*White-throated Dipper, Ribchester 25 August 2021*

THAT’S RIGHT, DIPPERS! They are very uncommon this far downstream on the River Ribble in Ribchester and are even nore unexpected in summer. My previous two records in the last 10 years were both in winter. They are even rarer further downstream at Brockholes! I was very pleased to see two of them chasing each other around the island by the school on 25 August but later heard from Simon Small that he had videoed one by his garden in our street earlier in the week. No doubt one of the same birds! It will be interesting to see if they stick around, unlike my previous dippers here. A juvenile Goosander is still about, seeking safety in the most public of places on the river. Another Osprey on 25 August took the year’s tally to seven (it feels odd for osprey to be relegated to the ‘other sightings’ category now) and it was a different bird to the one which has been hanging around the lower valley area for the last few weeks, this bird had a blue colour ring on the left leg. Two flocks of shorebirds passed the benches on 24 August, one of 9 snipe and the other of 43 lapwings! Little Egrets continue to fly downstream to roost on most evenings and a hobby scythed its way through the swallows over the Lower Alston Farm maize field at dusk (2015) on 26 August. The lovely weather for evening watches of the last few days has been very welcome and my 2021 Ribchester patch list now stands at 101. Despite many hours of effort, dipper was the only addition for weeks.

RIBCHESTER DIPPERS