Dipping the Dipper

On Wednesday, 25th March, I went on a birding trip with my good friend George Green. We’d planned to visit either Dancing Ledge for Puffins or Maiden Newton for Dippers, and chose the Dippers—a smart move given the strong winds, which would have been worse on the cliffs. George knew the route, so he drove and picked me up at 9:30 am. It was a short drive, and we found a good parking spot in Maiden Newton near the river. From the first bridge by the school, we had a quick look, then crossed a small footbridge into a field and followed the riverbank, scanning for any sign of a dipper, but had no luck. We wandered through the village, checking a few more bridges without success, and just as we reached the farthest point from the car, rain began to fall, quickly turning into a sharp hailstorm. Luckily, it didn’t last long—just enough to send us back to the car. Once there, we considered our next move, as no dippers had been spotted in Maiden Newton.

Plan B took us to Kingcombe Meadows Nature Reserve, with a few stops along the River Hooke en route. Unfortunately, we didn’t spot any birds along these stretches, even though the habitat looked perfect for Dippers. According to *The Birds of Dorset*, this should be prime territory. So why are they so hard to find in Dorset, especially in the east, when most sightings come from the west? A Tetrad Survey from 1987–1994 estimated 25–30 pairs. That was some time ago, but with such ideal habitat, what’s stopping these wonderful birds from expanding their range?

At the Kingcombe Visitor Centre, our first stop was the café for a warming coffee. We both went for large cups and the most delicious fruit scones with jam and cream. If you visit, the scones are highly recommended—slightly pricey, but very filling and absolutely delicious.

After finishing our drinks and food, we headed to the River Hooke, and along the way, another memory surfaced. When I first arrived at the centre, I thought I had never been there before, but as I walked to the river, I realized I had visited back in the late ’90s—around 1998 or 1999. I had volunteered to survey otters on the River Stour in Dorset and attended a course on tracking them by their prints and spraint, as well as learning to tell the difference between otters and mink. Otter spraint has a sweet, violet-like smell, while mink give off a strong, musky odor. All these memories came flooding back as I walked along a section of the River Hooke, which looked much the same as it had all those years ago. I had a fantastic time on the course and thoroughly enjoyed surveying the River Stour at Iford Bridge and around Julian’s Bridge in Wimborne.

The R.Hooke

Looking down stream

Cuckoo Flower also known as Lady's Smock

As no Dippers were seen along the section of river, we headed to a bird hide we’d spotted earlier while having coffee. This turned out to be a great decision, as while watching various birds come and go to a single peanut feeder, a Marsh Tit appeared; a bird I thought I’d have to make a special trip to see at places like Gaston Wood or Thorncombe Wood.

It was a wonderful outing to places I hadn’t visited before, and even though we didn’t see a Dipper, if anyone has tips on spotting them at Maiden Newton, please share. I’ll be going back, as it’s most likely just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. The only Dipper I’ve seen in Dorset was on the R. Allen in August 2019, just a short 2–5 minute walk from home!