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River Dippers

Chris Packham relives programmes from the Living World archives. In this programme recorded in 2002, Lionel Kelleway is in search of dippers.

Chris Packham relives programmes from The Living World archives.

In this programme recorded in 1995, Lionel Kelleway heads over to Wales near the town of Llanthony in search of dippers, a songbird uniquely adapted to an aquatic way of life. Joining Lionel as he looks out for this plump-little-stub-tailed-bird, bobbing up and down in the cascading water is otter expert Geoff Lyles and Stephanie Tyler from the RSPB.

Dippers are slowly recolonising some once polluted rivers, but it is a complex story for the poetically named water ouzel. In some rivers dipper numbers are thought to be declining due to changes in water quality or exposure to 'more modern' pollutants such as flame retardants or excess nutrient run off.

Producer Andrew Dawes.

Available now

22 minutes

Last on

Sun 29 May 2016 06:35

Broadcast

  • Sun 29 May 2016 06:35

Natural Histories

Natural Histories

Nature that has had a profound impact on human culture and society across history.