The Dipper


Over the next 5 days i will be posting 5 photos taken by me with a short account of the moment I took the shot. These will be pictures chosen by my Instagram followers or ones that I feel have to be included.

Enjoy :)  



Dipper ‘Cinclus cinclus’
UK Conservation Status: Amber
UK breeding: 6.000 - 18.000 pairs
Location: Peak District 
Date: 30/6/2019 
Image details: Nikon P900 A 1/50 F6.3 ISO 800






There are hundreds of birds that I want to tick off my photograph list but I usually have a couple that I obsess about over a period of time and on certain trips.

Finding a Dipper was one of those that I was obsessing about especially on this trip, we was travelling to our campsite and I could see streams and rivers everywhere that looked like a place that would be inviting to them.

We headed up to Back Tor to take in the wonderful views the Peaks have to offer, we came to a small stone footbridge that crossed a stream and my brother and I both looked at each other and said “Dipper”, our Dad didn’t have a clue what that meant but just nodded in agreement.
We scanned either side of the bridge together and there was nothing to be seen or heard in relation to our target, we did have a Willow Warbler in the tree beside us making a bit of a racket and darting around.

We decided to carry on with our trek and maybe head back down this way after reaching the top of Back Tor.

We stumbled back down with tired legs and food on our mind but we wasn't going to return to out tents until we had one more look along the pretty stream.
  
This time we opened a can of beer each, CHEERS Bruv and we took a side each and spent a good 10 minutes running our eyes, bins and cameras along the banks.
It would be difficult to spot but I knew if it was there it would be unmistakable and remarkable.

Then it appeared in all its glory bobbing up and down on some rocks (on my side).
I called over the Hairy Hawker and we snapped away, the lighting was terrible and the bird was at a great distance but we saw it, we photographed it and we did a little dance to celebrate.


Did you know the Dipper is the UKs only aquatic song bird? 



I'll be back tomorrow, 

Bob Horsefield (peckhambirdman)


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