What a tale I have to tell today! It all started when there was a threat of rain for this afternoon so I decided to go to the Dipper territory much earlier than normal to spend the morning while it was still dry. It was just after 8 when I made my way out of Exeter past the lines and lines of cars full of people coming in the other direction to start their drudge and here was I going out to sit by the river....... you have got to love that. I was in the hide by 8.46, a couple of hours earlier than normal and I was expectant and then pleased to see, after only a few minutes, a Dipper feeding in what appears to be a favourite spot. I say that because I see them feeding there often. It came nearer and nearer but was still too far to bother with even a snapshot. It wasn't long before it flew to the favourite midstream boulder and I was just focusing the camera when it flew towards me. As I peered around the camera, protruding from the hide, I was thrilled to see it land right next to the hide and now just a few feet from the nest. It was on the boulder where I had seen it, numerous times last year when they were breeding. At first I just watched him as he began to sing and get excited, he looked up to the nest but didn't fly up, then off he went just a few feet away and around a little bend in the river, 15 feet down stream. At first I was a bit disappointed but never anticipated what would happen next. He returned, now very excitedly with the female, they both landed on the boulder and she immediately flew up and in to the nest. The female was almost covert, she shyly kept away from the nest before quickly coming to the nest site and slipping up in to the nest. When she left he nest, she very quietly slunk away. I was joyous, I think that is the only word to describe it. Suddenly all the thought and planning of the last 12 months had come together. My pessimism was unfounded. What was really interesting was the way that the male had come to the nest first to check if it was safe. Then he went towards the female to call her to the nest and they returned together. It seems that the carrying around of nesting material is either a distraction ploy or perhaps when birds are in high breeding condition they simply "carry' nesting material around by instinct.?
I managed to get some great photos as the male stayed on the boulder but for most of the time both birds were too close to me and the 500 fixed focul length lens. I will need to go equiped with anothe lens on the future to make sure that I have everything covered.
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