SPECIES TO LOOK OUT FOR
Dippers
Plump and sooty brown, with a broad white bib, the dipper is the archetypal bird of upland streams and rivers. Often you will spot one flying low over the water on fast, whirring wings, or bobbing on a waterside rock. Most of its food is obtained by diving below the surface in search of caddisfly, mayfly and stonefly larvae.
Goosanders
These saw-billed diving ducks are larger than mallards, with a rakish, streamlined silhouette. The males have bottle-green heads, while those of the females are reddish-brown. Young salmon, trout and eels form much of their diet in the breeding season on upland rivers, before they move to lowland lakes, flooded gravel pits and reservoirs for winter.
Brown trout
River-dwelling brown trout are usually various shades of brown, with a silver belly and reddishorange spots on their flanks. They feed mainly on invertebrates, unlike their larger, sea-faring cousins, which prey on fish. When spawning in rivers in autumn, they require well-oxygenated water, running over a clean gravel bottom.
Common medium stonefly
Britain has 34 species of stonefly, many of which are difficult to tell apart. The common medium stonefly is an upland specialist with dark, heavily veined wings and orange patches at both the back of its head and in front of its wings. It hatches out from April, and the adults can be seen mating on riverside rocks and vegetation.
Upland summer mayfly
This mayfly is confined to northern England and Scotland, usually in streams above 300m. The nymphs are good swimmers and the adults, brown with bronzy wings, emerge from May onwards. The males often swarm in the afternoon. Its distribution may shrink if water temperatures rise due to climate change.