The day started with a session in the flooded brook hide and a wait to see if the Kingfisher(s) were still in the territory. I am glad to say that the water had retreated a bit and was only a little higher than normal, yesterday my hide had been inaccessible but when I went at 7 this morning the conditions were good. Unfortunately, no perching KF but a fly past in both directions. I came home at around 8.15 and the sun was still shining even  though the scaremongers at the BBC had given me the impression that we were in for a downpour to beat all downpours. Well in actual fact it has been a very pleasant day with lots of sunshine. 

This is the River Teign and the venue for some great Dipper watching. It is a beautiful, tranquil and peaceful place, Devon at it's very best. I have been on 5 consecutive days and only once have I seen anyone else. Today was extreme! I am trying with everything I can muster, to get within feet of the resident Dipper but he keeps making the opposite decisions to me. On Sunday he was on the right of the river (above) and I was on the left bank. Yesterday, I therefore "camped" on that side and then he was mostly on the left bank, and the same today. I spent from 9.30 until 13.50 in that area and still didn't manage to get really close to him. I watched him for ages, within photo range, but not close enough for that "amazing" shot that I am after. At one point I was laid completely concealed under a camouflage cape and camouflage netting with the camera poking through a hole that gave me a clear  view to the rock that he was perched on. I was warm and cosy as well so all though it seemed a bit extreme it was actually OK. That will definitely be something I do again because I think the the low profile will get me closer. So, there I was hoping that he would come to the rocks a bit nearer, he didn't but I did get this quite nice shot of him.

After an hour or two laying on the far bank I decided to have a change and moved over to the opposite side. I sat very still under the "hide" and waited patiently and you know? He didn't come back to this spot while I was there, very frustrating. I know that the camouflage is working though because this nice Grey Wagtail came up very close. Also down the river about a hundred yards was a Heron which then flew up the river and very close to me.