Dipper take-off

The first image below is a montage of the ongoing three images,  It has been produced to bring some movement and behaviour within a single frame to allow the viewer as much time as their eye requires to consider a split second of action at a more leisurely pace.  In this case it demonstrates the moment of take-off which is very difficult to predict in many birds but the Dipper always lowers its head and projects it well forward before doing so therefore making it 'Easier' to capture these behaviour detailed images,  Perhaps 'Easier' in not quite the right word as used above as anyone who has spent hours and days waiting for the right given moment to capture such images will know only to well.  During a four hour watch today we had less than two minutes 'show time' to record our images so you have to be well prepared for action throughout the session

In the last image below the same Dipper is just landing at speed from just above the waterline onto a slippery wet rock which it makes look easy without very much wing action, Its powerful legs and long toed feet seem to perfectly judge and absorb the moment of impact as its speed is reduced to zero.  The more you watch these birds the more you come to realise just how well they are adapted to the challenging terrain that they chose to live and hunt within.