Deja vu

Back out on the rivers again today with a total of 5 broods of Dippers ringed (20 pulli) and 4 new adults colour-ringed. Also identified another 4 colour-ringed breeding birds. We are getting pretty much to the end of the proper first brood nests now but there are several replacement clutches on the go and at least one second brood started already.

Whilst over on The Rea in South-East Shropshire with local nest-recorder Jonathan Lingard we put up a net to catch the adult Dippers at one of his monitored nests and not only caught the male Dipper but two Grey Wagtails, a Kingfisher, and another cracking drake Mandarin. Had to wait 35 years to catch my first and the second one comes along within a few days!!

Scenic Dipper nest

Adult male Kingfisher, the female was on a nest a few hundred metres downstream.

What are the chances of that! A second by-catch male Mandarin in less than a week!!