Dippers have to be one of my favourite birds to photograph. In this short film I head to a spot near to where I know the Dippers are nesting and they are very busy feeding their new brood of chicks.
Clutches are normally started between March and May. Dippers breeding at good quality sites may start as early a February.
The eggs are incubated by the female for about 16 days, beginning with the last egg, meaning that the brood hatches synchronously. The young are brooded by the female until they are 12-13 days old, but both parents feed the young.
The young fledge at 20-24 days but are fed for a further week, becoming fully independent 11-18 days after leaving the nest. During this time the nest site may be used by the family to roost in.
A second clutch will be started about 10 days after the fledging of the first one. The age of first breeding is one year, though males sometimes take longer. Join me to see what images we achieve and whether I manage to film this amazing aquatic bird.
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Simon I lost my dad end of last year and lost my photography interest..I want to thank you for these blogs for kicking me into gear and finding that love again of a wonderful hobby...thankyou for the inspiration ❤
Sorry for your loss Shaun and glad that youve found youre mojo again. Great to hear pal. all the best👊🏼
That lens is crazy good.
Yeh, gotta love a big prime. Its a monster to carry but well worth it.👍🏼
Thanks Simon, nice to see those dippers! Cheers from Hamburg! BTW. nice move to send Trond a bean bag!
Thanks theyre a lovely bird arent they and it was traumatizing me seeing him rest that 600mm on the rocks!!😆👍🏼
Top little film always educational always learning 👍👍
Cheers Neil
Cheers Simon, cracking film. All the best. 👍📷😎
Thanks Rob 👊🏼
As you would say, you got some cracking images.
Cheers John 👍🏼
Lovely Simon. Love a dipper.
Thanks Steve
Fabulous footage Simon, not been on for some time it looks like you have come on leaps and bounds since I was last on, you were using the Sigma 150-600 lens then. Since then it looks like you have won the Lottery with all this new kit, very Impressive I must add. Joking apart your videos and your stills are wonderfull, You certainly deserve all the good comments that you receive and another one from me.
You made a very pertinent point about taking the time to simply sit and observe what is going on around you. In many instances that is the key to obtaining the best images. I feel like I am preaching to the converted here. :-) my apologies. Another presentation from you, Simon. Thank you. Best regards.
No worries Alistair, its a tactic that I adopt more and more. You can learn so much just observing and holding off with the camera 👀📷👍🏼
Woooo getting a bit Pink Floydy on the music there 👌 Very good video and pics.
Thanks Robert 😆👌🏼
Good job, great video and thanks for sharing. Moving to the UK real soon and noticed how you stay warm, that's a heads-up for us! Cheers
Good luck with your move 👍🏼
Patience (combined with skills) is rewarded, as in this case with very good images. Interesting how specialized different birds are within the same water environment. The Kingfisher does the dive fishing, the Dipper goes for the worms, the Heron is spear-fishing, the Duck is filtering the bottom, etc., etc.
Youre dead right Eigil, the food in the river doesnt stand much of a chance does it!!😆 Thanks for watching pal👀👊🏼
Ey up lad. How wonderful, I wasn't expecting it to be as good as the episode with Dipper deck perspective but here you are knocking it out the park again! It wouldn't be my comment without mentioning the calendar so, April Showers, Dipper, spot on! Stay safe lad.
Na then fettler!! I'm not gonna get away with not doing this calendar am I ? 😆😆👍🏼 All the best, Si
stunning footage and really nicely presented
Thanks Drew 👍🏼
Excellent blog Simon cracking photos and footage 👌your a natural presenter 👏when you getting back to the buzzards?
Cheers Paul, very kind. It'll probably be the Autumn now before we try for the Buzzards again.
great video and great shots
Thanks Adrian
Brilliant 👏 👏
Thanks Derrick👍🏼
Really enjoyed the video Simon, brings back some very fond memories. thank you once again.👍
I was wondering whether you'd mention the dipper deck 😀!! great images the are a beautiful graceful bird to observe ! take care man !
Thanks Pat, will do 👍🏼
Another cracker Simon beautiful images
Cheers Andy👍🏼
Great video Simon ! A dipper is here in germany called " Wasseramsel " 😁 . They are really shy and need a hard time to catch on photo. Better i stay on the " hardcore " line with my four leg friends 😂 . The wild boars awaiting now the youngsters and april to june the roe deer youngsters are coming up. Should be a good year for taking photos but we need better weather at all . Best greetings and good hunting ! : Harald
Always need better weather Harald, although over here theres no such thing as bad weather only the 'wrong clothes'😆 Ive only photographed Wild Boar once, quite an experience!! all the best, Si
Cracking video and photos yet again, just love watching your work 👌👍
Cheers Vic 👊
Hi Simon, I'm reallying enjoying your content and I'm making my way through your videos at a steady pace. I'm a wildlife photographer in my spare time and Dippers are one of my favourite subjects, I've got a great location in Derbyshire for filming and photographing them, had some fantastic days there. Looking forward to your video, all the best, Chris.
