31 October 2010

Dipper.

In the absence of a photograph of the bird, the following diagram indicates todays view of a Dipper (year tick 206: lifer 219) at Ruskin Mill, near Nailsworth:



The action took place as follows... I came in from the left of the picture, stood near the wooden railing in the foreground and the Dipper was exactly where I've expertly pasted it onto my photograph. It wasn't an easy perch, as the bird only remained for a few seconds (long enough to allow me to get my bins on it) before flying off in the direction of the arrows - broadly over my left shoulder.

This is a bird not suited to flying. Yes, it has wings and a tail, but it's wing beat to progress through the air ratio must've been pretty high. Collins says "whirring beats", and I can't disagree with that.

I had a quick glimpse of another bird a short distance downstream from the Mill, but that was it. After dipping the Oxon bird recently, and having no success in the Forest when looking for this bird, I'm relieved to finally see it.

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