Sunday 22 March 2009

Dipper update

I might have lost my voice this week but the birds haven't. One or two green peckers were yaffling, wrens' songs were shooting out from the bracken undergrowth, and half a dozen crows were noisily mobbing a buzzard over White Coppice. Not to mention all the chaffinches, robins and tits. But as for the song thrush, it took one look at me and shut up!

And guess what - the dippers are now working together, flying in and out the water pipe - nest building. I hope the little dippers don't try to leave the nest before they can fly though - a perilous plummet to unforgiving rocks awaits them.

The grey wagtails are still looking very settled together, always within a few metres of each other, and a male stonechat has found his partner. I wonder if it's the same pair that successfully raised up to three fledglings last year in the same area.

Further along the path two pairs of reed buntings were busy flying round their patches and further still a pair of goldfinch.

On the lodge a pair of great crested grebes and a pair of goldeneye with another female nearby - I wonder what will happen there?

Dipper photo copied from http://www.iol.ie/%7Ecarigeen/Wildlife.htm
Male goldeneye by Mike Attkinson http://www.mikeatkinson.ne

5 comments:

The Weaver of Grass said...

We have dipper on our beck, Carol. Last year we went to Leighton Moss and managed to see two great crested grebe doing their courting dance - spellbinding.

Dave King said...

Fascinating stuff that some of us only get vicariously. Thanks for posting it.

Crafty Green Poet said...

oh we saw a dipper yesterday, flying at astonishing speed upriver. Also a pair of grey wagtails...

I love the birds at this tiem of year...

Pat Posner said...

Aww, I want to see some dippers!

Our wagtails are back, though, the pied pair and the grey pair and the dunnocks are nesting in the bush under our lounge window.

Word verification is collyti - almost like collietwo *smile*

Anonymous said...

I suppose a Song Thrush will always be intimidated by a Mistle Thrush! Even if it has lost its voice!

As for the ménage à trois, I'm afraid you'll never know as they'll be disappearing north fairly soon!

DM

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