I have crept over this little hill for five mornings out of the last six. 
This morning I was rewarded with a reasonably close up view of the Dipper.
Here it is standing on top of the twenty foot waterfall. I got four shots before it flew away. Three of them were in focus. On we strolled down to the beach, the dogs shot off to investigate what the tide had left but I decided to creep up under the waterfall and see if the Dipper had returned. You could have knocked me down with a feather when I saw it there and not twelve feet away. I suspect it is the same one as they are territorial. Last seen it wasn’t heading in this direction so maybe there are two here.
Unfortunately I couldn’t see it’s feet but not to worry they aren’t that interesting.
It hopped onto a new rock and now we can see it in it’s entirety.
It changed rocks again. I hoped it was going to crawl about under water but it didn’t.
I got thirty three pictures of it over a few minutes. I have spent hours trying to get a half decent picture of these. I then get thirty odd in ten minutes or so. What an obliging bird.
Finally, here it is nictitating. I strongly suspect that nictitating is a noun but it does make an excellent sounding verb.
Heavy rain is forecast for anytime now so I will do some cleaning and cooking. Then I’m going to have a play with some more GIF headers. I like how this one fades in.
Enjoy whatever you have planned.
Lovely dipper pictures - your patience rewarded. I especially liked the second dipper picture with the greeny blurred background. Now excuse me while I go and nictiate for a while.
ReplyDeleteYP, they can swim out on lakes. A very interesting bird for a little brown job. We posh birders call them LBJ's to avoid confusion with shit.
DeleteYou go and nictiate to your hearts content. The word is nictitate. I bet you knew and were just testing me. Teachers... I don't Know!
Adrian - I am NOT a teacher. That's what I did for a living but before I earned money as a teacher I was a poet, a singer, a painter, a wanderer, a thinker, a rugby player, a football watcher, a cook, a son, a friend, a lover and I if I have to have a label I'd prefer one of them before "teacher". There, my nictitating is done for tonight.
DeleteAll duly noted YP.
DeleteWhat is nicitating exactly ~ a sound ~ a movement? And congratulations for finally attaining the holy grail.
ReplyDeleteCarol, it isn't a verb it's a pronoun and refers to the white bit in the last images eye. Some birds have three eyelids as do most reptiles the Nictitating one is an inner one they use instead of blinking. It must be a really hard word to spell. That's two teachers in a row got it wrong. I'm begining to wunder it it's me has spilt it rong.
DeleteLOL ~ so I did, and I even checked before I sent the message. Need new glasses I do. I thought it was one of your made up words, otherwise I would have Googled it too.
DeleteCarol, it easily could have been. I knew the word but had to look it up to spell it.
DeleteA cute little thing, the bird that is Adrian, not you. I hadn't heard of 'nictitating' before, and so looked it up. You must have a lot of patience to take some of your pictures. Hope the weather is good where you are.
ReplyDeleteGary, you were well educated. you can spell. I feel for children today. You know what it is having looked it up so no need for me to comment.
DeleteThey are the very devil to snap. I've been after getting this close to one for five years. Not patient just obstinate.
Whoohoo! Well done Adrian, you got it at last. A great set of images and a lovely reward for your perseverance. And the cheeky little bugger winked at you, as if to say ' how's that gov'ner, will that do?'
ReplyDeleteI tried to spell nickertaking but got in a twist so gave up!!
Have a good weekend...[;o)
Trevor, hope you had a good holiday.
DeleteJust brilliant, such a hard bird to snap but to be honest this one was a bit dozy.
I was going to do a GIF of it winking....I thought; No. This blog is tacky enough as it is.
Like a dog with two tails I am.
There I was thinking this post going to be about smoking.
ReplyDeleteNot only did you get the Dipper with style but you've summed up bird photography in a nutshell...you struggle for ages to get an image of a bird then in one moment you fill your boots and can't believe your luck, well done.
I could have done with Big Bertha. It's near dark in the back of the waterfall. I'm surprised it hung around.
DeleteI forgot that was the 100-400mm, they're even better now.
DeleteDouglas, they would exist with the 400mm. I have taken more shots with little Bertha in three months than I took in eighteen with big Bertha. If I win the lottery I'll get the 200mm/400mm with the extender built in. I'll check it out for weight first. Mine wasn't the full Monty as it was built to give away or loan to sports photographers during the Olympics. It didn't have stabilisation#3. Didn't worry me or the bloke that bought it from me. Doubt anyone knew what it was for.
DeleteI like your last comment. You enjoyed what you had planned. this took you a long time. some day you may catch the dipper actually dipping. Now for nictitating? Maybe the English teachers will have a go at you. I'm sure it's misspelled because my spell checker says so!
ReplyDeleteRed, it isn't in spell checker. I see them several time a year. It's getting them to pose that is the problem.
DeleteCute bird, lovely first image - and I like your new header, too!
ReplyDeleteMonica, they are and at long last I have a picture or two to prove it.
DeleteGood for you Adrian, i know how that feels, i have yet to get a good photo of a Thrush, let alone a great little bird like your Dipper.........Well done.
ReplyDeletepeter
Peter, the trouble is one can always see room for improvement.
DeleteWho's a lucky man?
ReplyDeleteI am Bob.
DeleteBrilliant Adrian. Really pleased you persistence and patience paid off.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I wish I knew what I did right to get these. It must have known I was there. The dogs had wandered off so maybe that helped.
Delete
ReplyDeleteAdriaan as you see, the persistence pays.
Bas, it does and it did.
DeleteYour tenacity paid off in spades. I had to look up 'nictitating' and it's a verb. And I'm not winking when I say that.
ReplyDeleteAC, it matters little to me it's a good word.
DeleteYou hung in there and got the shot of the whole bird eventually. I usually don't master up the patience for bird photography, but I love looking at those kind of pictures. Yours are fantastic.
ReplyDeleteMersad
Mersad Donko Photography
Mersad, I quite like sitting doing nothing. It's no hardship to let the dogs walk themselves. This lens is a bit slow at f5.6 but it doesn't break my back carrying it or the bank buying it.
Deletesuch beautiful capture...
ReplyDeleteLaura they are a wonderful little bird. They can swim on lakes like a duck but feed from the bottom of fast flowing streams by clinging onto pebbles and walking under water. Pity they aren't more photogenic. A Macaw coloured one would be just....well...Out of this world.
DeleteSe camufla muy bien;))
ReplyDeleteUn abrazo.
Laura, the little bird is very good at hiding.
DeleteJust doing his bit for the Scottish tourist industry !!
ReplyDeleteJay, yes a well trained bird.
Delete