Today's session shows some interesting developments. Nest building is finished now and the final touches are being applied to the lining of the nest, (with beech leaves). When I first arrived today,  I couldn't see any Dippers at first but it wasn't long before I had something to watch.   

I took notes and I  quote from them now:

"The male landed opposite and  beneath the nest.  He flew up stream and then the female arrived with a beech leaf and immediately took it up to the nest.  The male returned quickly afterwards and then the female emerged from the nest to join him. The male sang a greeting to her and they both went back up in to the nest. The male was first to emerge and started to preen under the nest.  He then flew to my side of the river and landed on the large boulder.  He continued preening and singing.  He then returned to the rocks immediately  beneath the nest again.  He sang loudly, the female left the nest and straight away flew up river,  followed closely by the male. All through this the female had been in the nest, quite an extended period and the longest that I have observed so far since nest building began.  The male was the first to return and he was quickly  joined by the female who he displayed to as soon as she landed. She quickly flew up in to the nest and the male remained below but flew up to join her a little later, with an excited chatter." 

This was typical of the comings and goings this morning. But, the birds were away from the nest site for longer periods than the previous two weeks.  Now that the nest is finished, priorities are changing. This is going to be a relaxed period for the male.  He can now take it easy before the stressful job of providing food for his progeny begins. The next stage for the female is egg production followed by incubation. 

 It was a good session for other birds as well, a glorious pair of Goosanders were on the river close to the nest, previously I have only seen a female here. I also had a very close encounter with a Treecreeper and the Kingfisher zoomed by not to mention the Dipper from the next territory.  All in all a great session.