Dippers again

Again I had a free hour or so available this morning and opted to visit my preferred spot on the river Kent for Dippers.  A welcome bonus was a pair of Grey Wagtail when I arrived - although common enough on the river I've not observed them on this particular section before.  The Wagtails spent 5 minutes or so flycatching, which I thought was remarkable given the time of year, before flying upriver.  Also a Grey Heron flew in and settled on the opposite side of the river before the Dipper action started.

And then the Dipper action really did start, with a number of energetic chases up and down the river involving usually 2 and occasionally 3 birds.  These chases were interspersed with calmer periods of feeding, and on one occasion a Dipper drifted along the near bank to within a couple of yards of where I was sitting - well and truly inside minimum focusing distance forcing me to sit and enjoy the magic of the moment.

I was pleased to capture images of a full fight sequence between two birds, with the first bird stood on a rock which the second bird approached.  The first bird took exception to this and attacked the second bird, they fought in the air and then on the water before separating slightly and drifting on the water for a moment before being lost to view.

For the full fight sequence and a couple of other Dipper shots click on any of the photos below or click here