The complete opposite of dipper country

Posted by Graeme Lyons , Saturday 11 February 2017 19:25

So I'm 12, it's 20th February 1991 and I'm on a quest for a Black-bellied Dipper...

We followed the mans instructions, two bends in the road and stop at the bridge next to a water mill. We did so, it was a very dirty river it didn't have many obstacles in it, to me it looked the complete opposite of dipper country. And to top that the wasn't no one else in sight (appart from an old aged pensioner timing himself up and down the road). Oh Little Graeme, you disappoint me with your reliance on other twitchers to connect with birds and use of double negatives in the same sentence.
                We went up the one side of the river for around 30-40 yards (I have no memory of ever working in yards?!) and headed back. We had a quick look on the other side there was a rather mangled dead bird at the bottom of the river (I think I had an obsession with dead things even at 12), and there, in the middle of the river was a branch, with some thing moving. I lifted my binoculars and it flew, black and white, that was it, I'd spotted the black bellied dipper! Mr Gardner set up his scope and I noticed that it was ringed, we compared it with the normal dipper, there wasn't much difference bar were the dipper had a glint of chestnut on it its belly, while the black bellied dipper had a (drum roll, yes you've guest it!) black belly like its name states (you could do this for a living if you carry on at this rate Sherlock!). With our hopes up we went to look for divers and grebes at Holkem.

Next up Holkem, ha ha.

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