River Worth Dipper survey 2024

Last year we did our first survey of dippers on the River Worth, see report, we have repeated it this year with more surveyors. Here is what we found......
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Dippers on the River Worth - 2024 report

Dipper with nesting material.

A good number of dippers were spotted throughout the system, but in many cases actual nest sites have proved elusive.  This is largely down to there being quite small windows when they are actually nest building, (nobody confirmed nest building at all - it possibly took place before our surveyors got out and about), and again when they are back and forth feeding young in the nest. 

Outside of these periods, the birds are there to be seen but are rarely giving away the location of their nests.  Thankfully quite a few fledglings were seen at the regular places, Morrisons, Damems, Oakworth, Haworth and Oxenhope, even if the actual sites weren’t always clear.  
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Dipper fledgling

​We hope that when the Worth Valley Railway finish replacing their bridge at Haworth that the resident pair will move back in there.  On North Beck, there was much activity around Castle Mill, and confirmed breeding at Goose Eye.  Holme House Wood drew a blank again, we have to guess that is due to a lack of the preferred old stone walls/bridges for nest sites?
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Demanding young!

​We didn’t have coverage on some of the upper streams, but a confirmed successful nest right up by Leeshaw reservoir, and similar by Ponden reservoir in recent years, suggest that we really ought to be paying more attention higher up.  It was confirmed that they have been up as far as the small stream through Newsholme in the past, but they didn’t show this year.  We had nobody covering Sladen Beck, nor the top end of North Beck (Slippery Stones and above), so if anyone is out walking these areas at other times of the year and see dippers it would be good just to hear from you.  Dippers are also reported as occasionally feeding round the edges of lakes.  We’ve had no reports of any of ours feeding around the reservoirs, so again it would be good to hear from anyone who sees this.  The Leeshaw pair were only seen feeding in the stream below the reservoir. 
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​Dippers reportedly maintain their territories throughout the year, but can travel up and down a mile or more to feed, so although we see them about throughout the year we can never be sure where their home nest is.
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We would like to thank all the surveyors who helped with this project. If you would like to help with next years survey or have sightings to report please contact us.
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