I have got so much to Blog about today that it's hard to know where to start, it's approaching 10.00 pm and I have only just got to writing the blog because I have spent most of the afternoon and evening sorting through the photos taken at today's session which was one of the most interesting that I have ever had.

It started with some really different behaviour from the Dippers.  The male was mid-stream on his favourite boulder when I got there at around 8.30. I guessed that the female was in the nest and that was confirmed when after a few minutes he flew up to the nest, went in and  flopped back out after 10 seconds or so.  Every 20 minutes this behaviour was repeated and on one occasion I actually saw the male catch something in the stream and take it up in to the nest. This confirmed it, he was actually feeding the female in the nest.  At 10.30, she left the nest and as far as I could tell had been in there for two hours. I was never confident that I wouldn't disturb them so I resisted the temptation to check for eggs but to be honest I didn't feel I needed to look because I am 99% certain that she had laid this morning.

I decided to leave the Dipper nest site and move up to the hide further up stream. Yesterday I had seen a male Grey Wagtail around there carrying nesting material.  I thought that if I waited long enough I would be able to see where the nest was by watching for them carrying.  That's the way it turned out and I know exactly where the Wagtails are building now, a real result!   After only a few minutes, I looked  down stream and coming my way was a female Goosander.  I snapped off a few shots in the distance not realising that within the next few minutes it would be there in front of me, just 6 feet away…… literally.  When it first dived and emerged with a fish I cursed because I missed the photo opportunity. Not to worry though, because over the next 20 minutes it came and went fishing constantly and caught about 10 fish.  I realised  quite quickly that it was feeding on Brook Lamprey, they were trapped at the foot of the waterfall and the bird had a feast. Lamprey develop as larva in silty water and then, as adults migrate up-stream to fast flowing clean clear water over pebbles and rocks to breed. It seemed that with the water level low the lamprey were prevented from moving past the waterfall and were probably in the deep pool there in numbers. It was great for the duck, and just as good for me.

Then as if that wasn't enough for one day, suddenly the Wagtails who were up in there nest, emerged and were very agitated.  A Grey Squirrel was there only inches  from the nest, and 6 feet from me.  suddenly I realised who had predated the Dippers nest there last year.  I doubt whether the Grey Wagtails are going to be successful at this nest site, the Squirrel seemed to be on a mission and I don't think that it was accidental that he was there.