British Dipper - 1949 status

Cinclus cinclus gularis

Fairly well distributed as resident on larger streams in hilly country.  Wanders locally in winter but not to the the islands except one, Skomer, 3 May 1946.

R.M.Lockley, G.C.S.Ingram, H.M.Salmon, 1949, The Birds of Pembrokeshire, The West Wales Field Society

Dipper - 2003-07

The Pembrokeshire breeding population was estimated to be 70 – 140 pairs at the end of the 1984-88 survey, based on there being one to two pairs per occupied tetrad. No significant change was evident at the end of the 2003-07 survey when examining the “Confirmed + Probable breeding” categories. This suggests there has been no numerical change in the population. There was a 20% decrease in the number recorded in the “Possible breeding” category, which were birds recorded in the breeding season but where no evidence that they were nesting was found. The implications of this are not understood but see the account for Kingfisher.

Graham Rees

Fieldwork 2003-07 (based on 490 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 23

Orange = breeding probable = 15

Yellow = breeding possible = 17

Total tetrads in which registered = 55 (11.2%)

Dipper - 1994

Breeding resident

Described as "a common resident to be met by every stream" by Mathew (1894), and as being "fairly well distributed on larger streams in hilly country" by Lockley et al. (1949).

Dippers now breed along most of the major rivers and several minor streams in Pembrokeshire. They are found from the slopes of the Preseli Mountains almost down to sea level, as at Blackpool Mill, where they nest below the mill itself.

An estimated average density of one to two pairs per occupied tetrad suggests a total of about 70-140 pairs, but it is thought that the map derived from the Breeding Birds Survey of 1984-1988 could be incomplete as far as the eastern regions are concerned. The estimated density figure might also err on the side of caution, since ringing on the Nevem revealed a larger population than was previously suspected. None could be found on the Afon Solva, which looks suitable and where they have been seen in the winter. Our knowledge of Pembrokeshire's Dippers would be greatly improved by further investigation.

One reached Skomer on 3 May 1946 (Lockley et al. ).

Fieldwork 1984-88 (based on 478 tetrads)

Red = breeding confirmed = 26

Orange = breeding probable = 14

Yellow = breeding possible = 29

Total tetrads in which registered = 69 (14.4%)

Donovan J.W. & Rees G.H (1994), Birds of Pembrokeshire

Dipper - 1970s breeding

Red = breeding confirmed

Orange = breeding probable

Yellow = breeding possible

Dipper - 1980s winter atlas

The BTO winter atlas showed that Dipper were present in most 10km squares during the winters of 1981-82, 1982-82 and 1983-84.

The darker the colour, the higher the relative total count for each 10km square.  The darkest blue represents over 4 birds.

The map indicates wintering outside the breeding range in SM 81.

Graham Rees 

Dipper - 1894

Species account from M Mathew, 1894, "The Birds of Pembrokeshire and its islands"

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