I decided that enough was enough today and bought myself a 'gillie suite". This is basically a full suite, including a massive hood, made up of strips of cloth and camouflage material. Snipers wear them to conceal themselves. I was a bit reticent to go this far but I have been thinking for ages that this might do the trick.  You have just got to get close enough to birds (and other wildlife) if you want to take the kind of pictures that I want. I was quite excited when I approached the river, would it work like I hoped? Well the answer is here!!!!!!!

I carried the suite in my rucksack and as soon as  I had got far enough from the road, and by the water,I  stopped to put it on. The jacket comes down to the knees, and then there are two camo gaiters which have strips of material in the same fashion as the jacket. The ensemble is completed with the hood which blends in to the rest. It is fair to say that the whole thing breaks up your profile totally and you are virtually invisible, and to prove it here is what happened.

As I walked down stream, in the suite,  I immediately caught sight of two dippers displaying to each other. I approached them carefully and got quite close and they still didn't fly off…… I knew then that it was going to work. Not because of me, but because they wee chasing each other, they flew off down stream. But what the suit allowed me do was to adopt a new strategy and that was to follow them up and down the River getting photos as I went, squatting down by the water and waiting for them to come past me. Usually what happens is they keep a distance just too far for a good photo, they are aware of your presence and they just don't risk getting too close. But now it was totally different.  Yesterday I had discovered  a great photogenic spot and I thought how good the photo would be if a Dipper were to perch there. So seeing one just up stream, I took up position in the suite and covered my face and hid the camera as best as I could…….. and then waited.  The Dipper started coming down the  river towards me. I took loads of pictures but all from the usual distance but today was different and he just kept on coming until…….. glory of glories he perched right on the spot that I prayed he would. As you can see that is one hell of a pose and I was so thrilled.  When he flew off I just sat there smiling to myself, well to be honest, I was a bit emotional because I was so pleased with the outcome at last.  I have spent, I don't know how many hours trying to get this shot so it was immensely satisfying. What a beauty.

Those little dots on his right wing by the way are water droplets.  If you haven't had the chance to study Dipper for yourself then you may not be aware that they are almost aquatic.  They are constantly in and out of the water.  They have no fear and will be in the fastest of flows, sometimes flopping in to the water by leaping from the bank and then immediately swimming under. They are an amazing bird.