Birds in Lincolnshire

The Dipper in Lincolnshire

The Dipper in Lincolnshire

The visit of a Black-bellied Dipper to Hubbard’s Hills near Louth earlier in the year allowed me to catch up with a personal favourite species of mine, and finally to add the species to my county list. To see this enchanting species and county rarity was an opportunity not to be missed.

Black bellied Dipper at Louth 31st January 2002 © Wayne Gillatt

Distribution within Britain

The Dipper Cinclus cinclus is a charismatic and remarkable bird and is the only truly aquatic passerine breeding in Britain. It is traditionally associated with rocks and waterfalls in mountain streams, although it also breeds in some lowland rivers in association with weirs and bridges.
Breeding Dippers occur throughout upland areas of N and W Britain and much of Ireland, and extend into the more lowland counties of Gloucester, Avon, Wiltshire and occasionally Hampshire. Dippers occur in greatest numbers in mid- and SE Wales, much of N England and the Southern Uplands of Scotland, and in scattered areas in the Highlands. North and SW Ireland also support high numbers, generally in areas with base-rich, productive streams.
In the Western Palearctic 10 races of Dipper have been recognised, including the extinct C. c. olympicus of Cyprus. Four of these either occur or have occurred in Britain:

Hebridean Dipper Cinclus cinclus hibernicus
Breeds Outer Hebrides, W Scotland and Ireland. Both upper- and underparts darker than British Dipper.

British Dipper Cinclus cinclus gularis
Breeds Scotland (except W), England and Wales.

Black-bellied Dipper Cinclus cinclus cinclus
Breeds Scandinavia east and south to Baltic states, and central France to NW Iberia. Upperparts like British Dipper, but underparts blackish-brown.

Continental Dipper Cinclus cinclus aquaticus
Breeds central and S Europe, eastwards from Belgium, Germany and E Spain. Slightly paler above and paler rufous below than British Dipper. Birds, apparently of this form, have been noted in eastern England on a number of occasions.

Dippers in Lincolnshire

In Lincolnshire the Dipper is classed as a rare and irregular winter visitor and passage migrant recorded mainly on inland waters but also occasionally on the coast. The British race C.c. gularis has been recorded about 20 times since 1870, although it is possible that some of these records may have involved the Continental Dipper C.c. aquaticus. This form has not been recorded in the county for almost 30 years with the most recent documented records detailed below:

1935 North Cotes, 27th August
1951 River Lud, Louth, present for five successive winters in 1951-52, 1952-53, 1953-54, 1954-55 and 1955-56
1963 River Lud, Louth, wintered, remaining into 1964
1967 River Lud, Louth, 8th March
1972 Hartsholme G.P., 24th February
1973 Claxby by Alford, 20th October
1974 Frampton, 4th February

The record of the returning wintering bird at Louth is of interest as it demonstrates that the species will use a regular wintering site. There are two reports of summer records for the County which seem somewhat doubtful:

1905 Brigg, 9th June.
1966 Boston, early June.

The nominate Black-bellied Dipper C.c. cinclus has been recorded on 14 occasions:

1879 Great Cotes, present several days from 15th April
1884 Louth, shot during the autumn
1885 Stallingborough, shot 24th October
1963 Tealby, 3rd February to 17th March
1967 Humberston, present 11th to 15th April, trapped on 13th
1969 Louth, 15th February
1980 Donna Nook, 21st to 25th November
Louth, 8th December
Riseholme, 27th November to 4th January 1981
1988 Little Cawthorpe, 5th to 7th March
1990 Tinwell pumping station, early December to 23rd January 1991
1993 Lincoln Arboretum, 14th-15th October
Branston, 3rd November (possibly same bird as above)
Heighington (Cliff Farm), 27th November to 5th March 1994, (possibly same bird as above)
Pode Hole, 13th to 20th November
2002 Hubbard’s Hills, Louth, 24th January to 19th February (possibly present up to 3 weeks prior to 24th)

In addition to the above, two records of the Dipper within the county were not sub-specifically identified:

1962 Bardney, 16th November
1989 Baston Fen, 16th December

The bird at Bardney in 1962 (a female) was found dying after flying through a window at the Sugar Beet Factory. Examination at Liverpool Museum showed it to be a melanistic variant and, as such, not attributable to a definite race. The skin is currently retained in the store of Lincoln Museum. On examination of the skin in March of this year it was noted that it resembled a Black-bellied Dipper, but close study of the belly colour revealed a hint of some dark brown feathers where the dark belly met the white bib. (This feature has been noted before in C.c. cinclus). The white bib, however, showed no dark feathers and was clearly demarcated. If this bird were to be seen in the field today I have no doubt it would be claimed as a Black-bellied Dipper as, to me, it showed no visible signs of melanism. The Baston Fen individual of 1989 was only observed in flight and again it was considered that subspecific identification was not possible.

With 125 records or so of Black-bellied Dipper recorded in the neighbouring county of Norfolk, the 14 records for Lincolnshire looks a little poor by comparison. However, I am sure that Lincolnshire birders would argue that this makes it even more of an attraction when one of these enchanting birds turns up within the county, whatever race it may be. Here’s to the next one.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Adam Daubney for allowing access to the skins at the County Museum storeroom at Lincoln and for making arrangements to photograph the various specimens held there.

References

Lorand, S. and Atkin, K.1989, The Birds of Lincolnshire & South Humberside, Leading Edge
Millington, R. A Black-bellied Dipper in Lincolnshire, Birding World 15: 65-66
Lincolnshire Bird Report, 1980, 1988-90 and 1993
Lincolnshire Naturalist’s Union Transactions, 1905-88

Matthew Harrison

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