More Dippers

On 18 July, we visited Taf Fechan Local Nature Reserve just north of Merthyr Tydfil for the monthly Dipper netting session. If you’ve not visited, then you’ve been missing out on one of our local treasures. The reserve is managed by the Wildlife Trust of South & West Wales, and is made up of deciduous woodland, grassland, river and cliffs. It’s renowned for its bryophytes.

Mist net across the Taf Fechan

We ran a single mist net across the river between 6:30 and 8:30am. A Kingfisher whizzed by as we erected the net. Would it return later?

We didn’t have long to wait until our first Dipper speeded downstream and straight into our net. A safe return to the shoreline, and a juvenile was returned to the river with a fresh CC ring and its biometrics added to our notebook.

Another 45 minutes went by, with a few Jays and Long-tailed Tits over, before Dipper number 2 hit the net on its way downstream. Another new juvenile.

We hung on for a while longer in anticipation of the Kingfisher return. Sure enough, it came back upstream, bounced and return from whence it came. We lingered awhile, but it was clear this bird was too smart for us, and with breakfast and work beckoning we relunctantly departed, already looking forward to the next visit.