Thanks Chris, theyre a fascinating bird to try and capture. Thanks for following the channel pal👍🏼👊🏼
😊❤it was good video thanks for your video I hope you will do some more
Thats the plan Sandra 👍🏼
great set of shots Simon and awesome video as always. Us photographers are never happy with the weather, to bright or too dark but make the best of what you're given. Thanks for sharing.
Youre right Ray, its a good test like you say to work with and get the best out of the conditions that youre faced with on the day 👍🏼
Thanks Simon ! Great Video ! Best Wishes Ed,
Cheers Ed 👍
Another beautiful video Simon,thanks for sharing.👍👍
Cheers Alan
Thanks Simon: Great visiting with you again. Mike
Cheers Mike 👍🏼
I really need a bean bag for my 800mm Good video by the way.
You know where to get em Philip!!🤣👍👊Thanks for watching 👀
@@simoneardley Etsy shop
Nice vid mate 👏👍
Thanks Paul 👍🏼
some great video shots of a beautiful little bird Simon, keep em coming mate, really enjoyable 👍📹🐦🦅
Thanks Terry and cheers for following the channel 👊🏼👍🏼
That was fantastic well done
Thanks Chris 👊
In my backyard Simon. Is there actually an otter in the brook? I'm not sure, one dusk I thought I saw one dropping into the water. Not far away was a vixen with cubs - not sure if she comes back each year, she has a bent tail - a near miss I'd say. I have marked the area in my diary. Good advice. Top cameras. I've never noticed that eyelid thing before although I've watched Dippers before in a burn near Dumfries as a kid and on the Dart as well. That's amazing - I guess it's a display thing, but the white eyelids wow, that's excellent, thanks Simon.
No Otters that I know of Mark, yeh the slo mo video is great for showing details that youd normally not see 👀👍🏼
Excellently presented. Dippers are always a tricky one for backgrounds and often light as my local rivers are treelined or through woods. One of my pairs are at the same stage as these. I got some flight shots (carrying food) done a few days ago and will return this week, probably later today, to see where they're up to - fledging is 21 days but I lost track of my timings a little with heavy rain and a heavy river a couple of weeks ago.
Nice one John, yeh the river levels can make a real difference to your chances of success. Good luck with the project 👍🏼📷
@@simoneardley Thanks Simon. Got the shots I wanted to have the whole breeding process from displaying to fledging 👍 plus a few interesting flight shots into the nest from another pair who are a few weeks behind the first pair.
Beautiful !👍👍👍
Thanks Steve 👍🏼
Great video again. The 1.4 tc works great with the 500 f4,the 1.7tc not so great.Keep the videos coming
Yeh, i noticed hardly any drop in quality with the 1.4 👍🏼. Cheers Mark
Got the battery bag thanks
Nice one David, thanks for your custom. 👊🏼
Siman, I knew it was going to be a good bird video and it was. Now, what I want to know is this. Is that a good trout stream. Looks like it would be great for wading a fly casting.
Haha, I'm sure theres some nice Brownies in there Clifton. Would be lovely in Summer when theres a bit more insect activity 👍🏼
Awesome video as always! I’m about to upgrade my my Wildlife photography camera setup and lens but I’m on a budget! I am thinking of going for the Nikon D850 as I now feel full frame is the way forward and I’m thinking due to my budget going for the Nikon 200-500mm 5.6 VR Lens! I would really appreciate your thoughts and feedback on this camera setup if you think it would be a good setup for shooting birds of prey such as barn owls in flight etc etc! Look forward to hearing back from you hopefully soon! Keep the great content coming!
Youll certainly have a more than capable set up. Ive never used that lens myself but I know people who have it and they really like it. The 850 is a fantastic body. Check out Tom Masons review video on the lens. Good luck with your new setup 👍🏼📷
Fantastic pics Simon. How are you finding the Z9 compared to the OM -1 ?
Thanks, I'm still getting too grips and learning the auto focus to be honest. The OM-1 was so much more portable and light but for me its all down to low light capability, image separation and image quality. Happy snapper!!👍🏼😀
@@simoneardley thanks for your reply Simon.
Cold snake 39
Ha ha..troll..dragging job out..mowed same grass 15x..you are funny..
Thanks for watching Andrew and supporting the channel 👊🏼