upstream. Another one below the bridge. The wier at Roaches would appear to be the boundary of two territories.

All these birds were unringed.

Cheers, Steve

Judith Smith wrote:

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That's a second nest site, Tony.

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excellent! good news indeed!

Thanks Paul, there are no ringed birds on the Irwell as far as I know. Judith knows the nest site I think but most of the Dippers seem to be building now.

Tony

Thanks Neil; We are not covering Bolton, but your record shows that we can find nest sites on suitable days this month, and also sows where to look for fledged juveniles in the near future. These will valuable to any one doing BTO Breeding Atlas work.

Tony

Hi Steve,

Our Dipper colour ringing project owes a lot to filling that gap before the main breeding season; we were very successful in your neck of the woods, but all your unringed birds really are interesting. Some may be from local nesting attempts that we missed e.g. Roaches(?) or they may be dispersals or altitude migrations from up the Chew Brook. We only found one nest on Chew Brook at Tanners but that was predated, and as it was less than three feet above water we suspected Mink. Our only uplands excursion produced a nesting pair above Denshaw at New Years Reservoir; this is not a site for fair weather birders!!!
Retained juvenile feathers are one of the most useful indicators of passerines hatched in the previous breeding season, but the fringes often wear making ageing tricky even if the birds are in hand. Judith sent me a photo taken at Burrs Country Park Bury, of a Dipper feeding a juvenile, showing lots of fringeing. The juveniles spend a lot of energy replacing the fringed feathers, and in years of plenty possibly only the main flight feathers are retained. You might well see this fringeing with a good pair of 10x40 bins, especially as the birds often pose quite well. Nuthatches, which nearly undergo a complete post-juvenile moult, (like House Sparrows and Long Tailed Tit), sometimes show brown fringeing on lesser and median coverts; with a bit of luck this could be visible in some cases also.

Tony

Hi Ian,

My main worry is, as you state, possible non-submission to Judith. The other issue of a reported sighting missed (in another thread) is with a species like Dipper less likely than others. At worst it could result in someone feeling that I had been rude in not acknowledging their efforts, but I prefer not to have another reporting form. It is good to receive reports from birders but I would like to think that local birders begin to recognise and hence enjoy the continued presence of 'their' birds.

We are currently, perhaps too late for the 2008 season, frantically installing nest boxes.

Coming soon to a box near you.....?

A few more Grey Wagtails are showing on the rivers now also, but Kingfishers are keeping a low profile.

Regards

Tony