Gower Ringing Group is conducting a Retrapping Adults for Survival (RAS) project on Dippers in Glamorgan.  Birds are monitored during the breeding season (between March and June) along several rivers and their tributaries in Bridgend, Neath-Port Talbot and Rhondda Cynon Taf unitary authorities.

Adults may be safely trapped on or near their nests, which in turn are monitored as part of the Nest Record Scheme.  Pulli are ringed too, typically at 7-12 days-old. The objective of the project is to collect a high quality, long term data set on adult survival, breeding productivity and juvenile dispersal.

Project adult birds have been fitted with uniquely coded orange leg-rings with three black alpha-numeric characters in the format {letter, number, number} e.g., A10, C23, or F45.  Colour rings are fitted on the lower left leg with a metal ring fitted to the lower right leg.

With the last of this year’s pulli now ringed, the season is effectively over for another year.

Results are as follows:

Retraps include birds identified in the field by their unique colour-ring inscription.

Over fifty nests were monitored in total, with fewer than ten completing two breeding attempts.  As is often the case, this year’s second clutches were smaller and less productive in terms of young fledged than the first broods. Interestingly, some pairs use the same nest for their second clutch while other reuse a nearby nest from a previous season.

The team erected over thirty nest boxes over the winter months and was pleased to note a good proportion in use this year.  It was clear that boxes facing downstream were preferred by birds.

Thanks go to the Dipper 2022 team of Andrew Bevan, Bethan Dalton, Becky Gibbs, Andrew Hughes, Dionne Jenkins and Ursula Scuderi.

Wayne Morris & Colin Baker