*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.

Comment

*Mediterranean Gull collage, Ribchester 28 November*

I MUST HAVE CHECKED THOUSANDS OF GULLS AT RIBCHESTER IN RECENT MONTHS and no Med Gull, until 9AM this morning and BAM! A nice adult flew upriver from the allotments. Every morning Black-headed Gulls drop in from the northwest, presumably having roosted at Alston Reservoirs, where there have been up to three Mediterranean Gulls lately so it has been on the cards. There are usually a few Herring Gulls and Common Gulls as well and along the river Great Black-backed Gulls have been putting in regular appearances and as mentioned before they always seem to be patrolling the river itself unlike the other big gulls. A single Lesser Black-backed Gull was also seen this morning. I am thinking that last Sunday morning’s big NW push of Herring Gulls was probably birds from Accrington having found Whinny Hill Tip not operating?

Other highlights this morning were my second dipper at Ribchester (103/2020), heard only, giving its distinctive ‘chink’ call as it flew up the Dummel Brook. A flock of five ravens was my highest count here to date and a skein of 39 Pinkfeet flew east as well. Along the river itself were single Goosander and oystercatcher and four lapwings. There was no sign of Little Grebe but we didn’t look extensively today giving up after 9AM when heavy rain set in. It appears the Met Office is just as inaccurate as the BBC, I was only expecting a 5% chance of rain.

On Friday morning a few hours at Barrow Upper Lodge (BUL) produced another dipper. I recall they wander widely along the brooks in the Clitheroe/Barrow area in winter from my time living there. The Cetti’s Warbler was still present in the NE corner and the Great Crested Grebe and young Goldeneye from earlier this month were also still around but there was neither sight nor sound of the Water Rail reported a couple of times this month.

*Great Black-backed Gull, Ribchester, a fourth winter/adult, still moulting p10 and look at that heavy bill!*

*Common Goldeneye at BUL, a first winter with a dull bill. We still haven’t seen one along the river yet this autumn.*

*The White-throated Dipper at Barrow Upper Lodge was quite shy!*

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